Interview conducted by Nancy Mills, BCMG
November 2023
Our heartiest congratulations to our Fall 2023 Master Gardener, Sherri McShane. Sherri has a long history of volunteering, not only for BCMG, but for many other organizations as well.
I first met Sherri, when she was a teacher at Northwood Elementary School, and was so pleased to be able to renew our acquaintance in the Master Gardener program. Little did I know that she already had a long history of sharing gardening education, as well as reading, writing and arithmetic!
The wife of the late Dan McShane, Sherri and her family moved around the country, and finally settled here in San Antonio where she raised her three children. During her time at Northwood, Sherri’s passion for gardening was fulfilled when she was given permission to develop the abandoned gardens at the school. Through an acquaintance, Sherri attended the first Junior Master Gardener teacher class given by Doris Trotter at the BCMG Extension office in 2006. Using her training, Sherri established a JMG club for 3rd-5th graders, the first registered JMG group in Bexar County. It was through this training that Sherri became a Master Gardener.
After retiring in 2019 from NEISD, Sherri became a dedicated volunteer for the BCMG. She helps in areas such as school gardens, working at the Rodeo, and giving her time to the youth activities at the Pearl Market. Lately, you can find her helping at the Lunch and Learn programs as well as one of the BCMG docents for the San Antonio Botanical Garden (“SABOT”) Culinary Garden. You also might have read one of her numerous articles for the Scion. As Sherri says, “The best thing about being a Master Gardener is learning new ideas and techniques for gardening from people from all walks of life!”
Sherri doesn’t limit her volunteering to just the BCMG. She works with the SA Herb Society, Northwood Elementary and at SABOT, where she conducts “Storytime in the Garden.”
Sherri is looking forward to continuing her work in the Culinary Garden at SABOT and, possibly, with the Speakers Bureau. Of course, her three grandchildren will also be a high priority!
Thank you, Sherri, from the BCMG board and membership for your dedication and gift of time you have given to promote the love of gardening. Congratulations!
All photos submitted by Sherri McShane