Newsletter - September 9, 2022

Meet the New Arapahoe County CSU Extension Director

Arapahoe County Open Spaces is thrilled to announce the appointment of new CSU Extension Director Dina Baker, following a four-month extensive search. Dina began her new position at the County on August 8.

Dina is heading the Arapahoe County CSU Extension division, overseeing nine staff members, and will be responsible for managing volunteer committees, serving as liaison between CSU Extension leadership and Arapahoe County, providing overall leadership on priority educational programming based on community needs and being the public face of Arapahoe County CSU Extension. Her greatest passion is connecting children and adults of all ages to nature and being able to provide educational opportunities to diverse audiences.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dina to the team,” says Open Spaces Director Shannon Carter. “Throughout her interviews, we were impressed with how much she embraced science, education, and the importance of serving diverse communities. She is a wonderful fit for us as we look to maximize our impact, relevancy and reach, and build on the successes of existing CSU Extension services. With Dina’s background in environmental education, we also see great opportunity to develop new programming and partnerships to strengthen the connection between Open Spaces and our community.”

Dina most recently worked for Evergreen Audubon and the Denver Zoo. She considers herself a naturalist with a focus on birds and native plants. She holds certifications as an Audubon Master Birder and Native Plant Master through CSU Extension. Her education background includes a Master of Science degree in Biology and undergraduate degrees in Spanish Literature and Studio Art.

Originally from Illinois, Dina lives in Conifer with her husband and two dogs. In her free time, you’ll find her trail running, painting, making ceramics, and volunteering.

Dina’s office is located at the Arapahoe County CSU Extension Office (6934 South Lima St., Suite B). Welcome Dina!

Special thanks to Horticulture Agent Lisa Mason who served with great success as Interim Director for eight months.

The FCS/GEN projects were judged at State Fair on August 18 - 19. Click on the image to the left to view the results. There are still some exhibits at the Arapahoe County Extension Office that need to be picked up. They can be picked up Monday - Thursday from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

State Fair 4-H Shooting Sports Championships have begun. Click on the image to the right to view the results. Results will be updated as the rest of the contests take place. The State Fair will run August 26 - September 5. 

Carcass Results Available

The Cattle, Goat, Lamb and Swine Carcass results are available for viewing. Please click here to see them.

4-H @ AG DAY

Saturday, September 24, 2 p.m.

The CSU Rams take on Sacramento State. $35 package includes: game ticket, campus experiences (leadership talk), on-field experience and BBQ ticket! You can purchase tickets by clicking on the image to the left. Enter code: 4H2022 to get the 4-H discount.

CHRISTMAS IN SEPTEMBER!

NOT JULY!

The Arapahoe County 4-H Foundation is preparing for the annual Holiday Evergreen sale.

The 4-H Foundation’s annual budget is $36,900.00. In order to meet this budget, it depends upon the Holiday Evergreen sale, donations from Friends of 4-H and other gifts.

Four college scholarships in the amount of $9,000 are given each year. The 4-H Foundation also sponsors the leader/member awards, Tools of the Project for county fair champions and reserve champions, outreach programs and the meal for the Achievement Awards program. It supports training for

4-H members and leaders and picks up contest fees at State 4-H Conference and State Fair and helps promote 4-H.

In order to provide funding for these activities, it relies heavily on the Holiday Evergreen sale and is asking for the support of 4-H clubs and families. The Foundation also reaches out to the public to sell holiday evergreens.

Sale materials will go out to 4-H Club leaders the last week of September. The deadline for orders this year has been extended to Friday, October 28. 4-H Clubs are also asked to send the name of their wreath sale chairperson to Kathy McDaniel, 303-919-2177 or Larrykathy4@aol.com.

We are asking that all 4-H leaders and members help with this fund raiser.

Congratulations to Antelope Crossing 4-H Club! Their float won 1st place in the float division at Strasburg days.