San Mateo and San Francisco Counties
Quarterly News & Events March 2020
Introducing UC Cooperative Extension's Bay Area
County Director, Frank McPherson!
We are thrilled to welcome new County Director, Frank McPherson , a Senior Executive and Customer Support professional who draws on 25 years of experience to inspire, motivate and build top performing organizations. While serving in the United States Air Force he provided leadership and direction to airmen supporting the National Command Authority in various Command and Control Operations Centers, globally.
 
In the civilian sector, he has successfully managed and provided leadership to customer support organizations in the Travel, Semiconductor and Medical industries, including oversight of customer education and training, contract administration, Clinical and Research Application Support Scientists and management of Technical Support Teams. He has an MS in Management from Troy State University and a BS in Business Management from the University of Maryland.
 
Frank will split his time between San Mateo/San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Alameda County Cooperative Extension offices and can be reached at fmcpherson@ucdavis.edu
Welcome Human-Wildlife Interactions Advisor,
Carolyn Whitesell!
Carolyn is an ecologist who has conducted extensive research and outreach on issues surrounding human-carnivore conflict in southern Africa, working on solutions that benefit farmers and protect carnivores. She has an M.S./PhD in Ecology from UC Davis and was a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. In her new role, she will be assessing regional human-wildlife interactions and clientele's needs and then implementing a research and outreach program targeting those needs. This new position is a joint partnership between UCANR and the County of San Mateo Agriculture Dept.

When not working, Carolyn enjoys exploring new places, wildlife photography and hiking with her Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Indy.   

She will be based in Half Moon Bay and can be reached at cawhitesell@ucdavis.edu
Program Happenings

In January, CalFresh Healthy Living and the Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) provided nutrition education and physical activity at  San Mateo Park Elementary School’s 1st annual Family Fitness Night.  UCCE Educators staffed 4 engaging stations at this free educational event. Adults and children alike were most active at the  Coordinated Approached to Child Health (CATCH) station where entire families participated in games designed to engage them in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

In January, 7 youth from the San Mateo County 4-H club attended the Bay/Coast Youth Summit held at Walker Creek Ranch in Petaluma. Odessa from Pacifica 4-H wrote about her experience: "The Youth Summit is about learning youth leadership skills.  I went to a few conferences and learned about the 6C’s of leadership: Confidence, Competence, Caring, Connection, Character and Contribution.  I used confidence in my 4-H presentation the week after I returned when giving a 4H demonstration about how to sew pajama pants for my Clothing and Textiles Sewing Project."

The UC Master Gardener Program is spreading the word about composting through a grant awarded by the San Mateo County Office of Sustainability (OOS) . The goal is to demonstrate how everyone can have an impact on reducing landfill , while creating a magical ingredient for their gardens. The free workshops explore how easy and fun it is to recycle your produce scraps, leaves and garden trimmings into compost, whether you live in a single family residence or an apartment. V isit our website to register for workshops: smsf-mastergardeners.ucanr.edu

4-H held their annual Presentation Day and Interview Contest on Saturday, February 8 at the College of San Mateo. Presentation Day is a fun opportunity for 4-H members to showcase their knowledge in a subject of their choosing. 4-Hers prepare a presentation that is judged on subject knowledge, presentation, organization, voice, manner and appearance, clarity, and the ability to answer questions. Additionally, our Pacifica 4-H club sold lunches at the event to raise funds to purchase items such as food, diapers, toiletries, backpacks, and more to help the homeless in their community.
Other News / Events / Opportunities
Health Alert

The University of California is vigilantly monitoring and responding to new information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, which has been declared a global health emergency. Please consult the CDC , the CDPH , or your County Health Department ( San Mateo ; San Francisco ) for recommendations for your community. Cancellations for the events listed below will vary by program and size of event. Please visit the specific program webpage for more information.
Coastside Gives is May 7th!
UC Elkus Ranch is participating in Coastside Gives for the third year! We hope you will support us on May 7, 2020. Coastside Gives  brings the Coastside together as one community, raising money and awareness for local nonprofits during the 24-hour online giving challenge. At Elkus Ranch, countless children and families from the Coastside visit us for educational programs and our annual events. We hope that you will consider supporting us again this year! Funds from Coastside Gives support our animal and garden care, which directly impact our educational programs.
Conference Center for Rent

Need a reason to get out in nature? Book the Elkus Ranch Conference Center for your work or family event! Located in the beautiful rolling hills and pastures of rural Half Moon Bay, it’s perfect for offsites , retreats , meetings , and more! Visit our website to learn more:  elkusranch.ucanr.edu
You can make a difference by donating.
We are a certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization - #94-6036494
Thank you for being a member of the UC Cooperative Extension community!
UC Cooperative Extension Offices
San Mateo / San Francisco Counties
Located at Elkus Ranch
1500 Purisima Creek Road
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
650-726-9059
Email: cesanmateo@ucanr.edu

Nutrition Office:
300 Piedmont Ave.,
Building B, Rm 227
San Bruno, CA 94066
Master Gardener Helpline:
650-276-9030 / mgsmsf@ucanr.edu

Mondays - 9am to 4pm
Elkus Ranch Conference Center
1500 Purisima Creek Road, HMB
Wednesdays - 10:30am to 2pm
San Francisco Botanical Garden Library
1199 9th Ave., San Francisco
Thursdays - 9am to 4pm
Veteran's Memorial Senior Center
1455 Madison Ave., Redwood City
ANR NONDISCRIMINATION AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION POLICY STATEMENT FOR UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
It is the policy of the University of California (UC) and the UC Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources not to engage in discrimination against or harassment of any person in any of its programs or activities (Complete nondiscrimination policy statement can be found at  http://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/files/215244.pdf )
Inquiries regarding ANR’s nondiscrimination policies may be directed to UCANR, Affirmative Action Compliance & Title IX Officer, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 2801 Second Street, Davis, CA 95618,(530) 750-1397.