Across the nation, Extension Agents are addressing sustainability across our program areas. We invite you to become part of the NNSLE community. NNSLE is an initiative group founded under the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals and we are meeting monthly to share resources, tools, programs and ideas.

 

We have several things planned for this coming year including; planning the National Sustainability Summit 2021, updating key resources including the Sustainable Living and Climate Change Handbooks as well as working toward a Sustainability Outreach in Extension: National Strategic Plan. You can sign up to be on teams for these efforts at each meeting.

               

Linda and Alicia would like to invite you to talk about what sustainability means in your program area at our monthly meetings. We meet the first Monday of each month on Zoom (except holidays) at 2pm EST. The first 20 minutes will be dedicated to advancing our knowledge about sustainability in Extension followed by a round table of ideas . Can you can share your experience with our national network?

               

Finally, will you help us improve out outreach efforts? Take this quick 4 question survey so we can tailor our efforts to meet your needs.

Meeting Dates- 2pm EST reply to receive meeting calendar appointments.

2019

September 9 ^th

October 7 ^th

November 4 ^th

December 2 ^nd

2020

January 6 ^th

February 3 ^rd

March 2 ^nd

April 6 ^th

May 4 ^th

June 1 ^st

July 6 ^th

 

Find out more on ANREP's NNSLE website.

 

Co-Chairs

Alicia Betancourt

Linda Seals

Coordinator

Liz Yongue

The National Extension Wildland Fire Initiative (NEWFI) leadership team is looking forward to your participation in several upcoming events. First, there will be an informational NEWFI web meeting on September 5, 2019 from 2-3pm Eastern (registration details forthcoming). The meeting will be for anyone interested in learning more about Extension’s role in wildland fire across the country, and how you can become involved in wildland fire programming or a member of NEWFI. We will also be looking for feedback from the meeting participants as to their needs related to fire and suggestions for activities in the coming year.

We will also be hosting a special session at the upcoming Association for Fire Ecology 8th International Fire Ecology and Management Congress in Tucson, AZ on November 18-22, 2019. The session will include five presentations from members of NEWFI, and will be followed by a discussion-based “Fire Circle” on how Extension does and can partner on wildland fire. During the conference, NEWFI will also be holding its first official in-person meeting, and all ANREP members are invited to attend.

Finally, the NEWFI leadership team has been working with the ANREP 2020 Conference team to plan a fantastic post-conference field day. The field trip will take place in the Chiloquin Community Forest and Fire Project (CCFFP) landscape in South Central Oregon near a town called Chiloquin of about 30k acres. The project is working directly with several agencies and came up with a Master Plan for the diverse landscape. This project can serve as a model for others, and will be highlighted on the tour, in addition to several other fire-related projects that Extension has been working on across the nation.

Are You Interested in becoming a member of NEWFI?

 

If you would like to be added to the ANREP Wildland Fire Google Group to receive email communications and updates in the future, please go to https://groups.google.com , search “ANREP Wildland Fire Initiative” and request to join from a Google email account. If you have any questions, please contact:

 

Jennifer Fawcett , Extension Associate

Dept. of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University

919-515-8288

Registrations are now open for the 2019 Alliance of Natural Resource Outreach and Service Programs (ANROSP) annual conference. ANROSP is an alliance of Master Naturalist-type programs. We have 32 member programs from 27 states and one Australian province. These include Master Naturalist programs, Master Watershed Stewards, Conservation Stewards, and others. Our conference is an opportunity to network with leaders and coordinators of these programs to share best practices, promote new initiatives, and to problem-solve together. Click the image above to visit the conference website.

As emerald ash borer, EAB, works its way through the midwest ash wood has become abundant but markets for ash are limited. Two recent projects in Rochester, MN offer innovative ways to consider urban and ash wood.

 

In September 2017, while attending the IUFRO 125 World Congress in Freiberg, Germany, UMN Extension Forestry Angie Gupta admired the many green and solar roofed wooden bike parking structures scattered generously throughout Freiberg. Rochester is growing quickly because of a state Destination Medical Center (DMC) initiative and biking is a key component of Rochester’s long-term transportation plan. Also, UMN Extension’s Regional office is located at the Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) in the same building as RCTC’s Horticulture Department. Angie knew from chatting with Robin Fruth-Dugstad, the RCTC Horticulture Professor, at various plant sales that Robin had long wanted to try a green roof for her students. Finally, as an Extension Forester Angie served on the MN Wood Innovation Team which was just finishing up a 3-year grant to grow wood markets including those in Rochester.

 

Through these connections an opportunity to build an ash wood, green roofed bike shed at RCTC developed. With generous donations of thermally treated ash wood from Arbor Wood Co; architectural design skills from CRW architecture + design, Inc; horticulture student and community volunteer labor; and an Extension initiated crowd sourcing campaign that generated $1,045 from mostly local donations, we resource this project.

 

I’m delighted that during the fall of 2018 (one year after the inspiring conference in Germany), the bike shed was built. This spring the green roof was installed!

The second project developed about the same time with foresight and innovation from Grand Rounds Brewing owner Tessa Leung. Tessa is a creative and community engaged local brewer with a restaurant in downtown Rochester’s Historic 3rd Street. She wanted to prototype a parklet, a deck-like sidewalk extension using 3 parking spaces, using urban ash wood removed because of EAB. Working with Angie Gupta, the Rochester City Forestry, Jeff Haberman, a few contractors in the emerging local wood industry, and funding from UMN Extension’s Southeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, Tessa got permission from the City Council and installed Rochester’s first parklet this summer. The parklet is made almost entirely from Rochester’s EAB removed ash wood. 

These projects may be small in physical size but they’re big in collaboration, community engagement, inspiration, and dedication. They are tangible steps in UMN Extension Forestry’s efforts to increase local wood markets and the MN Wood Innovation Team’s efforts to develop innovative markets in Minnesota.

 

A special thanks to all those at RCTC and the City Council for being willing to try something new! 

Submitted by:

Angela Gupta

Forestry Extension Educator

University of Minnesota Extension

The Colville Reservation was the host site for the 2019 NW IAC (Intertribal Agriculture Council) Youth Food Sovereignty Summit, July 8 – 10. Eighteen youth ages 13 – 25, representing seven different tribes, participated and learned about agriculture and what they can do to help ensure food sovereignty/food security on their reservations.

Colville Reservation WSU Extension partnered with IAC and the Colville Confederated Tribes (CCT) to host three days of fun-filled education about natural resources, agriculture, native culture and 4-H Positive Youth Development. “Learning how to grow and produce food is vital,” stated Linda McLean, Colville Reservation WSU Extension Director. “Without access to safe, healthy and affordable food, communities can suffer and lives can be negatively impacted by hunger and disease.”

This youth summit showcased the efforts that the Colville Confederated Tribes and the surrounding communities are putting forth for the preservation of natural resources and the development of agriculture. To provide for more of a hands-on learning approach, several physical tours were incorporated. We toured: CCT Forestry Greenhouses to learn about the reforestation program; Grand Coulee Dam to learn about the Columbia Irrigation Project; Gebber’s Farms to learn about the orchard industry and how science can play a large part in agriculture; Okanogan Interpretive Center to learn about native culture and how the river impacted tribes; CCT Chief Joe Fish Hatchery to learn about salmon recovery projects and fish harvest; and Delap Orchards to learn about and sample different fruits grown in the Okanogan valley.

The youth also had opportunities for hands-on learning through various activities: basket making, creating honey products, hearing about 4-H projects from Colville Reservation 4-H members and a drone demonstration and discussion about the beneficial uses for drones in the agriculture industry.

This Youth Summit is designed to expose Native youth to potential careers in agriculture and to help them achieve skills and resources to be successful in the agriculture industry. We also heard presentations from government agencies– USDA, FRTEP, APHIS, NRCS and FSA – on how they can help with Indian agriculture and about careers in all these programs for the youth to explore. 

Submitted by:

Linda McLean

Colville Reservation WSU Extension Director

Washington State University Extension

My name is Marissa Ardovino and I am the 2019 LEAF intern in Manassas, Virginia. LEAF (Link to Education About Forests) is an inter-agency partnership between Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Virginia Department of Forestry, and the National Park Service at Manassas National Battlefield Park. Through this internship, I have been given a unique opportunity to work with landowners, create & deliver outreach initiatives, and conduct fieldwork with amazing mentors and colleagues who share my passion for the natural world.

 

If you had asked me to use a clinometer at the beginning of the summer, I would’ve probably thought that you were talking about a tool that they use in a dentist’s office. Since I am studying Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech, my experience with forestry was limited to a dendrology class that I took last fall (however, that was definitely my favorite class of the semester). Now, at the end of my internship, I can use a wedge prism to estimate basal area, I have memorized how many of my paces fit in a chain, and I enjoy using a Biltmore stick to measure board-foot tree volumes! The overlap between studies of forestry and wildlife are much greater than I could have imagined. When I return to my classes in the fall, I will have a newfound respect for the forestry majors who are learning how to manage and protect the habitat that houses so much of our precious wildlife across the globe.

 

Before I started this internship in May, I was unsure that I had the necessary skills to teach other people about forest and wildlife management practices, since I am still a student myself. As soon as I met my fellow interns from the Resource Management team at the Manassas battlefields, I realized that we all had our respective areas of expertise, and it would benefit us to learn as much as we could from one another. With this in mind, I was able to teach them how to identify dozens of trees in the mid-Atlantic United States, while they taught me about grassland birds, grassland habitat, deer management, and countless other skills from their experiences with past field positions. Working in natural resources, I originally expected to be in a male-dominated environment. Much to my surprise, I found myself working with two other young women scientists that I am happy to call my co-workers and friends.

 

Another aspect of this internship was having the opportunity to collaborate with volunteer organizations in order to produce educational opportunities for the public. With the Virginia Master Naturalists, we hosted a group of visitors at Conway Robinson State Forest from the neighboring active adult community. We worked together to plan, organize, and execute a guided walking tour that showcased forest ecology and management practices to our visitors. This project took a lot of work, and it is not something that I ever could have managed on my own. Looking back, I believe that this event greatly improved my teamwork and leadership skills, both traits that I look forward to improving and expanding upon in the future.

 

When I was a kid, I remember watching shows like The Crocodile Hunter and Zoboomafoo every week. As I grew older, my friends lost interest in animals and nature, but luckily I never did. One of my favorite parts of this internship was spending time with children in the outdoors. Throughout the summer, I worked with Youth Conservation Corps,The Southeast Dairy Youth Retreat, and the Fauquier County 4-H Ag Expo teaching kids about forest ecosystems and the importance of properly managing those ecosystems. The best way to ensure that we live in an environmentally-conscious world is to educate future generations of landowners, business owners, and policy-makers. Children are incredibly receptive to learning about ecological concepts. If we continue to provide them the resources necessary to become well-informed citizens, our future will be in much better hands.

 

I will never forget my adventures this summer. I have learned so much about myself and other disciplines and I feel like a much more rounded individual as a result. Thank you to Adam Downing (Virginia Cooperative Extension), Sarah Parmelee (Virginia Department of Forestry), Bryan Gorsira (National Park Service, Manassas National Battlefield), and Kaleigh Keohane & Aliya Khan (NPS interns) for being the best supervisors, mentors, and co-workers I could have ever asked for. None of this would be the same without you!

Addendum: Virginia Cooperative Extension has encouraged and supported local extension office paid internships since 2008. One of the big-picture objectives of this effort is to expose college students in relevant majors to Cooperative Extension as a potential career path. Offices/agents approved for hosting an intern are given half of the funds from VCE and the other half are typically provided by the host county. The LEAF internship has been made possible financially with NPS and VDOF support. As a three agency team, we work together to provide the intern with a variety of experiences with an eye toward advancing our collaborative educational efforts on the National Battlefield & (nearly adjoining) State Forest. For more information about the VCE internship program, visit https://ext.vt.edu/internship.html

Jennifer Taylor, PhD, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is a 2019 recipient of The Rodale Institute's Organic Pioneer Award. Rodale Institute, the global leader in regenerative organic agriculture, will recognize three leaders of the organic movement at the 9th Annual Organic Pioneer Awards on September 07, 2019. 

“The Organic Pioneer Awards is a special event. Special, because it’s an opportunity to recognize key figures in the organic community—such as farmers, scientists, entrepreneurs and policy makers—who often endured personal hardships and professional challenges to make the brave decision to change the way food is produced around the world,” said Jeff Moyer, Rodale Institute executive director. “We honor these pioneers who have made a commitment to improving the health and well-being of people and the planet.”

As Associate Professor and coordinator of Small Farm Programs/Sustainable Agriculture Systems at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) Taylor developed and is implementing the FAMU StateWide Small Farm Program- Cooperative Extension Program, a participatory sustainable development program that focuses on providing participatory education, training and technical assistance to underserved small farm populations and their communities on organic farming systems, agroecology, and sustainable living. Dr. Taylor served on the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) for 5 years, and currently serves as Board member on the Organic Farmer’s Association Governing Council and OFA's Policy Committee, International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements-North America, US Food Sovereignty Alliance, and Georgia Organics; and is member of Slow Food USA. 

Jennifer is owner of a USDA certified organic farm in Georgia where she and her husband Ron provide learning workshops on sustainable agricultural system practices such as integrating cover crops to manage weeds, enhance pollinator and beneficial insect habitats, and add value to building healthy soils healthy foods and healthy environments. 

Assistant Professor Melissa M. Kreye, at Pennsylvania State University Extension, is launching a new program called “ Forest Benefits and Values ” to help advocates of conservation understand the benefits and values associated with conserved forestlands. Conservation organizations and landowners who take steps to conserve nature not only help enhance forests and but also protect the wellbeing of surrounding communities. Dr. Kreye believes that by helping this audience understand of the positive impact they have on their community they will be able to make better decisions and advance in their mission.

To help establish the program Dr. Kreye distributed a needs assessment survey to 360 non-governmental conservation organizations located in the Mid-Atlantic region and surrounding states. Over 104 organizations responded (28.8% response rate) from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, New York and Virginia. Most survey respondents represented nonprofit conservation groups and/or land trusts (e.g., The Nature Conservancy), fewer represented private associations (e.g., woodland owner associations) and public-private partnerships. Responding organizations had an average landholding of 23,000 acres and 660 miles of trails and a mission to protect and restore wildlife, natural areas and/or mixed-use rural lands. Over 70% had outreach programs targeting diverse groups of stakeholders (i.e., landowners, public) as well as government officials and public policy makers. Important income sources included grants, member fees and donations, and most reported a modest increase in income over the last five years.

Most organizations wanted to learn more about how forests and natural areas can be beneficial to humans, and the economic value of these benefits. Key topics included clean water and air, biodiversity, and habitats, as well as the economic and social value of birds, endangered wildlife, fish, reptiles and insects. There was also interest in understanding how natural areas can help improve human health, enhance recreational opportunities, and provide educational and aesthetic benefits. Many were interested in receiving training on how to quantify the benefits and economic values associated with their conservation efforts, and how to assess outreach program impact. They believe that having this information would help them make better planning and management decisions, solicit for more funding, justify expenses and be more effective as advocates for stakeholders. Many of the products typically offered through extension were also preferred by responding organizations (i.e., newsletters, factsheets, training events, social media).

To help meet this need Dr. Kreye established a quarterly electronic newsletter, “The Conservation Current”. So far, two editions of the Conservation Current have been distributed to responding organizations. Newsletter articles describe recent economic and social research studies associated with natural ecosystems, and “lessons learned” stories from conservation organizations throughout the Eastern US. The most recent edition contains articles discussing public attitudes and willingness to pay for watershed protection. The fall edition will address the role of private lands in climate change mitigation.

Dr. Kreye also developed a training workshop for professional audiences that delivers strategies for assessing the impact of their environmental outreach programs. Participants will learn easy and efficient ways to obtain meaningful measures of change in audience knowledge and motivation. Participants will also learn how to collect survey data that will allow for advanced forms of statistical analysis and model building, which can be used to predict potential broader impact. These techniques are particularly useful for educators who want to reach new/uninformed audiences, or programs that address collective action issues (e.g., mitigate non-point source water pollution). To learn more visit the Forest Benefits and Values Lab website . If you are interested in participating in a workshop or want to join the newsletter list serve please email Melissa Kreye.

Submitted by:

Melissa Kreye

Assistant Professor, Forest Resources Management

Penn State University

Extension aims to serve and meet the needs of the communities we serve. A need became apparent after listening to conversations from the University of Florida’s School of Forest Resources & Conservation Advisory Committee and Pinellas County’s Urban Forestry Committee. The need? To get young adults interested in working in the field of forestry, be it urban or traditional. And not only interested but equipped with real-world skills. The solution? A three-day, 4-H Teens for Trees Program!

The idea behind Teens for Trees was to highlight different tree-related careers and associated skills needed to successfully do the job. I pitched my idea for this program my county’s Urban Forestry Committee and had three members volunteer to help. We met several times and decided each would spearhead one day and I would supplement their agenda with Project Learning Tree activities. So here’s what we ended up with:

Day 1 was led by our County Urban Forester and focused on tree identification and tree measurement. Participants learned key characteristics to look for that are helpful with tree identification, how to use a dichotomous key, and how to measure trees. We made our own DBH tape, clinometer and Biltmore stick!

Day 2 was led by City of Largo Parks Superintendent and focused on tree maintenance. The city brought in their tree crew (all certified arborists) to demonstrate proper tree pruning practices using various chainsaws and a bucket truck. They also demonstrated their efforts to cleanup resulting branches and debris with a wood chipper, raking, and leaf blowing. We then got to see the behind the scene GIS system that tracks work orders and all the various requests the city receives. The day finished up with learning about ecosystem services of trees and participants got to use i-Tree software to do their own tree value calculations.

Day 3 was led by the City of Tarpon Springs Arborist and focused on tree maintenance, tree inventory, and tree mitigation. On this day we got to see a pro fessional tree climber in action, talked through the process of permitting and mitigation, looking at real site plans, planted a 30-gallon longleaf pine and learned the proper way to plant and care for trees, and finished up with tree assessments using a drone.

If you’re familiar with Project Learning Tree, we showcased the following activities over the course of the three days: Tree Factory, Every Tree for Itself (with Urban Forestry Extension ), Tree Cookies, Water Wonders (with Urban Forestry Extension), and How Big Is Your Tree?

Each day the participants completed a journaling activity in the morning and afternoon to assess 4-H life skills. All sounds cool, right? Well…we had 16 teens register and only four show up for the three-days (facepalm). We offered the program for free and believe that played a major role in the number of “no shows”.

So, “A” for effort. We might try and offer the program again next summer with a small fee. But I’m open to others thoughts and suggestions.

Submitted by:

Lara Milligan

Natural Resources Agent

UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County

Tools for Engaging Landowners Effectively (TELE) is proud to announce a new resource designed to help natural resource professionals to engage family landowners in conservation and good stewardship of the land: Engaging Landowners in Conservation: A Complete Guide to Designing Programs and Communications.

 

This guide is based on the TELE methodology, which applies social marketing principles to land management and conservation programs and typically yields a three-fold increase in landowner actions compared to standard outreach and program planning practices. Through the guide, they offer concrete guidance and real-life examples to help practitioners achieve the focus and scale needed to have a measurable and meaningful impact on the landscape.

Please direct questions to [email protected] or 203-432-7470.

Submitted by:

Cassidy Dellorto-Blackwell

Program Specialist, Sustaining Family Forests Initiative

Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies

Extension Specialists at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food & Environment have recently developed and launched a podcast about “ all things water in Kentucky.” The hosts, Drs. Carmen Agouridis and Amanda Gumbert, explore topics at locations specific to Kentucky but with nationwide relevance. The format includes an in-field expert interview coupled with in-studio discussion to dig deeper into the topic.

A new podcast is released every two weeks. Episodes cover such subjects as macroinvertebrates in streams and why they’re important; salamanders and the salamander search program at Raven Run Nature Preserve in Fayette County; Kentucky’s unique geology and how it is vital to the bourbon industry; streamside buffer zones and stream restoration; homeowner irrigation; and urban trees and their importance to the water cycle. Some episodes will examine environmental education, recreational opportunities and stream cleanup activities.

The podcasts are available through podcast apps on any mobile device, iTunes or online. The podcast website includes annotated episode transcripts and links to further explore the topics.

Submitted by:

Amanda Gumbert

Extension Water Quality Specialist

University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service

The Mississippi and Atchafalaya River Basins (MARB) Watershed Leadership Network works to enhance learning among farmer and non-farmer leaders engaged in watershed management across Hypoxia Task Force member states in the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River Basins (MARB).

In February, 2019, the Network hosted its second Great Lakes to Gulf Watershed Leadership Summit, in Biloxi, MS. The Summit included representatives from across the region who outlined practical approaches for increasing farmer and farm advisor engagement in watershed management and established strategies for increasing conservation practice adoption.

Check out this video by the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food, and the Environment on the 2019 summit and how fishers, farmers, and partners are coming together to address gulf hypoxia.

Submitted by:

Amanda Gumbert

Extension Water Quality Specialist

University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service

The University of Minnesota Extension has updated the  Managing Ash Woodlands: Recommendations for Woodland Owners publication. The document is an updated resource for family woodland owners in Minnesota who have ash trees on their property. The document synthesizes expert woodland recommendations presented in previous publications in addition to scientific results from on-the-ground research studies. The 68-page document provides:

Contact: Matt Russell, Extension Specialist, University of Minnesota 

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