Volume 2 Issue 6
June 2026
The RECap
A newsletter from South Coast Research and Extension Center
and UC Cooperative Extension Orange County
| | GROW Program Hosts Experiential Learning Activities for 800+ Orange County Students | | |
During the 2025-2026 academic year, South Coast REC's GROW Program hosted 721 high school students from schools all over Orange County. The GROW Program, SCREC's agriculture education and workforce development program, is organized and administered by SCREC's Community Education Specialists Tammy Majcherek and Jason Suppes, and is supported by the Orange County Farm Bureau.
Students came from Edison High School, Warren High School, Crean Lutheran High School, Marina High School, Fountain Valley High School, Westminster High School, Buena Park High School, Sunny Hills High School, La Habra High School, Fullerton Joint Union High School, and Huntington High School.
| | |
Students harvesting seasonal vegetables.
Photo Credit: Linda Genis
| Students learning about hydroponically-grown lettuce. Photo Credit: Linda Genis | | Students and K-9 trainers posing after the demonstration. Photo Credit: Laura Holly | |
Students creating their own seasoning blends.
Photo Credit: Linda Genis
| | After arriving at the research center, students had the opportunity to rotate through four different hands-on educational activities. In the fall, activities included a seasonal produce tasting with fruits grown at South Coast REC, learning the basics of beekeeping and pollinators with the OC Bee Team, making guacamole and learning safe food handling skills with the UC Master Food Preservers (MFP), learning about growing foods in small spaces using hydroponics with Grant Johnson, our Urban Ag Technology Advisor, and digging into sustainable soil practices with Gerry Spinelli, Production Horticulture Advisor. In the spring, activities included getting out in the field for a seasonal vegetable harvest, exploring the interdisciplinary nature of K-9 training with our collaborator Denise Scelsi, learning about irrigation technology with Grant Johnson, and creating seasoned salts with the UC MFPs. | Photo Credit: Linda Genis | |
Another highlight for the year was our annual ag mechanics field day where students learned how to apply their mechanics skills to agricultural equipment. Besides the high school field days, the GROW Program also hosted field trips for 140 elementary school students and for many of them this was their first field trip ever!
Other than our field trips, we also had a group of Adult Transition Program (ATP) students from Santa Ana Unified School District visit SCREC twice a week throughout the school year to learn agricultural and horticultural practices. The students also had the opportunity to visit Knott's Berry Farm to learn from the landscaping and irrigation teams, opening their eyes to exciting career opportunities!
Students love getting to visit South Coast REC and learn outside of the classroom. Some of them shared things like:
"This was the best day of my life."
and
"It was very interactive and fun plus we got to eat a yummy treat."
| Meet the UC Master Gardeners of Orange County's Graduating Class of 2026 | |
UC Master Gardeners of Orange County are excited to announce the graduating class for 2026. These 34 new Master Gardeners represent a remarkable group of individuals who have dedicated themselves to advancing their knowledge of horticulture, environmental stewardship, and community engagement. Through rigorous training and hands-on learning, they have developed the skills and expertise needed to promote sustainable gardening practices and support healthy ecosystems.
As they complete this important milestone, they are well prepared to share their knowledge through community gardens, educational programs, and environmental restoration projects. Their commitment to service and lifelong learning will have a lasting impact on the communities we serve. Graduation is not the end of their journey, but the beginning of a meaningful opportunity to cultivate stronger, greener, and more resilient communities for years to come.
Learn how to become a UC Master Gardener of Orange County here.
| | |
The UC Master Gardeners of Orange County's graduating class of 2026!
Photo credit: UC Master Gardener Erin Nelsen
| | |
Urban Watershed Resilience
by Esther Lofton, PhD, Urban Watershed Resilience Advisor
| | |
Last Month in Water Awareness:
Drinking Water Week & Tap Water Day 2026
Last month, the Urban Watershed Resilience Program joined national conversations around Drinking Water Week (May 4–10, 2026) and Tap Water Day (May 7, 2026) through a series of educational blogs and outreach activities exploring drinking water systems, public trust, and community engagement.
This year’s featured Tap Water Day blog, “What Shapes Trust in Tap Water,” examined how trust in drinking water is influenced not only by water quality but also by lived experience, communication, perception, prior events, and access to information. Drawing from community workshops and water tasting activities, the discussion explored how people interpret and evaluate tap water in everyday settings.
Additional featured stories highlighted drinking water reliability, infrastructure, and the role of Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs) in helping communities better understand local water quality information.
| | |
4-H Youth Development Program
by Rita Jakel, 4-H Youth Development Program Coordinator
| | |
4-H Welcomes New Adult and Youth Members for 26-27!
Registration will open on July 14 for Adult Volunteers & August 3 for Youth Members.
Interested in our program but want to learn more about it?
Join us for New Family Information Sessions scheduled all summer long. All sessions contain the same information so register for one that fits your schedule.
Want to dig a little deeper into a sample of 4-H programming?
Join us for OC 4-H Summer Experience – Monday August 3 – Friday August 7 – 9am to noon at SCREC
REGISTER HERE
- Sample 4-H Projects & Learn about Leadership Opportunities
- Get earlybird enrollment discounts & enrollment help
- 9am-noon daily – attendance is expected all 5 days to complete the 4-H project
- Parent participation is expected
And save the date for our OC 4-H Open House
Sunday August 23 – 2-5pm at SCREC. Watch for details.
| | Bringing Science Closer to the Field | |
Photo Credit: Lindsey Pedroncelli
For years, researchers at the South Coast Research and Extension Center worked without dedicated laboratory facilities. Samples often had to be transported to distant locations for analysis, creating delays and limiting opportunities for immediate, field-based research.
Today, that reality is beginning to change.
Read the full article, written by UC ANR Communications Specialist, Diana Cervantes, here.
| | Orange County Bee Team Apiary Tours | | |
Explore the world of honey bees and their habitat with our Certified California Master Beekeeper Program (CAMBP) Instructors. After this tour, participants will be able to:
- Explain how to light a hive smoker.
- Describe a complete hive inspection.
- Identify eggs, larvae, and capped brood.
- Distinguish hive food sources.
- Identify the queen, worker, and drone.
Date(s):
| | |
June 5, 2026
June 20, 2026
June 26, 2026
| | |
July 11, 2026
August 29, 2026
September 11, 2026
| |
Urban Farm Stand Readiness | Join Cultivating Farmers and Avenue 33 Farm for a workshop on running a successful farm stand. | |
We'll dive into key topics like pricing farm products and touch on broader best practices to ensure your sales channels meet standards. The session will go over how production costs, scale, customer demographics, product differentiation, and personal business values can influence pricing decisions, and will also explore the regulations for hosting a stand on your farm site. Let's tackle the fundamentals together!
When: Wednesday, June 10th
Where: Audubon Center at Debs Park | 4700 Griffin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90031
Learn more & register by following this link.
Farmer Fuel Fund:
If you're traveling from far, don't worry! We also have the Farmer Fuel Fund, which allows growers commuting over 100 miles round-trip to have some of their travel expenses covered.
Submit your mileage reimbursement by following this link.
| Cultivating Minds: Educating for Sustainable Growth | |
Professional Development for K-12 Educators
presented by
Magnolia Agriscience Community Center
and
High School Inc.
Date: June 17 and 18, 2026
Time: 8:30 am to 2:30pm
Location: Magnolia High School 2450 W Ball Rd, Anaheim, CA 92804
Registration: https://maccfarm.org/pages/calendar-of-events#?event-id=66612
$50 for AUHSD and NLMUSD Educators (partner districts)
$250 for educators from other districts
Includes farm to table breakfast and lunch!
Questions?: Contact macc_farm@auhsd.us
Farm to Future participants will engage in hands-on edible education workshops and expert-led discussions designed to integrate agriculture, sustainability, and nutrition into K-12 education. Using the Green Schoolyard curriculum, educators will explore ways to incorporate garden-based learning into their classrooms. Sessions will cover the fundamentals of starting and maintaining school gardens, including securing funding, building community partnerships, and navigating grant opportunities. Educators will learn about career pathways for students through CTE and dual enrollment programs while discovering the benefits of fostering agriculture leadership, literacy, and hands-on learning. Whether new to school gardens or looking to enhance existing programs, participants will leave with practical tools, resources, and inspiration to bring edible education to life in their schools.
| Forestry Institute for Teachers: 2026 Summer Sessions | | |
🌲Ready to take your teaching beyond the classroom?
This summer, the Forestry Institute for Teachers (FIT) invites you to join one of four immersive FIT sessions — week-long professional learning experiences designed for both formal and nonformal PreK-12+ California educators.
Each session combines hands-on field instruction with insights from forestry and natural resource experts, giving you fresh tools to bring environmental education to life in your classroom or program. Plus, it’s a chance to connect with peers from across the state who share your passion and curiosity for forest stewardship.
🧭Choose your adventure:
📍El Dorado FIT | June 14–20
📍Tuolumne FIT | June 22–28
📍Humboldt FIT | July 11–17 (WAITLIST)
📍Shasta FIT | July 19–25
✨Space is limited — apply today!
🔗https://www.forestryinstitute.org
| |
Annual Open House and Urban Ag Expo:
70th Anniversary Celebration
| Celebrating 70 years of impact in Orange County | |
Date
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Time
9:00am - 2:00pm
Anniversary Ceremony at 1:00pm
Location
South Coast Research & Extension Center, 7601 Irvine Blvd. Irvine, CA 92618
Fee FREE!
Other Info
- Pumpkin U-pick
- Garden Expo
- Talks and Workshops
- Vendors and Exhibitors
- Plant Sale and more!
| | | | |
