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Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals |
Quarterly Member Newsletter
Fall 2022 |
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In this issue - The President's Corner
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Non-Lead Ammo for Deer Hunting - video
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One Good Idea, the Not-Quite-YouTube for Conservation Farming Practices, Seeks Contributions from Extension Professionals
- Diving into Extension: Experiential Learning of Aquatic Sciences
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Popular Michigan State University Extension Online Lakes Course Offered Again This January
Renewable Resources Extension Act Project Team Wins USDA-NIFA Partnership Award for Multistate Efforts
California Small Forest Landowners Describe Concerns and Barriers to Managing Their Forests and Oak Woodlands Connecting Foresters with Farmer-Woodland Owners
Seeing is Believing: Ohio State University Extension Embarks on a Spotted Lanternfly Study Tour Private-Public Partnerships Lead to Living Laboratories With Real-World Impact
Online Educational Materials to Assist Rural Landowners - Rural stormwater solutions help prevent property damage, protect water quality - Book Review:
Meetings: - Conferences:
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Citizen Science Association announcement for C*Sci2023
- Editor's Comments
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| The President's Corner
My year as your president is ending. I will soon be turning over the reins to our incoming president, Bill Warren. It was my pleasure to serve you. This past year, I also served on the strategic planning committee and as chair of the ANREP 2022 Biennial conference. That was a lot of work and a lot of rewards. I look forward to slowing down a bit, as I continue to serve as your past-president and as one of your representatives on the JCEP Board. Everything that occurred this past year in ANREP happened with the help of many dedicated members, who contributed their talents and time to make it happen. In the last year we: |
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- Opened a cool new website for our association, with member log-in features
- Hosted an in-person conference in Kalamazoo, after adjusting our previous one due to COVID
- Adjusted to and endured COVID lockdowns
- Developed an updated Strategic plan
- Learned new technical skills
- Added a new DEI committee
- Funded eight scholarships to the NAAEE conference, with the help of a NAAEE 360++ grant
- Set strategic actions moving forward, at a board retreat based on the strategic plan
- Sponsored an intensive DEI Training for members (look for info on that soon)
It is now November and a month for thinking of all the things we are grateful for. I am grateful for you. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to lead our wonderful association in 2022. I wish everyone Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year. Beth Clawson MSU Extension Educator Natural Resources/Water Quality Email: clawsonb@msu.edu |
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Non-Lead Ammo for Deer Hunting
Wildlife conservation and hunter safety and ethics are two fundamentals of modern recreational hunting. One of the basics of hunter ethics and safety is that hunters should always know their target and beyond. This video discusses the final destination of the lead ammunition used in deer hunting - the "beyond." It examines how lead bullets fragment into tiny pieces when shot, and where they end up after that. The consequences to wildlife - especially birds of prey - are serious, and a non-lead solution is presented.
https://extension.psu.edu/non-lead-ammo-for-deer-hunting Sanford Smith
Forest Resources and Natural Resources & Youth Extension Specialist Penn State University Email: sss5@psu.edu |
One Good Idea, the Not-Quite-You-Tube for Conservation Farming Practices, Seeks Contributions from Extension Professionals
One Good Idea is an online clearinghouse of videos and podcasts that feature farmers sharing their experiences with implementing soil and water conservation practices. Created by a multi-state team of university Extension professionals and farmers, One Good Idea was designed to help farmers learn from each other about how to do practices such as cover crops, conservation tillage, rotational grazing, and nutrient management to improve their soil, land, and profitability. All content on One Good Idea is crowdsourced, and we are always seeking contributions of videos and/or podcasts from Extension professionals who are working with farmers to implement conservation practices.
If you produce videos or podcasts that feature farmers – or have an interest in doing so – One Good Idea provides you an additional platform to amplify their stories and reach more farmers, particularly those beyond your state. We believe our content criteria also provides a framework for how to produce videos or podcasts in a way that can lead to practice adoption among farmers. To learn more about how to contribute, visit https://goodideafarm.org/share.
Read more...
Jennifer Seifert
Watershed Outreach Specialist
University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension Email: jenny.seifert@wisc.edu |
Diving into Extension: Experiential Learning of Aquatic Sciences
I started scuba diving when I was 12 years old. Back then, I was exploring what it meant to be a marine biologist. After my first dive in the sea, my perception and life changed for good; thereafter, I just wanted to focus on exploring and learning about the mysteries of the ocean and its creatures. Scuba diving provided me with numerous skills and experiences that increased my knowledge about the ocean.
Funding from UF/IFAS Dean of Extension mini-grant and Dean’s awards enabled me to get certified, by Scuba Educators International (SEI), as a scuba diver instructor. My goal as an extension agent and scuba diving instructor is to offer youth and adults the opportunity to access and to explore the underwater world - beyond a lecture or power point slide - and educate them about aquatic systems and their resources through experiential learning.
During summer 2022, I offered the first 4-H Summer Dive Camp - a 40-hour certification-seeking training - to eight youth in Taylor County. The course not only presented the scuba principles of physics, physiology, and safety planning; I was able to go deeper in coastal and marine environmental issues and potential careers the youth could pursue in the future. They learned and developed important skills, such as self-confidence and teamwork, during an 8-hour pool session. Those skills were reinforced during five check-out dives.
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From left to right: Photo 1: A 16 year old student shares time with a school of Sunfish, during the safety stop in Blue Grotto. She wants to pursue a career in marine biology.
Photo 2: A post-lectures pool session introduced students to the basic skills of diving. Buoyancy control is one of the practiced skills.
Photo 3: Overcoming fears is essential to youth development. Performing a giant stride water entry was the first step to explore the underwater world.
Photo 4: A group of youth have their first check-out dives at Royal Springs, while they learned about the watershed, freshwater ecosystems, and fauna. |
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| Popular Michigan State University Extension Online Lakes Course Offered Again This January
Lake management is very complex, and state agencies in Michigan do not have the capacity to oversee the more than 11,000 inland lakes across the state. In addition, lake management is a highly local issue, and decision-making power lies in large part with local governments and stakeholders. Sound management decisions require basic understanding of lake ecology, watershed management, and legal frameworks. Often, local communities struggle to protect and manage inland lakes in a way that incorporates the best available knowledge. To address this need, the Introduction to Lakes Online course was developed by Michigan State University Extension Educators and Fisheries and Wildlife Department faculty members.
Introduction to Lakes Online is broken down into six topical units: lake ecology, watersheds, shoreline protection, |
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Michigan water law, aquatic plant management, and community involvement. These topics are explored weekly through video lectures, interactive activities, and discussion forums. A list of additional resources, related to each topic, is provided for participants who want to take a deeper dive. Each unit includes a 10-question quiz. Participants must achieve an 80% or higher to move onto new course content. Each unit takes approximately two hours to complete. We also host three one-hour Ask-an-Expert webinars, allowing participants to interact with us and outside experts on course topics.
Since 2015, more than 1,500 lakefront property owners, local government officials, environmental professionals, and lake enthusiasts from across the United States have taken part in the class. Our registration numbers increase every year, and last year we had 525 participants. Unlike many online courses, Introduction to Lakes Online is cohort based and taught on a week-by-week basis, allowing for online communication among participants and instructors through topical discussion forums. New content opens on the course website weekly, and access is only granted to those who completed the previous week's topic. More than 85% of participants who enroll in Introduction to Lakes Online complete the course. We attribute our high completion rate to a variety of factors including our level of interaction with participants via discussion forums, bi-weekly webinars, and weekly check-in emails.
Introduction to Lakes Online has become one of Michigan State University Extension’s most popular natural resource programs. Over 72% of our participants are new to Michigan State University Extension educational programs, and 96% of them say they will return to Extension to learn more in the future. Registration is currently open for the January 2023 course. We welcome participants from across the country. If you are interested in learning more about Introduction to Lakes Online visit www.canr.msu.edu/lakesonline.
Paige Filice Natural Resources Educator Michigan State University Extension Email: filicepa@msu.edu |
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Renewable Resources Extension Act Project Team Wins USDA-NIFA Partnership Award for Multistate Efforts
The National Connections Team for Forest and Rangeland Resources, composed of Mark Thorne (Project Director), University of Hawaii-Manoa; Barbara Hutchinson (co-PD), University of Arizona; Kris Tiles (co-PD), University of Wisconsin; Retta Bruegger (co-PD) Colorado State University; Adam Downing (co-PD), Virginia Tech; Elise Gornish (co-PD), University of Arizona; Sheila Merrigan (co-PD), University of Arizona; Martha Monroe (co-PD), University of Florida; Leslie Roche (co-PD), University of California-Davis; and Dave Bogner (co-PD), University of Arizona, was the winner of the 2022 USDA-NIFA Partnership Award for Multistate Efforts. The award was presented to the team on October 6, 2022, in a virtual USDA-NIFA award ceremony.
This interdisciplinary, multistate team developed a highly successful web-based conference series, Strengthening RREA programing Through Enhanced Connections (USDA-Renewable Resources Extension Act Conference Grant Award 2018-46401-28801), to increase capacity of Extension educators to serve their stakeholders and strengthen the RREA program. The novel online, interactive content provided unique opportunities for Extension educators to share strategies, tools, and outreach methodologies across institutions, as well as proactively engaged a broad diversity of Extension, public agency, and conservation professionals at a time when the world had just entered the COVID-19 pandemic. The project aimed to strengthen RREA programming by building capacity among Extension and outreach professionals who provided scientific and technologically relevant programs to forest and range stakeholders. Our specific objectives were: 1) establish a project team composed of range and forestry experts from geographically distinct land-grant institutions, 2) create nine webinars addressing RREA critical issues, and 3) develop online forums that enable participants to share ideas and methodologies and develop collaborations around the RREA critical issues.
The live webinars were recorded and posted on the project website to increase accessibility, and each webinar was paired with an online forum to allow for continued engagement and connectivity among presenters and participants. The webinar series provided opportunities for Extension professionals to 1) strengthen and create new networks, 2) develop regional/national collaborations addressing RREA strategic issues, and 3) learn innovative approaches for stakeholder education. The nine webinars in the series featured 26 Extension and outreach professionals across 14 land-grant institutions.
Read more... Mark Thorne State Range and Livestock Extension Specialist University of Hawaii Email: thornem@hawaii.edu |
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California small forest landowners describe concerns and barriers to managing their forests and oak woodlands Approximately 18 percent of California’s timberlands are owned by small, non-industrial private landowners (CAL FIRE 2017). Many of these landowners have ecological conservation, restoration, and resilience goals; which are driven by concerns about wildfire, climate change, drought, and tree mortality. Forest landowners face huge challenges, considering the condition of California forests. Between 2020 and 2022, more than seven million acres have burned across the state, in 22,904 wildfire incidents. Forty-five people lost their lives in these wildfires, and 15,838 structures were either damaged or destroyed (CAL FIRE 2020-2022 Incident Archive).
Since January 2020, the UC ANR Forest Stewardship Education Program has engaged more than 350 participants in 17 workshops with the goals of educating forest landowners to better understand, manage, and protect their forests by developing a forest management plan, implementing vegetation management projects, engaging with natural resource professionals, and taking advantage of cost-share opportunities that can help them meet their management goals. |
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In 2021, we conducted interviews of Forest Stewardship participants to better understand their concerns and management goals. Along with data from a pre-workshop survey, we characterized landowners’ feelings about their forests, identified their concerns and barriers, and described what management activities they were doing.
Read more... Kim Ingram Forest Stewardship Education Coordinator Univ. of California ANR
Email: kcingram@ucanr.edu |
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Photo 1: Forest Stewardship Workshop Participant Field Day. Photo by Kim Ingram |
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Connecting Foresters with Farmer-Woodland Owners
‘You call it a woodlot. I call it a tax bill.’ Working with farmers over the years, I have heard this sentiment more than once. Farmers closely track annual returns from their land base, and if we are just talking dollars and cents, farm woods often end the year in red. However, with the help of a forester, the farmer-woodland owner (FWO) has many opportunities to find value in their woods.
Farmers are used to working with resource professionals. Many regularly consult with agronomists, agriculture extension agents, engineers, and agri-business folks. Unfortunately, in our traditional forestry outreach to unengaged woodland owners, we have not been consistent in building connections between foresters and FWOs. However, with the right value proposition, seeking professional forestry assistance could become the norm for FWOs looking to get more from their woods.
In 2020-2021, I conducted a statewide assessment to understand farmers’ needs around woodland management and access to existing forestry services and resources. The needs assessment had two components: focus groups with agricultural resource professionals (Ag Extension, County Conservationists, and NRCS) and one-on-one interviews with FWOs throughout Wisconsin. The assessment brought to light some recurring motivations, barriers, and needs of FWOs, illuminating a potential path forward.
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Seeing is Believing: Ohio State University Extension Embarks on a Spotted Lanternfly Study Tour
Like many other states in the Midwest, Ohio is preparing for imminent infestations of Spotted Lanternfly (SLF). This invasive planthopper, first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014, poses a threat to the fruit production and plant growth of valuable specialty crops, most notably grapevines. Though infestations have already been confirmed in several counties throughout Ohio, history tells us that additional infestations will continue to appear and grow. Many eastern states have already been contending with this nuisance for the past few years and possess valuable experience and knowledge.
Seven members of OSU Extension, including Extension educators from across the state and a viticulture outreach specialist, participated in this study tour in mid-October. The tour was funded by an internal grant targeted towards improving ANR team functioning and deliverables and organized by Lucas County ANR Extension Educator, Amy Stone. The tour objectives included visiting locations in Pennsylvania and Ohio that were experiencing a variety of infestation levels; increasing our knowledge, by speaking with experts who have firsthand SLF experience; and developing a timeline for outreach tools and materials for Ohio, as we learn from others who have experienced SLF infestations.
Our tour began in Pittsburgh, PA where we visited infestations near active railways. Here, we spotted an abundance of adult SLFs and freshly laid egg masses. For some of our Extension educators, this was their first time observing SLF, firsthand. Next, we visited Penn State Extension in Allegheny County. We spoke with Penn State Urban Forestry Extension Educator, Brian Wolyniak, who shared valuable insights on combating SLF in the urban setting and how he has adapted methods based on growing SLF populations. We also participated, as a group, in a webinar about reporting SLF, led by Matt Travis, SLF Policy Manager for USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Afterwards, Rich Vrboncic and Jason Rihn, of Bartlett Tree Experts, led us on an exploration of several sites throughout the Pittsburgh area that have been confronted with varying levels of SLF infestation. They discussed the pros and cons of different control methods, along with the interactions and expectations of their customer base.
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| Photo 1: Egg masses dot the limb of a tree in a heavily infested site. Photo credit: Carrie Brown |
| Photo 2: Adult Spotted Lanternfly infest Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven) located along a railway. Photo credit: Carrie Brown |
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Private-Public Partnerships Lead to “Living Laboratories” With Real-World Impact
The Sustainable FloridiansSM Benchmarking and Monitoring Program (SF-BMP) is a UF/IFAS Extension program developed and delivered in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, Florida Chapter. The goal of SF-BMP is to create a comprehensive, incentive-based, and dynamic sustainability performance framework for new land development projects in Florida. With Florida’s population continuing to grow by more than 900 people a day, it’s critical to reduce the impact of these new developments. SF-BMP works collaboratively to develop energy, water, ecosystem, landscape, and community engagement goals and objectives tailored to specific master-planned land development projects. The program does not endorse specific projects or products but does promote integrated and research-validated principles and practices. These are tested through innovative living laboratories, where ecological and sustainability performance metrics are specified, benchmarked, measured, verified, and monitored over the life of the project.
Our largest living Laboratory to date is the Sunbridge Stewardship District, a 24,000-acre master-planned community development in Central Florida. Sunbridge is being developed by Tavistock Group and is entitled for construction of almost 30,000 new homes, during its 30-year build-out horizon. To move the needle with more sustainable practices that measurably protect the area’s water quality, reduce water and energy use, and promote biodiversity and ecosystem services, the Sunbridge Stewardship District entered a master research agreement with SF-BMP, in early 2021. Since then, the main entry and visitor center for the community (Basecamp) and twelve model homes in the first neighborhood (Weslyn Park) have been constructed, and living lab teams have launched applied research studies, to measure performance outcomes and impacts.
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The Sunbridge project was recently highlighted at the OUTSIDE: Sustainable Landscape Collaborative in Lake Nona, Florida. The OUTSIDE Collaborative works to increase the adoption of sustainable landscaping practices. It is unique in its work to bring together all those involved in making this change: landscape design professionals, urban planners, landscape architects, developers, builders, researchers, Extension, and others. This year’s event was held October 13-14 and included tours of the Sunbridge Basecamp Boundary Planting Research Plots and the Weslyn Park model homes’ alternative landscapes.
Read more... Nick Taylor State Specialized Extension Agent – Water Resources Program for Resource Efficient Communities Center for Land Use Efficiency
University of Florida Email: nwtaylor@ufl.edu |
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Photo 1: Weslyn Park model homes showcase the testing of native-dominant, no-mow landscapes and rooftop solar, as more sustainable development alternatives. Credit: SF-BMP/M. Jennison Kipp |
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Online Educational Materials to Assist Rural Landowners - Rural stormwater solutions help prevent property damage, protect water quality
WSU Extension and the Washington Stormwater Center have developed a suite of online educational materials to help landowners in rural areas manage stormwater issues and reduce polluted runoff. All of the materials are available on the newly launched website: ruralstormwater.wsu.edu. Resources include videos, fact sheets, a white paper, demonstration sites, a glossary of terms, in-depth information on stormwater in rural areas, understanding site conditions, creating a site drainage map, and options for drainage management.
The website provides a one-stop information clearinghouse for rural stormwater managers, property owners, and people interested in sustainable and beneficial ways to handle rainwater on their properties. All the materials are designed to help solve common rural problems, such as standing water, minor flooding, and poor drainage.
Most stormwater management efforts have focused on urban watersheds, because of high densities of people, pollutant sources, and impervious surfaces. However, rural stormwater runoff can be equally harmful to property, structures, and roadways, in addition to degrading water quality. The goal of the project is to improve water quality in rural areas, particularly around the Salish Sea in Western Washington, where there are many high-quality natural resources. Up until now, these areas have been underserved when it comes available stormwater management information.
The foundation of the educational materials is a white paper by Dr. Ani Jayakaran (WSU Extension, Professor, Stormwater Specialist), Rural Property Surface Water Management: Surface Dispersion Infiltration Trenches and Bioinfiltration Swales. Dr. Jayakaran and his team created a comprehensive reference, featuring graphic illustrations and citations throughout the paper. Fact sheets, videos, and webpages, based on the white paper, were developed to make the technical information more accessible.
The project also documents the construction of a rain garden, at the Dungeness River Nature Center in Sequim; a gravel infiltration trench, at the Kitsap Conservation District office in Poulsbo; and a bioinfiltration swale, at Peninsula College in Port Angeles – all with on-site interpretive signage. The peer-reviewed materials and website were developed, over a two-year period, with funding from the Environmental Protection Agency through the Puget Sound National Estuary program and the Stormwater Strategic Initiative. For more information contact Bob Simmons at simmons@wsu.edu or visit ruralstormwater.wsu.edu.
Bob Simmons Associate Professor – Water Resources WSU Extension Email: simmons@wsu.edu |
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10,000 Days in the Woods
10,000 days in Woods is an enjoyable and easy to read series of fifty-eight short stories of one man’s journey from childhood to becoming a professional forester. Entertaining and informative stories of the author’s childhood experience, on a family farm in Massachusetts, mold a boy enchanted with nature to see and experience things many people will never know. Experiences with wood heating, observing changes in the landscape, hiking a mountain, investigating a beaver pond, making maple syrup, and observing timberdoodles are but a few of the well-told stories that make up the collection of his early years. The drive to go to college to learn the profession of forestry is enabled by a high school guidance counselor that helps him overcome academic challenges to prove himself in a small two-year college in North Dakota, eventually leading to a forestry degree from University of Montana.
The last 40 stories of the book are humorous and reflective accounts of experiences working as a seasonal forester with the US Forest Service out west, as a logger, and many related occupations. The stories have humor and a lack of pretense that engage the reader to want more. After many years out west, the author missed the mountains and culture of New England and decided to move east. That is where this part of the story ends. |
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This book is only the first volume and covers stories through 1975. The book is a great read if you are a forester and for anyone else that loves nature and the environment.
Jonathan Kays – Retired Extension Forester Disclaimer: I have no financial involvement with the book, but it was written by someone I know. Email: jkays@umd.edu |
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Meetings Northeast Region holds its first (in a while) networking and professional development event On October 4, 2022, members of ANREP’s Northeast Region gathered via Zoom for an afternoon of learning and getting to know one another. Approximately 37% of the Northeast members, from three different states, participated in this event.
The event was kicked off by social marketing expert, Nancy Lee, who gave a fascinating presentation on using social marketing to influence behavior change. Nancy shared ten case studies, as examples of how social marketing was used to address “wicked” environmental problems. She taught us that having a clear purpose and focus; choosing a specific priority audience; considering their benefit; and aiming for a single, simple, doable behavior change are some of the key ways to ensure success. While many of us may not have previously considered our programs or educational materials to be social marketing campaigns, group discussions that followed included insights on how much of our work could be thought of as just that and could use Nancy’s model to affect change.
The keynote presentation was followed by a quick business meeting that included a tour of the new ANREP website. Our Executive Secretary, Dean Solomon, showed us many of the new features for members on the website, including how to post job advertisements, join a committee, check the status of individual memberships, and pay dues.
The second half of the afternoon led with speed networking. Everyone was randomly sent to different Zoom breakout rooms, multiple times, for a few minutes with the goal of getting to know the other person or people in the room and finding at least one thing in common. This was a great way to get to chat with friends and get to know new people in a virtual setting. The event was wrapped up with two lightning talks from ANREP members: Sandy Smith, who talked about his passion and success with making educational videos; and Justin Mansberger, who presented on his rain barrel programs; along with time for questions and discussion. Thank you to Jennifer Dindinger, Jennifer Fetter, and Susan Boser who helped plan the entire event.
Danielle Rhea Extension Educator, Water Resources Penn State Extension
Email: drs5277@psu.edu |
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Conferences
Announcing the 2023 conference for all who advance public-research partnerships: please mark your calendars for C*Sci2023, May 22-26, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona.
C*Sci2023 is the only US-based event dedicated to uniting leaders - across disciplines and perspectives - working for powerful partnerships that advance discovery, learning, and action. You can find full event details; including a schedule overview, location information, rates, and open calls, on the conference webpage. The call for symposia for this event is now open. The C*Sci2023 conference team is seeking proposals that speak to cross-cutting priorities, include contributors and ideas from multiple backgrounds and perspectives, and that are grounded in practice.
Find full details and submission guidelines here. Symposia ideas are due November 19, 2022. Calls for individual presentations will be released in early December, including options for virtual posters. Please direct any questions to events@citizenscience.org.
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Editor's Comments
Hello fellow ANREP members! This issue of the ANREP newsletter contains a wide variety of articles - from a wonderfully broad spectrum of the US. Thank you, to each of you who submitted an article.
Any member may submit an article. Please submit articles that are 600 words or less, in .doc or .docx format. Use my email address listed below. Photos are greatly appreciated. Do not imbed them in the article. Rather, have a place holder (eg: fig.1), then attach the photo separately. Please include a caption and proper credit. I retain the right to edit the article. This is usually very minor, such as typos or word omissions. The submission deadlines are: Feb. 1, May 1, Aug. 1, and Nov. 1. Sincerely, Diana Rashash NC Cooperative Extension, retired
drashash@gmail.com |
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