February 23, 2021
Edition Topics
- Message from Dr. Silvertooth
- The EFNEP Bite
- Wildcat Corps
- International Arid Lands Conference - Save the Date!
- Virtual Arizona Range Livestock Workshop
- 2021 Small-scale Farmer’s Colloquium
- Engaging Youth in Natural Resources
- Planning Your Garden: Intensive Gardening Webinar
- Arizona's Groundwater Management - Past, Present and Future - WRRC Brown Bag Webinar
- The Treasure after Wine-Making
- SWERI Wood Utilization Team Webinar - March 2 & 3
- 2020-21 Promotion Workshops
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Message from the Associate Dean and Extension Director
For those of us working in the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension System (CES), we know from experience that it is important to understand the situation and circumstances that people face in the communities across the state of Arizona where we work.
During the past year in dealing with the pandemic, it has been necessary for the CES organization to reduce face-to-face interactions in program delivery and transition to more virtual/remote operations. Understandably, many people in the communities where we work have experienced frustrations with our organizational response. That has been true in all areas of CES program delivery and the frustrations have been particularly accentuated in the 4-H programs. We have been criticized as an organization and I have received my fair share of that criticism directly.
We do not all have to agree on issues such as organizational management in a pandemic. But it is important that we try to understand the perspective of others and to empathize with their position and perspective.
For example, many of the people we are working with do not have the option to transition their work to zoom sessions that can be carried out at home or other remote locations. Their jobs and livelihoods demand that they stay physically engaged in their work. It is not surprising that they experience frustrations with the CES transitions to remote operations, particularly in programs dealing with young people in their families, as in our 4-H programs.
I have had numerous and frequent conversations with people from various parts of the state on these issues and I can appreciate their point of view and opinions. Similarly, I have tried to convey the perspective of responsibly managing an organization versus the decision-making process on an individual level.
As we work to transition back to more face-to-face programs and operations, it is important for us to reach out and work with our communities and rebuild connections, programs, and relationships. In so doing, it is helpful to take the time to explain the position of the CES organization in this process and to understand and respect the perspective of others.
We appreciate the cooperation among CES personnel and the preparations that are being made to advance the organization to the next level. For reference to the status of the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Phased Operational Plan and brief phase management descriptions, please refer to the following link:
https://extension.arizona.edu/phased-operational-plan
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| The EFNEP Bite
February is Heart Month, not only because of Valentine’s Day but because our Heart is so important to our over-all health and well-being. I hope that you enjoy our exciting and fun articles, tips, and recipes in this edition. We are currently coming to a conclusion of our virtual Winter Series nutrition classes and will be starting our virtual Spring Series the week of March 22, 2021. Please check out our various days and times for our virtual Spring 6- week Series. EFNEP classes are no-cost nutrition classes to empower our community for healthy lifestyle habits! We teach classes in English and Spanish, please see our link to register today for our Spring Series.
Sending everyone wishes for a happy, healthy, and heartwarming Spring,
Joanie MA Contreras, Program Coordinator, Senior University of Arizona Pima County Cooperative Extension
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| Wildcat Corps
Seasonal Members serve 300 hours and receive a living allowance of $2,652, divided up evenly over the 16 weeks term, and an educational award of $1,311 after the successful completion of their service term. To learn more about national service and AmeriCorps, go to: https://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps.
For more information about Wildcat Corps positions, email clipin@arizona.edu.
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| International Arid Lands Conference - Save the Date!
To commemorate its 30 years of collaboration on arid lands issues, the International Arid Lands Consortium (IALC) is hosting a three-day international conference on arid lands. To be convened virtually on 24-26 May 2021, the conference will celebrate IALC collaborative initiatives and examine current and future challenges in IALC’s regions of focus including Israel, Jordan, and the U.S. The main events in each daily session will include a keynote presentation, a panel discussion, and networking opportunities. In addition, there will be several student engagement opportunities. For more information, contact us or visit the conference website (more details and registration coming soon). Please plan to join us for this seminal event!
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| Virtual Arizona Range Livestock Workshop
March 9, 10, and 11, 2021
6:00 pm – 8:30 pm MST each evening
The Range Livestock Workshop is going virtual via Zoom for 2021! With three consecutive nights focusing on Beef, Range, and Small Ruminants they'll be something for everyone.
Each night will have a separate registration and will be offered at no charge.
Visit our event page for speaker list and registration links at:
https://extension.arizona.edu/events/2021-03-09/virtual-range-livestock-workshops
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| 2021 Small-scale Farmer’s Colloquium (SFC)
The Small-scale Farmer's Colloquium ( is a free monthly meeting for small scale farmers to discuss, connect, and learn from one another and expert faculty members who will guide with science-based information. It's for seasoned farmers, beginner farmers, and those interested in going into small-scale commercial farming in the future.
It is brought to you by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Commercial Horticulture and Small Acreage (CHSA) program in Yavapai and Coconino Counties.
Dates: March 1, April 5, May 3, June 7, July 5, August 2, and September 6.
Time: 4 5pm on each date
March 1 - Hydroponic and aquaculture production: the professional and the farmer expertise
Presented by Professor Justin Brereton (Yavapai College) and Coleman Anderson (Farmer)
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| Engaging Youth in Natural Resources
Please join us for our Eighth (in a series of nine) webinar!
March 4th at 1:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.
This webinar is open to all!
To maintain attraction to and retainment of new and diverse talent in applied STEM careers, youth engagement in natural resources is critical. However, due to limited funding, widespread disconnect to natural systems, and a lack of effective science communication on behalf of the STEM community, youth engagement in natural resources is dwindling. Cooperative Extension is well positioned to address this challenge. This webinar will explore three very different ways that Extension personnel have engaged youth in natural resources and speakers will illustrate how to initiate and maintain new youth programming across states.
Join us as our three speakers share experiences in using innovative approaches to engaging youth in natural resources.
You will be sent a Zoom link for the webinar after your registration has been submitted. You will also receive reminders for the webinar. All webinars are recorded and posted on our website. If you have questions about this webinar please contact: Elise Gornish (egornish@arizona.edu), Cooperative Extension Specialist in Ecological Restoration, University of Arizona,
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Planning Your Garden: Intensive Gardening Webinar
Featured Speaker: Chris Jones is the University of Arizona Gila County Cooperative Extension Agent for horticulture and forest health programs. He has led the Gila County Master Gardener program for twenty years. He teaches the Gardening and Landscape course at the Payson Community College and at Gila-Pueblo campus in Globe.
Webinar Overview: This webinar covers techniques and concepts to make the most of a small garden space. Mr Jones will discuss the benefits of a raised garden, vertical gardening, cool and warm season vegetables, succession planting, intercropping, and herbs and flowers in the garden.
Zoom Link: https://arizona.zoom.us/j/88353984396 Please log in up to 10 minutes prior to the webinar.
Cost: Free
Registration: Not required
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Arizona's Groundwater Management - Past, Present and Future - WRRC Brown Bag Webinar
Monday, March 8, 2021 - Seminar Marking Groundwater Awareness Week
Time: 12:00 – 1:15 p.m. MST
Presentation: Arizona's Groundwater Management - Past, Present and Future
Speakers:
Susanna Eden, PhD, Water Resources Research Center, UArizona
Brian McGreal, MS Student, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UArizona
Arizona's landmark Groundwater Management Act turned 40 last year and the WRRC marked the occasion by focusing the 2020 annual conference on the legacy of the Act, current groundwater challenges, and potential future pathways. Building on this foundation, the authors of the 2021 Arroyo developed a comprehensive overview of groundwater management in Arizona that looks back over 40 years and ahead toward 2060 and beyond. The presentation will highlight key sections of the Arroyo as reference points for discussion.
Susanna Eden recently retired from the Water Resources Research Center after more than 30 years working in water resources in Arizona, Minnesota, and Washington DC. Among her responsibilities at the WRRC, she oversaw drafting and publication of the annual Arroyo since 2009. In her current advisory position, she serves as a repository of institutional memory. She received her PhD from the University of Arizona Department of Hydrology and Water Resources (now Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences).
Growing up in Los Angeles during periods of drought throughout California, Brian McGreal developed a keen interest in water use and its effects on the environment and local economies. He worked at the WRRC as an intern last summer and produced the first draft of the 2021 Arroyo: Arizona Groundwater Management - Past, Present and Future. Having received his BS in Environmental and Water Resource Economics, McGreal is now working towards an MS in UArizona’s Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. He plans to pursue a PhD in applied economics.
Attendees will be able to ask questions using the Zoom chat function.
To request an alternate format of this webinar for disability-related access, please contact us at wrrc@email.arizona.edu
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| The Treasure After Wine-Making
In Arizona, wine production increased from 65,413 gallons (2007) to 297,145 gallons (2017), with an estimated 354% increase in GP production within the same period. Join me to discuss the potential regenerative use of grape pomace as a soil amendment for semi-arid calcareous soil.
March 31, 10:00 a.m.
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| SWERI Wood Utilization Team Webinar - March 2 & 3
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| 2020-21 Promotion Workshops
The annual promotion workshop schedule is complete. Please see the Faculty Affairs webpage for the complete schedule and video links to previous workshop recordings. All workshops will be recorded.
2020-2021 Promotion Workshop Schedule
Preparing for Promotion on the Continuing or Tenure Track
Thursday, February 25 at 10:30-12:00 pm. Please register by February 23 at 4 pm.
This workshop will provide an overview of the review process for continuing and tenure track candidates only. We will review the parts of the dossier and the best practices candidates can document their impact in research, teaching and service in the dossier. To get the most out of the workshop, participants should review our Guide to the Promotion Process and the Promotion Dossier templates for Continuing Status or Promotion & Tenure.
Candidate Training for Dossier Submission to Review, Promotion, Tenure (RPT)
Thursday, April 22 at 10:00-11:30 am. Please register by April 20 at 4 pm.
Candidates will learn how to submit their sections of the dossier into Review, Promotion, and Tenure (RPT) for 2021-2022. Attend this workshop to view step-by-step how to begin this new university process.
If you have questions about these workshops and presentations, please contact Asya Roberts at 626-0202 or asya@arizona.edu.
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