November 3, 2020
Edition Topics
- Message from Dr. Silvertooth
- Diabetes Prevention Program
- Maricopa County Cooperative Extension Newsletter
- Managing Weeds in Grasslands and Rangelands in the Context of Fire in California Webinar
- WRRC Brown Bag Webinar
- New Extension Publication
- ALVSCE Perspectives on Diversity & Inclusion Series
- UA-CEAC Hydroponic Tomato Online Intensive Workshop
- Indigenous Co-Innovation at the Nexus of Food-Energy-Water Systems
- Woodbury Fire Ecology Report Webinar
- Worker Wellbeing Study
- FCHS Candidate Presentation - Cochise/Santa Cruz County
- Building Regional Food System Resilience in Southern Arizona – Learning from COVID-19
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Message from the Associate Dean and Extension Director
The COVID-19 case numbers have been rapidly increasing in most parts of Arizona and across the country, including areas that have not been previously experiencing high case numbers. We do not want to go backwards from the progress we have made in the transition phases across the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension System (CES) in the past few months.
The current phase transition status for CES county units can be referenced at the following site:
https://extension.arizona.edu/phased-operational-plan
Many of us feel the fatigue of altered lifestyles during this pandemic, but the virus does not get tired and it is persistent. The best thing we can do is stay calm, maintain our good practices, and stick to the biological and social basics.
The basics include:
• Wear a face covering in public.
• Maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance from those not in your household.
• Wash hands thoroughly and often.
• Avoid crowds.
• Stay home if you feel ill.
• Keep any gatherings small and hold them outside if possible.
• Remember that home is the safest place to be with COVID-19 in the community.
This is an important time to continue to do our business in a safe and considerate manner, carry out our Extension mission, and do our part to manage COVID-19 case numbers in every part of state.
Thank you for all that you are doing!
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| Diabetes Prevention Program
The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension is recruiting now for the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) that will begin on Tuesday, November 17th at 6:00 p.m. The DPP is FREE and is a lifestyle change program that helps reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes. The Cooperative Extension Diabetes Prevention Program has obtained full recognition status from the CDC.
The main goals of the program are to help you lose weight and increase your physical activity. There are 26 classes over 12 months, at first weekly, then every other week, and then once a month. Each meeting lasts 1 hr. These classes will be held remotely via Zoom on Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m. Find out if you are at risk by taking the CDC risk test. The DPP is part of the State’s Health Impact Program, and employees can accrue 200 HIP points for participating. For more information on the program, go to PreventDiabetesAZ.org. If you are interested in joining the upcoming class, contact Mary Gonzales (marygonzales@email.arizona.edu).
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| Maricopa County Cooperative Extension Newsletter
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| Managing Weeds in Grasslands and Rangelands in the Context of Fire in California webinar
The latest information on weed control and fire will be presented at the Managing Weeds in Grasslands and Rangelands in the Context of Fire in California webinar on Wednesday, November 18, 2020. The lineup of UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) and UC Davis experts will discuss how fire interacts with plant communities in rangeland ecosystems, how grassland management influences fire severity and how management practices impact post-fire vegetation recovery.
“We realize that many communities across the state are dealing with the effects of fire this year, and we wanted to highlight the importance of weed management, particularly in grasslands and rangelands, which are heavily impacted by fire” said Whitney Brim-DeForest, County Director, UCCE Sutter-Yuba Counties, who is chairing this webinar event. “Weeds can have an impact on the spread of fire, as well as on the recovery of grassland and rangeland plant communities after a fire event.”
Presenters include
Valerie Eviner, Professor and Ecologist, Dept. of Plant Sciences, UC Davis
Tom Getts, Weed Ecology and Cropping Systems Advisor, UCCE Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, and Sierra Counties
Chris McDonald, San Bernardino County Co-Director and Inland and Desert Natural Resources Advisor, UCCE San Bernardino, Imperial, Riverside, and San Diego Counties
Scott Oneto, Farm Advisor, UCCE Central Sierra
Rebecca Ozeran, Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor, UCCE Fresno and Madera Counties
Devii Rao, San Benito County Director and Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor, UCCE San Benito, Monterey, and Santa Cruz Counties
The webinar begins at 9 AM and ends at 12 PM (PST). Continuing education credit pending approval from DPR and CCA.
The cost is $20. Registration is underway now: https://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=32335.
Full AGENDA
Got questions:
Program: Whitney Brim-DeForest [wbrimdeforest@ucanr.edu]
Logistics and registration: Gale Perez [gperez@ucdavis.edu]
This webinar is sponsored by UC Cooperative Extension, UC Davis Dept. of Plant Sciences and UC Weed Research & Information Center.
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| WRRC Brown Bag Webinar - Coronavirus Response at the Central Arizona Project
Ted Cooke, General Manager, Central Arizona Project
Ted Cooke will be presenting an overview of how the Central Arizona Project (CAP), a major water supplier with a service area encompassing over 5 million people, responded to the coronavirus pandemic. He will also explain how the CAP kept the water flowing, its employees safe, and managed its facilities.
The CAP is Arizona's largest water provider, transporting and delivering approximately one-half of Arizona's Colorado River apportionment to the interior of the state each year.
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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| New Extension Publication
Protecting Your Flocks from External Parasites – Mites and Lice
Shujuan (Lucy) Li and Jennifer Weber
External parasites, such as mites and poultry lice, are common pests on birds, especially in backyard chickens. They feed on the blood and bite skin, feathers, or scales of the bird. A heavy infestation of these pests can result in poor poultry health, reduced growth and egg production, and sometimes can even cause bird deaths. This article provides basic information on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of an infestation, and how to effectively treat infested birds.
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| ALVSCE Perspectives on Diversity & Inclusion Series
Please Join us for the ALVSCE Perspectives on Diversity & Inclusion Series
Intergenerational Relationships and Men’s Role in Promoting Change
Thursday, November 19th | 12:00pm – 1:00pm | ZOOM Only
In recent years, the topic of men’s roles as allies in larger struggles for safety and justice has gained prominence. From #metoo to other political and public crises related to violence and inequality, scholars and advocates have increasingly called on men to tend to their important role in promoting healthier social and political norms. While many discussions of masculinity, healthy or toxic, focus on socialization as a determining factor, less practical work has focused on the critical role that intergenerational relationships play in leading to meaningful change amongst this demographic. This workshop will explore men’s role in changing conditions of violence and inequality in our communities, with a special focus on the role of multigenerational relationships in creating change.
Speaker Bio: Michael has a career working in the fields of gender justice, conflict and peace-making, and non-profit leadership. After his undergraduate, Michael spent several years in South America working with local organizations focused on national conflicts. After completing his Master's degree in transnational anti-violence strategies, he transitioned to a Domestic Violence organization in Arizona where he helped to build an innovative prevention program aimed at organizing men to end Gender-Based Violence.
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| UA-CEAC Hydroponic Tomato Online Intensive Workshop
The University of Arizona’s Controlled Environment Agriculture Center is hosting a Hydroponic Tomato Online Intensive Workshop - November 16th & 17th via Zoom (click here to register).
Taught by Dr. Stacy Tollefson, this two-day event is perfect for novice growers and will be packed with tons of critical information and research discoveries that UA-CEAC has assembled into their courses and programs for over 20 years. You will get access to numerous lecture materials, personal question follow-ups, certificate of completion, and tons of knowledge!
Topics of discussion will include:
Principles of hydroponics and vining crop systems
Propagation of seedlings
Transplanting and spacing
Cultivation practices and bees
Nutrient solutions
Fertigation systems and management
Environmental conditions
Common tomato problems
For questions, please email us at arizona.ceac@gmail.com
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| Indigenous Co-Innovation at the Nexus of Food-Energy-Water Systems on 11/9 and 11/13
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| Woodbury Fire Ecology Report Webinar
November 05, 2020 11:00am to 12:00pm
Woodbury Fire Ecology Report: Overview and Management Implications Webinar
Featured Speaker: Dr. Mary Lata, Fire Ecologist, USDA Forest Service, Tonto National Forest.
Webinar Overview: The Woodbury Fire (~129,000 acres) was the 5th largest fire in Arizona history as of 2019. The absence of fire in its fire adapted ecosystems allowed live and dead woody fuel to increase and the fuels to become more contiguous. 2019 was an unfortunate one for fire in this area because the invasive grasses in the desert converted hundreds of thousands of acres of Sonoran Desert vegetation that rarely burns into a carpet of highly flammable grasses and shrubs that burned fast and hot. Many of the undesirable fire effects that did occur, did so not because of decisions made in the last few months, or even years, but because of the culmination of human impacts over the last century or so. The Tonto National Forest will need to make some difficult decisions on how to manage the Sonoran Desert in years such as this one when the desert is functionally a grass/shrub system in which fire is frequent rather than a desert ecosystem in which fire is rare. Key management options include: Selective grazing; Selective low severity/low intensity prescribed fire; and Creating and maintaining fire breaks in strategic locations.
Webinar Facilitator: Chris Jones, Extension Agent, University of Arizona Gila County Cooperative
Extension Zoom Link: https://arizona.zoom.us/j/93104235168 Please log in up to 10 minutes prior to the webinar.
Cost: Free
Registration: Not required
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| Worker Wellbeing Study
Invitation to participate in study on concerns, needs, and experiences of UArizona employees who are at the frontlines during this Fall 2020 semester.
We are recruiting individuals who are:
- Working any part of their job on-site at UArizona facilities AND
- In personal contact with students, visitors, or colleagues on a routine basis.
If you decide to participate, you will complete the 15-20-minute, anonymous, online survey which is linked below in this email. You will also be asked to provide your email address if you are interested in participating in future studies. The survey can be completed via computer or mobile device. After completion of the survey, you will have the opportunity to be included in a random drawing of 80 winners for $50 Target gift cards.
Participation in this study is entirely voluntary and your answers are confidential.
Your vital input will be used to understand our Wildcat community’s concerns and ultimately inform campus re-entry strategies and employee support services.
Link to study:
https://uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0kUSvt6M0vQG3fT
Please contact us at uawellbeing-study@arizona.edu for more information. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to our campus community.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mona Arora, Principal Investigator, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health; Dr. Brian Mayer, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences; Dr. Sabrina Helm, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Dr. Melissa Barnett, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Lisa Balland, MPH Student, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
An Institutional Review Board responsible for human subjects’ research at The University of Arizona reviewed this research project and found it to be acceptable, according to applicable state and federal regulations and University policies designed to protect the rights and welfare of participants in research.
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| Family & Consumer Health Sciences Recorded Interview Zoom Presentation - Santa Cruz & Cochise Counties
View the candidates recorded presentation and fill out the evaluation!
Presentation Title: Building FCHS in Santa Cruz & Cochise Counties: Identifying future programs, securing resources, and building relationships in the community
Rosie Stewart
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| Building Regional Food System Resilience in Southern Arizona – Learning from COVID-19
Are you a food producer based in or near Arizona? Do you sell a portion of your products to consumers, distributors or producers in Pima County? We would like to hear from you!!
This survey is designed for food producers who manage or operate any type of agricultural operation (such as farms, orchards, ranches, dairy farms, backyard gardens) based in or near Arizona, and who sell any portion of their food products to distributors, processors, or directly to consumers in Pima County. The main objective of this research is to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regional food system in southern Arizona. Initial results of this research will be shared in the 2020-21 State of the Tucson Food System Report to be co-written by the Center for Regional Food Studies and Climate Assessment for the Southwest researchers.
The survey should take between 15-30 minutes to complete and we are offering $15 compensation for the first 100 eligible respondents who complete the survey by November 28, 2020. Please feel free to forward this survey invitation to other agricultural producers who are eligible to participate.
To take the survey, cut and paste this URL into your browser: https://uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_etXv9WDmZAmFU0Z
For more information, visit https://crfs.arizona.edu/building-regional-food-system-resilience-southern-arizona-%E2%80%93-learning-covid-19
Contact our research team:
Gigi Owen, Ph.D. - gigi@arizona.edu
Eden Kinkaid - ekinkaid@arizona.edu
Laurel Bellante, Ph.D. - bellante@arizona.edu
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