April 27, 2021
Edition Topics


  1. Message from Dr. Silvertooth
  2. Save-The-Date
  3. Students turn barren spots on campus into buzzing homes for pollinators
  4. Climate Change Education: A Cross-cutting Issue in Natural Resource Extension Programing
  5. SAVE THE DATE for the 17th RISE SYMPOSIUM on 20 November 2021
  6. Invitation to the State of the Tucson Food System Report virtual launch
  7. Artificial Insemination Clinic
  8. Dangers of Arbovirus from Mosquitos Bred in Standing or Stored Water
  9. OpenET – Filling One of the Biggest Data Gaps in Water Management - WRRC Brown Bag Webinar
  10. Panel Presentation: NREEF 2021 Campaign Launch Webinar
  11. Assessing the Feasibility of a Climate Master Outreach Program Webinar
  12. Remote Produce Safety Alliance Produce Safety Rule Grower Training Course

Message from the Associate Dean and Extension Director

In March 2020 we found ourselves immersed in a rapid and drastic transition from the time of pre-Covid into the time of Covid. This transition represented a series of radical changes, not only for the University of Arizona (UA) and the Cooperative Extension System (CES), but it has had a global effect, and the impacts influenced us nationally, regionally, and in our communities and our homes as well.

In March 2020 we began to respond and move immediately to develop a plan to stabilize the situation across the CES, including every county in the state and all programs. Since then, we have been working to deal with constantly changing conditions. At the same time, we were working to carve out a path towards a new form of stability. 

Despite the turbulence, the good news is that the CES is emerging from the darkest times of the storm we have seen in the past year, whole and intact.  We are a little beat up and we have a few scrapes, but we are unbroken and moving forward.  In many respects, we are stronger than we were before.  We know that we can deal with adversity and carry on.

We are now seeing some progress, but the pandemic is not over.  In this new sense of calm, it is a good time to look ahead and consider where the CES wants or needs to go for the future; considering our optimal goals and beginning to determine how the organization best moves forward.  
I continue to rely on our leadership, faculty, and staff to share and gain from the wisdom learned during this unprecedented time.  Thank you for your continued efforts to accomplish the CES mission in service to the people of Arizona.

For reference to the status of the Cooperative Extension Phased Operational Plan and brief phase management descriptions, please refer to the following link: 

https://extension.arizona.edu/phased-operational-plan

Save-The-Date

The 2021 Arizona Cooperative Extension Annual Conference will be held virtually the week of October 4 through October 8, 2021.  More details will be communicated as they become available, but please save the date!

Students turn barren spots on campus into buzzing homes for pollinators

It doesn't take much for Elise Gornish to help a neglected patch of barren soil spring into a miniature ecosystem bursting with life. 

Since she joined the university four years ago, Gornish – a Cooperative Extension specialist in ecological restoration in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment – has served as the faculty mentor of the Ecological Restoration Club, which she founded in response to interest expressed by students.The club is a student chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration of the Southwest, for which Gornish serves as president.


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Climate Change Education: A Cross-cutting Issue in Natural Resource Extension Programing

Please join us for our ninth and final RREA webinar, Climate Change Education: A Cross-cutting Issue in Natural Resource Extension Programing

April 29th at 1:00 pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time.

Register

The Renewable Resources Extension Act provides a framework and funding for Extension Programing that promotes healthy and productive forest and rangeland ecosystems.  Yet, a rapidly changing global climate has created uncertainty about the future of our natural resources and sowed disagreements over the science of climate change. While some Forest and Rangeland stakeholders may acknowledge climate change as an issue, many are skeptical of the science, and others completely deny the scientific evidence. Still, the sustainability of our forests and rangeland ecosystems depends on the ability of managers to adopt climate resilient practices. How can Extension professionals best engage stakeholder groups that hold a wide spectrum of views and successfully incorporate climate resilient practices into their programing? 

This webinar90 will feature:

Dr. Paul Lachapelle is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Montana State University-Bozeman.  Dr. Lachapelle’s presentation is titled: The National Extension Climate Initiative: Providing Critical Leadership in the Anthropocene.

Susie Kocher has been a forest advisor for the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) in the Central Sierra Nevada for 24 years, doing applied research, outreach and education on forest and fire ecology and management. Ms. Kocher’s presentation title is: Climate-related Disasters Keep Happening: Working with Clientele and Extension Colleagues to Increase our Capacity to Prevent, Respond, and Recover from Them.

Dr. Mike Crimmins is on the faculty of the Department of Environmental Science at the University of Arizona and is an Extension Specialist in Climate Science for Arizona Cooperative Extension. Dr. Crimmins’ presentation is titled: Rain Gauges for Range Monitoring: Co-developing tools and best practices for ranch-scale drought direction.

SAVE THE DATE for the 17th RISE SYMPOSIUM on 20 November 2021

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend the 17th Research Insights in Semiarid Ecosystems 

(RISE) Symposium this 20 November 2021 on the University of Arizona campus. We are in the process of inviting speakers and finalizing the program. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months. 

We are excited to get RISE back and running after canceling the November 2020 meeting.  We are optimistic that Covid conditions will continue to improve and we will be able to meet face-to-face on the University of Arizona campus in November 2021. 

To understand what to expect, visit the web site archive of the Symposium over the past 16 years: http://www.tucson.ars.ag.gov/rise/index.htm . There, you will find pdf files of the talks and posters presented each year.  

Invitation to the State of the Tucson Food System Report virtual launch

We are writing to invite you to our upcoming launch of the Center for Regional Food Studies "State of the Tucson Food System" Report! This year’s report focuses on the impacts of COVID-19 on southern Arizona food and agriculture. We are excited to share the findings of our research and hope the report can catalyze some conversation and connection across our food system.

The virtual launch will take place Friday, May 7 at 1:30 PDT (Arizona time) on Zoom. You can register for the event here.

At the virtual launch, we will share some highlights of our research on the impacts of COVID-19 on southern Arizona’s food system, drawing on research with food producers, distributors, restaurants, and folks working in a diversity of food and agricultural organizations. We will also be joined by a panel of food systems practitioners who will share their observations about the pandemics’ impacts on our food system and how we can build a more resilient and equitable local food system moving forward.

Our panelists include: Audra Christophel (Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona), Cameron Jones (Southern Arizona Young Farmers and Ranchers Coalition), and Amy Juan (International Indian Treaty Council).



Artificial Insemination Clinic

Artificial Insemination (AI) has been shown to improve genetic quality of a herd, increase consistency and value to a calf crop, eliminate the need to purchase, house, and feed a full bull battery, shorten breeding and calving season, and generally improve the profitability of a livestock production operation.

If you are interested in adding an AI program into your livestock operation, please join us for our 2.5-day AI Clinic at our UA Experimental Ranch, V Bar V, near Camp Verde June 4-6, 2021. Our experienced staff will guide you through the entire AI process and will include hands-on practice including live animals. Cost is $750, first-come basis, non-refundable and includes an AI kit ($350 value), AI Manual, and lunch on Sat. and Sunday. Registration is limited to 12 participants and will open Monday, May 3, 2021.

For registration, please contact Lydia Watts at the Yavapai County Cooperative Extension Office, (928) 445-6590. For further questions, please contact Andrew Brischke (928) 753-3788 or brischke@cals.arizona.edu 


Brown Bag Seminar: Dangers of Arbovirus from Mosquitos Bred in Standing or Stored Water

Featuring Dr. Dawn H. Gouge, The University of Arizona, Specialist (Extension) and Professor (Public Health Entomologist)

Wednesday, April 28, 2021 - 12:00pm

Virtual Event

Dr. Gouge will give an introduction to common Arizona mosquitoes and discuss the diseases these mosquitos carry. She will also cover the actions we engage in that encourage problem mosquito populations, like standing water or rain tanks without protected openings, and explain what residents can do to reduce their personal risk of confronting mosquito-borne diseases.

No Registration Needed. 
Zoom Link: https://arizona.zoom.us/j/89533151234
 
We hope to see you there and that you will learn how to cut down on mosquito breeding areas by attending this webinar.


OpenET – Filling One of the Biggest Data Gaps in Water Management - WRRC Brown Bag Webinar

Robyn Grimm, Senior Manager, Water Information Systems, Environmental Defense Fund - Western Water Program

Time: 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm MST

Sustainable water management is one of the most challenging issues of our time, especially in the arid western US. Maximizing the benefits of water supplies requires careful measurement of availability and use. However, one important information gap is compounding this challenge: the lack of consistent consumptive water use data for irrigated agriculture, which accounts for the majority of water use in the western US. To date, access to this data has been limited and expensive, keeping it out of the hands of most water users and decision-makers who could benefit from its use. OpenET aims to change this and support sustainable water management and innovation in water conservation. This talk will provide an introduction to the OpenET platform and the approach taken to its development and will demonstrate a few of its applications.

Robyn Grimm serves as Senior Manager of Water Information Systems for Environmental Defense Fund's Western Water Program. She co-leads the OpenET project with partners from NASA, DRI, and HabitatSeven, and leads on the ground implementation with project partners, coordination among project teams, and development of key reports and publications. 

Register for and join this webinar: http://tinyurl.com/openET-data-mgmt
The WRRC hosts its Brown Bag Webinars using Zoom. 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
wrrc.arizona.edu/brown-bag-seminars

Panel Presentation: NREEF 2021 Campaign Launch Webinar
Event Date: April 30, 2021 8:00am AZ/PDT; 9:00am MDT; 10am CDT; 11am EDT

Online event link:
https://arizona.zoom.us/j/86731137902

Webinar Overview: The
Natural Resource Extension Education Foundation (NREEF) is a 501(c)3charitable foundation, founded in 2019. NREEF supports natural resources educational events, initiatives, and efforts conducted by the Association of Natural Resources Extension Professionals and other Cooperative Extension organizations. Why? Because natural resources Extension professionals are in the forefront, helping communities address working lands conservation, climate change, invasive species, sustainability, water quality and many other issues. There’s a fundamental need to support these professionals, helping them to develop advanced skills and supporting local programs, ones difficult to fund through traditional means. Join us to ensure a strong bright future for natural resources Extension education and to support your values regarding conservation and environmental resources management.

Presenters: The Board of Directors at the Natural Resources Extension Education Foundation, featuring President Sanford S. Smith, Ph.D., Teaching Professor of Forest Resources and Extension Specialist, Pennsylvania State University.
 
Cost: Free 
Registration: Not required


Assessing the Feasibility of a Climate Master Outreach Program Webinar

Event Date April 29, 2021 11:00am to 12:00pm 

Featured Speaker: Anne Mottek is principal of Mottek Consulting. Ms. Mottek’s educational background is in both forestry (BS) and sociology with a research emphasis (MA). Her work focuses on social science research and its application in a wide range of environmentally based resource management issues. 

Webinar Overview: The purpose of this USDA AFRI-NIFA funded “Managing for Climate Change: Climate Master Outreach and Extension, Focus Group Study” is to increase climate change literacy and to determine best practices and methods in supporting both climate adaptation and mitigation activities for diverse groups and communities. The long-term goal of the program is to support communities and build their capacity to independently plan, initiate, and carry out programs that address climate-centered issues. The expected outcomes include designing an innovative strategy and approach that will address regional needs for developing a Cooperative Extension climate outreach program that involve volunteers as “Climate Masters.” Subsequently, this will establish criteria for a regional, community-based climate outreach program as a broad model that could be replicated in associated communities. If implemented, this program will encourage climate resilient living and sustainable agriculture and community development practices that positively impact the environment. The University of Arizona research team conducted two focus groups in disparate communities to better determine if a climate smart outreach program would be an effective way to communicate to diverse groups of Extension audiences about these issues. Ms. Mottek will discuss the methodology, results, outcomes and recommendations derived in this study. A “User’s Guide” was developed to assist Cooperative Extension educators and others to design a community-based Climate Master program. The recommendations within the User’s Guide encapsulate the program’s design, content, recruitment strategy, delivery, impacts, and sustainability strategies for developing a novel Climate Master program.

Zoom Link: https://arizona.zoom.us/j/89304751811
Please log in up to 10 minutes prior to the webinar.

Cost: Free 
Registration: Not required 

Remote Produce Safety Alliance Produce Safety Rule Grower Training Course 

Due to the current Coronavirus Outbreak, Produce Safety Alliance is allowing for Remote Grower Trainings while we are practicing social distancing. This course will be offered remotely, online via Zoom, during this time to accommodate and once the public health concern is lifted, in-person classroom courses will resume. 

Who Should Attend: 
Produce Farms including growers, harvesters, packers, coolers, and those interested in learning about the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR), Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), Co-management of natural resources and Food Safety. Academic’s and students wanting to learn more about food safety and the Produce Safety Rule would benefit from this course as well as government officials working in food safety. 

Course Dates and Times: 
May 4-5, 2021 
7:45 AM - 1:00 PM 
Sign up HERE 
Password: MAY4&5 

May 18-19, 2021 
7:45 AM - 1:00 PM 
Sign up HERE 
Password: MAY18&19 

The Produce Safety Rule Grower Training Course will take place over 2 Days from 7:45 AM- 1 PM, hosted online via Zoom. You must be present for each session on both days to receive your Certificate of Course Completion from AFDO. The Produce Safety Rule Grower Training Course does not offer CEU credit.  

Course Registration Fee: 
$71.00 

Benefits of Attending:
 
Individuals who participate in the course are expected to gain a basic understanding of:
   •  Microorganisms relevant to produce safety and where they may be found on the farm. 
     How to identify microbial risks, practices that reduce risks, and how to begin implementing
      produce safety practices on the farm. 
     Parts of a farm food safety plan and how to begin writing one. 
     Requirements in the FSMA Produce Safety Rule and how to meet them. 

*In order to receive full credit and certificate for the course, registrants must be present for all training modules. 

For more information & additional course dates please visit the Arizona Department of Agriculture Plants and Produce FSMA Website: 
https://agriculture.az.gov/plantsproduce/food-safety-modernization-act 

For additional information please contact Natalie Brassill, nbrassill1@email.arizona.edu or Dr. Channah Rock, channah@cals.arizona.edu

TMN Submittal Process

Please submit your news by 4:00pm Monday to TMN [tmn@cals.arizona.edu].

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