* JOB OPPORTUNITY * 2017- 2018 Part-Time Coordinator Position with the Connecticut Trail Census The Connecticut Trail Census CTTC) is seeking a dynamic multi-use trail (bike-pedestrian) enthusiast to serve as the point person and part-time coordinator for project (~17 hours/week). The CTTC is a new study and volunteer based data collection program on 15 multi-use […]
Climate Adaptation & Resiliency
Advancing Adaptation and Resilience in a Changing Climate
Controlling Oriental Bittersweet
Controlling Oriental Bittersweet By Donna Ellis, Senior Extension Educator This article was originally published in a longer format in the Eastern CT Forest Landowners Assn. Newsletter 39(1):1-3; 5. Connecticut’s fields, forests, suburban backyards, and urban parks are under threat, imperiled by non-native plants from the faraway continents of Europe and Asia or in some cases […]
Mulch Volcanoes: A Growing Problem
This is a re-post from October 9, 2013. As the weather gets warmer, the problem is resurfacing. UConn Extension has noticed a growing problem in Connecticut landscapes – tree volcanoes. A tree volcano occurs when mulch is piled around the base of the tree and climbs up the trunk. The shape of the mulch resembles a […]
Online Course Catalog of Extension Programs
There are more than one hundred UConn Extension specialists working throughout Connecticut. These educators are teaching and training in local communities, sharing their experience and knowledge with residents through a variety of programs. These instructional activities now will be easily accessible with the creation of an online extension course catalog. Extension classes address a wide range […]
The Dean’s Chair
Article by Tom Worthley Sometime early in 2016 a sugar maple tree died somewhere on campus and was removed by the UConn arborist crew. Knowing that our UConn student Forest Crew runs a portable bandsaw mill on occasion, arborist John Kehoe arranged to have some of the larger logs from the tree dropped off at […]
Biological Control Short Course Offered
Xerces Society’s Conservation Biological Control Short Course 4-H Education Center at Auer Farm 158 Auer Farm Rd. Bloomfield, CT Tuesday, June 13th, 2017 9:00 am – 4:30 pm EDT Learn a science-based strategy that seeks to integrate beneficial insects for natural pest control with instructor Dr. Ana Legrand from UConn! To register and read course […]
Legal Issues and Climate Adaptation
A number of questions were raised at Legal Issues in the Age of Climate Adaptation, a conference held by UConn CLEAR’s and Connecticut Sea Grant’s Climate Adaptation Academy in late 2015. The Marine Affairs Institute & RI Sea Grant Legal Program at Roger Williams University School of Law reviewed the questions, which came from the audience […]
Where Bears Are
UConn CAHNR faculty member Tracy Rittenhouse was recently featured in the UConn Today article about bears in Connecticut. Tracy tells us: “We recently estimated the population size of black bears in the state at 427+/- 30 bears. We (with UConn Center for Land Use Education and Research) created this online story map that people can use to learn about […]
UConn Sugar House Open Today
UConn Sugar House to be open for sales of fresh maple syrup! The sap is flowing! Members of the UConn Forest and Wildlife Club and UConn Forest Crew are finishing and bottling fresh maple syrup and the Sugar House will be open for demonstration, tours and sales today, Friday, 3/24/2017 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 […]
Adding Programs to Conservation Academy
UConn’s Natural Resources Conservation Academy Adds Two New Education Programs in 2017 Posted on February 19, 2017 by Cary Chadwick Founded in 2011, the Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA) is designed to provide high school students with a structured informal learning experience focused on the environment, natural resources and geospatial technologies. In case you haven’t heard about it yet, let […]
CLEAR, 20 Years Online
By Kara Bonsack Websites have come a long way since the inception of the Internet. While the Internet can be traced back to the 1960s, 1991 is considered the year the World Wide Web went live. In 1995 the last usage restrictions were lifted, clearing the path for the internet to become what we now know it […]
Tick Testing
Warmer weather months in Connecticut are the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. There are beautiful trails to hike, parks to visit with your children or dogs, and there is the simple joy of lying in the lush, green grass. Of course, with the warm weather also comes with the New England […]
Sunrise, Sunset and the Equation of Time
By Juliana Barrett Originally posted on http://blog.clear.uconn.edu The days are finally getting longer. It is always a slow, subtle and most welcome change from the days of leaving for work in the dark and arriving home again in the dark.sunset-sun-abendstimmung-setting-sun-122443 Since the winter solstice on December 21, 2016 when the North Pole is tilted furthest from […]
Municipal Grounds and Sports Turf Academy
Municipal Grounds and Sports Turf Academy March 14 & 15, 2017, 8 am-4 pm W.B. Young Building, 1376 Storrs Road, Room 100 University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT The registration fee is $180.00. $20 discount ($160 per person) for groups of 3 or more. Student registration is $25. Walk-in registrations are welcome, but must be paid […]
Major New CLEAR Programs Underway in 2017
By Chet Arnold Originally posted on http://blog.clear.uconn.edu As 2017 gets underway, CLEAR folks are working hard on the early stages of major new projects that cover all three of CLEAR’s traditional program areas, and actually add a fourth! Each one of these projects will no doubt be the fodder for many blogs to come, but for […]
Summer 2017 Internships
UConn Extension is pleased to offer internships for UConn undergraduate students again this year. Student interns gain valuable in-the-field experience in your chosen discipline at an in-state Extension office location. Internship opportunities include: • Food • Nutrition • Health • Sustainability • Research • Agribusiness • Youth Education • […]
UConn CLEAR February Webinars
UConn CLEAR has announced their February webinars for the 7th and 14th. The first is Getting Started on Your New MS4 Permit, and the second is Road Salt Use in Connecticut: Understanding the Consequences of the Quest for Dry Pavement. Attendance is FREE! Register online now, and invest just one hour of your time in the […]
Worker Protection Standard Training
UConn Extension is hosting EPA Worker Protection Standard (WPS) workshops for agricultural pesticides. This training is for agricultural employers of farm workers and or pesticide handlers on farms, forests, greenhouses, and nurseries. Also for commercial pesticide application employers. The revised worker protection standard went into effect on January 2, 2017. There will be further requirements […]
Exploring the Results of Low Impact Development (LID)
In addition to reviewing the land use regulations of towns, the NEMO team created an interactive online “Story Map” allowing users to explore the data further (http://s.uconn.edu/stateoflid). The story map combines interactive maps, text, graphics, photos and other media to tell a more compelling story than could otherwise be done by a publication or website. […]
Stormwise: There’s An App For That
Undergraduate students in the Department of Computer Science are developing a Stormwise app. The app will have two functions; tree failure reporting where individuals can provide a description and photo, and the app will walk people through a hazard tree assessment process. Collecting tree failure data will be of great value for research down the […]
CLEAR Story Maps
Extension faculty at CLEAR are creating Story Maps for their projects, inspired by the successful maps of Emily Wilson. Dave Dickson has created one, called the State of Low Impact Development in Connecticut, which describes the results of research done over the summer of 2015 by CLEAR’s NEMO Project on the use of “low impact […]
NEMO Program to Help Communities Navigate the New Stormwater Permit
By Dave Dickson CLEAR’s venerable, award-winning NEMO (Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials) Program is embarking on a five-year program to assist Connecticut communities in complying with the state’s revised “General Permit for the Discharge of Stormwater from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems,” or the MS4 permit. Stormwater runoff is a major source of flooding, […]
Casey’s Clean Air Week
As part of an outreach and education effort, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), along with UConn Extension’s Healthy Environments for Children Initiative, has developed a children’s book on air quality, titled Casey’s Clean Air Week. The purpose of this book is to teach young children (approximately 4 to 7 years old) […]
Drought in Connecticut? Who Knew?
By Mike Dietz Connecticut is not the first place that would likely come to mind if I asked you to come up with a part of the country that experiences drought; the desert southwest and California might typically be first on the list. However, southern New England has received less than normal amounts of precipitation […]
Oak Wilt: A Threat to Our Oak Trees
Oak wilt is an important disease to be on the lookout for in New England. This is especially true for Connecticut because it has been confirmed in three locations in our neighbor to the west and south, New York. The disease is important because it kills trees in the most susceptible red oak group (northern […]
Low Impact Development in Connecticut
Connecticut towns are increasingly recognizing the impact of stormwater runoff on water quality. Low impact development (LID), also called green stormwater infrastructure, is a major strategy to address these issues. The Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) program at the Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) has been working with towns on these […]
Giving Tuesday
With the end of year and holidays approaching, consider making your gift to UConn Extension. Here are ways you can show your support: Make a Gift Online You can make a gift online by accessing the UConn Extension Online Giving Page: http://s.uconn.edu/extension There are three UConn Extension Foundation accounts featured on the site: The Cooperative […]
Become a First Detector
By Joan Allen The National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) was formed along with the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) in 2002. The mission of the NPDN is to enhance national agricultural security by quickly detecting and identifying introduced pests and pathogens. This is accomplished through the creation of a nationwide network of diagnostic laboratories […]
Water Solutions
Irrigation and plant pathogens, or infectious organisms, in water are recurring themes for Rosa Raudales, an Assistant Professor of Horticulture and Greenhouse Extension Specialist. Rosa’s first job was on a plantain irrigation project in Honduras. As an undergraduate, her thesis focused on pathogens in hydroponic systems, where plants are grown in a soilless system. Rosa […]
Telling Stories With Maps
Most people like to look at maps. How many times have you looked at a map just to figure out where you’re going, and then become distracted by towns, rivers and mountains off to the side? And in this day and age, maps—including satellite imagery—are all around us, on our phones and in our cars. […]
Environmental Leadership Award Winners
The UConn Environmental Policy Advisory Council recently awarded their 2013-2016 Environmental Leadership Awards, and we are pleased to announce that UConn Extension educators were recognized. The NEMO Rain Garden Outreach Team, consisting of Dave Dickson and Mike Dietz won the Team Award. Mike Dietz also won the Alumni award. Luc Dang, a former intern with our […]
Connecticut Sea Grant Receives Research to Application Award
Sea Grant Association Research to Application Award Presented to Connecticut (CT), Maine (ME) and New Hampshire (NH) Sea Grant Programs NEWPORT, RI— Seaweed cultivation is a rapidly growing industry in New England, providing new economic opportunities for seaside communities and would-be sea vegetable farmers. The widespread efforts to improve the growth and marketing of seaweeds in […]
10 Tips for the October Gardener
Ten Tips for the October Gardener: Remove, bag and trash any gypsy moth or bagworm egg masses or spray with a horticultural oil to smother them. This summer was very dry so continue to water ornamental plants up until a hard frost. Clean up any remaining debris from the garden beds but do not add […]
Wind Firm Forests
Driving down a Connecticut road with a canopy of green overhead delights Connecticut residents. But when a storm strikes, those same trees frustrate residents by blocking roads and causing power outages. Connecticut is the fourth most densely populated state in the union, and with 75% of the land covered by trees, power outages frequently occur. […]
Auerfarm: Growing Opportunities
The 120-acre 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm is a private, non-profit education center located in Bloomfield. Over 15,000 students and family members participate in year-round 4-H curriculum-based school science programs, animal clubs, and Junior Master Gardening projects annually. Hartford entrepreneur and retailer Beatrice Fox Auerbach and her husband purchased the farm in 1925. Beatrice took […]
Making Healthier Homes
What do we mean by a healthy home? According to housing and public health experts, it is a home that is designed and maintained to support the health and safety of its residents. In his 2009 Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes, the U.S. Surgeon General stated that by improving housing conditions—for example, by […]
Deadline Extended – Become a UConn Extension Master Gardener
UConn Extension is accepting applications for the 2017 Master Gardener Program. Master Gardener interns receive horticultural training from UConn, and then share knowledge with the public through community volunteering and outreach efforts. Enrollment in the UConn Extension Master Gardener program is limited and competitive. “Gardening and the study of it is something we can do […]
CIPWG Invasive Plant Symposium
Space is still available at the CIPWG Invasive Plant Symposium: Invasive Plants in Our Changing World: Learn from the Past, Prepare for the Future, which will be held at the UConn Student Union in, Storrs, CT on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The symposium will be presented by the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group […]
Master Gardeners Assist Grassland Study
Led by University of Saint Joseph Assistant Professor of Biology, Kirsten Martin, Ph.D., 10 volunteers from the Connecticut Master Gardener Program surveyed the University of Saint Joseph’s (USJ) Grassland on Thursday, August 11, 2016. The day proved successful, with the volunteers from Master Gardener collecting roughly 32 distinct samples. While they will continue classifying the […]
Where DOES That Waste Go?
By Karen K. Filchak, Extension Educator, Family and Community Development, Residential Water Quality, UConn Extension If you are a property owner with a septic system, it is important to know some basics about the care and management of this waste treatment system. You can be best prepared to maintain it and prevent problems down the […]