Community

Construyendo Comunidades a Través de la Nutrición: Dianisi Torres y los Programas de UConn Extension en Windham

Los programas comunitarios de nutrición de UConn Extension se centran en mucho más que educación: enfatizan el fomento de conexiones y la creación de un sentido de pertenencia. Dianisi Torres ’17 (Neag), Asistente de Programas Educativos, lidera el Programa Ampliado de Educación en Alimentación y Nutrición (EFNEP) y las iniciativas SNAP-Ed en Windham. Para Torres, […]

Apple Picking with the Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program

As the air begins to get colder and fall crops become ready to harvest, apple picking is a great way to learn about food systems, support local agriculture, and engage in healthy eating behaviors. On October 15th, 2024, twenty youth and child development professionals from the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (MPTN) traveled to Holmberg Orchards […]

Extension Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

UConn Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month!  “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together” is the 2024 celebration theme, which highlights the spirit of innovation, resilience, and unity of the Hispanic experience”. The winning theme was submitted by Yvette Delgado, Senior Diversity and Inclusion Specialist, Office of Minority and Women Federal Housing Finance Agency. Ms. Delgado […]

Coastal Flooding Preparedness

Connecticut Sea Grant and UConn Extension have a new project to help older underserved residents of New London, Stamford and West Haven be better prepared for flooding and other weather emergencies. This past week’s flooding in western Connecticut demonstrated how critical preparedness and community resilience projects are. More information on the new project is at https://seagrant.uconn.edu/?p=12147 […]

Meet Chelsea Erem

Chelsea Erem (’24 CAHNR) joined our Farmington office as an educational program assistant in June. She’s originally from Waterbury and earned her bachelor’s degree in Allied Health and Psychology at UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. What is your area of interest and how did you get interested in it? My academic interests […]

Seniors Eating Well in Danbury

Community partnerships are a crucial part of our land-grant mission to take the university’s research to the public. Twelve years ago we started working with Elmwood Hall at the Danbury Senior Center on the Seniors Eating Well and Farm Market on the Move program in partnership with the Danbury Connecticut Farmers’ Market, and Clatter Valley […]

Sowing the Seeds of Coaching with the Master Gardeners

The Fairfield County Master Gardeners had a successful collaboration and a fun and productive day of teaching and gardening when they recently hosted the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Connecticut Charter Chapter at their Demonstration Garden at the Fairfield County Extension Center in Bethel. This event was held during ICF’s annual International Coaching Week (ICW) in […]

Juneteenth 2024

“Juneteenth,” June 19th, is a Federal Holiday.  The word “Juneteenth”, a combination of June and nineteenth, also known as “Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, Emancipation Day, National Independence Day and Black Independence Day.” The slaves were freed on January 1, 1863, but it took a long time for word to reach other parts of the United […]

Celebrating National Volunteer Week

It’s National Volunteer Week, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to the 5,531 volunteers across all UConn Extension programs who help extend our impact throughout Connecticut. In 2023, we had 5,531 volunteers who donated 172,374 hours, worth $5.4 million to our Connecticut communities. Learn more about our volunteers and sign up to help us at: […]

Spring Updates from Extension

  UConn Extension is everywhere: in libraries, public gardens, farms, schools, greenhouses, community centers, and nine Extension Centers located throughout the state. It’s never hard to connect with your local UConn Extension professionals. Our spring newsletter shares updates from various programs, including opportunities for you to get involved. Read our newsletter.

Farm Risk Management Program 2023-2024 FREE Programs

UConn Extension is offering plenty of Farm Risk Management Programs in the upcoming 2024 year, and they are FREE!  Options to Mitigate Farm Financial Losses  When: Tuesday, January 16, 2024  Where: CLiCK, 41 Club Rd, Windham, CT  Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.   Crop Insurance Programs  When: Tuesday, January 23, 2024  Where: Tolland County […]

Did You Know: Cleaning New Haven Coastal Area

Summer may be over, but cleaning our coastal areas can be a yearlong project. On August 12 of 2023, volunteers spent two hours collecting over 110 pounds of trash in the Long Wharf Drive and the Long Wharf Nature Preserve in New Haven. the cleanup kicking off the 2023 #DontTrashLISound campaign led by Connecticut Sea […]

United Way’s Partnership with New London County 4-H

In 2022, United Way of Southeastern Connecticut launched, Your Voice Counts (YVC), to promote trust and civility in our community. The initiative aims to improve communication, critical thinking, and understanding among high school students, to contribute to a more positive community. United Way’s program pairs up community partners and volunteers with the high school students […]

Farmer 2 Farmer Conference

We’re so excited because we are partnering up with New CT Farmers Alliance to put on a conference that is FOR farmers and BY farmers, January 27!  It’s the Farmer 2 Farmer Conference!  ~Register here~ Farming is a profession full of trial and error. Every year, we take stock of what worked and what didn’t, assess our […]

Master Gardner 2024 Calendar Sale

The UConn Master Gardeners have assembled a calendar for Connecticut gardeners! There are tips through every month on how to plan and maintain your garden for fresh blooms and abundant vegetables. This year there is additional information on supporting beneficial insects in the landscape, with tips on using integrated pest management, creating habitat for beneficials, […]

Trail Finder Website: More Trails, New Features

The Trail Finder website is the go-to website for finding trails across the state. Use the search options to find trails by location, activity (hike, bike, horse, etc.), distance and difficulty, accessibility, and features like waterfalls and nature trails. Trail Finder posts (both the information and map) are ALL approved by trail managers. Recently, the […]

Ag Mechanic Classes 2023

It’s that time of year again where our Solid Ground Trainings are starting to get their gears rolling!  Kicking it off this season, we’re bringing back the ever popular Chainsaw Skills and Safety program directed toward women, our Beginning Welders Workshops, and an Intro to Carpentry! Each workshop cost $25 and includes lunch. See more info below! Note: These […]

National Native American Heritage Month

National Native American Heritage Month is coming to a close. Here at UConn Extension, we celebrate throughout the year and continue supporting and learning from Connecticut’s Nations. Learn how UConn College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources is supporting Tribal communities with assistance from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and others. Learn more at https://ctnations.cahnr.uconn.edu/.

New Trail Census Data Portal

The CT Trails Program is excited to announce the launch of the new CT Trail Census Dashboard which includes yearly dashboards since 2017 and a new yearly comparison dashboard. Use the information to support trail reports, projects, fundraising, and more! The portal offers a map, list, and short description for all CT Trail Census infrared counters statewide selection tools to […]

Book Launch with Juliana Barrett and Ralph Lewis

Come and see Juliana Barrett and Ralph Lewis, the authors of Connecticut’s Sandy Shores: An Introduction to the Geology, Ecology, Plants and Animals, this Wednesday November 29th. The even starts at 4:00PM at the Lowell P. Weicker Jr. Building, room 103 at the UConn Avery Point Campus.

Roadside Revegetation

Earlier this month, Laura Urban presented a lecture to our CLIR (Center for Learnign in Retirement) community: The Roadside to a Thriving Native Ecosystem; we are pleased to announce that the slideshow portion of the presentation is now available to view on the CLIR website! Click the image above or the direct link below to access this informative […]

UConn Winter Horseback Riding Lessons are Here!

UConn’s Department of Animal Science is offering a winter horseback riding program to the public with something for everyone! Dressage, Hunt Seat, Polo and Western lessons are open to adults and children who meet the minimum age and skill level requirements. Interested riders visit https://s.uconn.edu/winter-riding for more information about the program and how to register.

New Podcast Episode: UConn 4-H Fairfield County

Our UConn 4-H program has a positive impact on youth every day, and one of our youth, volunteers, and educators from Fairfield County explain more in our latest podcast episode. Learn more and listen in at s.uconn.edu/fairfield-fair – and join us this weekend for their 4-H Fair at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo.

Connecticut Gardeners’ 2024 Calendar

The UConn Master Gardeners have assembled a calendar for Connecticut gardeners! There are tips through every month on how to plan and maintain your garden for fresh blooms and abundant vegetables. This year there is additional information on supporting beneficial insects in the landscape, with tips on using integrated pest management, creating habitat for beneficials, […]

Cultural similarities among indigenous people of U.S. and Nepal

Cultural affinities are a bridge that maintains our connections, even when we might feel distinctly separate. While each Native community is unique regarding its own distinct culture, language, history, and unique way of life, indigenous people worldwide share some common values based on the understanding that their lives are part of nature and cannot be […]

Bonnie Kegler: Empowering Youth with UConn 4-H

Bonnie Kegler (’88 CAHNR, ’90 NEAG) joined UConn Extension and the 4-H program in Windham County as an assistant extension educator in July, after an award-winning teaching career at Killingly High School in the agricultural education program. “I want youth in the UConn 4-H program to have a sense of accomplishment on any level, whether […]

Meet Joanna Woodward

Joanna Woodward recently joined UConn Extension as the Master Gardener Coordinator for Tolland County. Prior to joining Extension, she spent 30 years in corporate IT working in training and help desk services, project management, library and information services, and then technology adoption and education. Joanna emigrated from the United Kingdom almost 20 years ago and […]

Stewarding Connecticut’s Coastline with Maggie Cozens

Maggie Cozens joined Connecticut Sea Grant and UConn Extension as the Long Island Sound Study outreach coordinator this summer. Her role focuses on encouraging people to care about Long Island Sound and help steward it. The Environmental Protection Agency funds the Long Island Sound Study. It is a partnership with New York Sea Grant, and […]

Today: Sweet as Honey Event in Hartford

Today: Join us for the Sweet as Honey event at Hispanic Health Council in Hartford – a free community event with snacks and activities starting at 4:30 PM. We’ll discuss nature, climate change and you’ll take home a sample jar of honey. Location: 590 Park Street in Hartford Register online at s.uconn.edu/hhc – walk-ins also […]

Meet Brenda Sanchez

Brenda Sanchez recently joined our team as an Outreach Nutrition Education Assistant with the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) in our Bethel office in Fairfield County. She joins us from experiences working in the medical field and with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, where she spent 11 years as a peer […]

Become a Master Composter

Registration is open for the 2023 UConn Master Composter Program! Classes consist of two Saturday in-person sessions, September 16 and 30, and two Thursday night virtual ones, September 21 and 28. There are also two field trips scheduled for October. Participants will learn about composting and share their knowledge with others in a variety of […]

Job Opening: Evaluation Specialist

We’re hiring an Extension Evaluation Specialist. Join our team and advance the field of program evaluation by designing and testing methods that lead to improved capacity to measure outcomes of UConn Extension programs. The Specialist designs and delivers education programs and non-credit courses for UConn Extension faculty, staff, and administrators to increase their capacity to […]

Eli Moskowitz – Summer Intern Spotlight

My name is Eli Moskowitz, and I am from Cheshire, Connecticut. I am a rising junior at UConn as a Nutritional Sciences major with a sports nutrition minor. I am currently in the Didactic Program in Dietetics. My goal after graduation is to be a Registered Dietitian and to help the public and address their […]

Cultivating Education and Food Security with the Master Gardeners

On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from early spring through fall, you can find dedicated groups of Master Gardeners lovingly cultivating an organic Demonstration Vegetable Garden at the Fairfield County Extension Center site in Bethel. By summer, the garden is a beautiful oasis teeming with butterflies, and pollinators as volunteers harvest tomatoes, potatoes, beans, and […]

Volunteer Opportunity in Cheshire, Niantic or Uncasville with PEP

UConn Extension People Empowering People (PEP) Correctional Institute (CI) Program  UConn Extension People Empowering People CI is seeking volunteer facilitators to go into the Cheshire Correctional Institution, York Correctional Institution and Corrigan Correctional Center to facilitate UConn Extension PEP CI on a weekly basis. The UConn PEP CI program mission is to draw from the […]

Master Gardener Plant Clinic at the Darien Library

The Master Gardener program offers a Plant Clinic at the Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford, one of our program locations. Pat Carroll, Coordinator for the Bartlett Arboretum location, wanted to extend their reach since we have Master Gardeners and clients who live in communities ranging from Greenwich to Fairfield and as far north as Ridgefield and Redding.     […]