Nutrition Education Outreach November 2017 Submitted by Heather Peracchio SNAP-Ed programs: Nutrition outreach at the Danbury mobile pantry reached 265 families on November 8th and the mobile pantry in Bethel on November 29th reached 183 families. EFNEP: The Soccer and Nutrition program reached 22 children and adults on Friday November 3. Adults and children participated in the program which follows the Cornell University […]
Community
Chris Collins: Making a Difference
Chris Collins moved to Meriden, Connecticut four years ago with his girlfriend and her two children. In his professional capacity he serves as a substance abuse counselor at Rushford at Meriden, an organization that offers a variety of outpatient programs and services, including counseling young adults about substance use disorders. A longtime friend of Chris’ […]
Laura Irwin: 4-H Alumni Spotlight
It was never a question of if Laura Irwin of Hartland would join 4-H, but rather, when she would become a 4-H member. “My mom always wanted to be a 4-H member, and never had the opportunity,” Laura recalls. “So, she made sure her children did. I joined when I was 7-years old, and I’m […]
Cold Storage: A Sustainable Way to Preserve the Harvest
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH Senior Extension Educator/Food Safety A young couple I know if looking to buy their first house. She prefers older homes with character, he wants space for a big garden. They came upon an older home with a dirt basement floor….I immediately thought that it might be a good candidate for a […]
Lifelong Learning Classes in December
CLIR, a lifelong learning program offered in collaboration with UConn Extension, will hold the following classes in December, all in Vernon Cottage on UConn’s Depot Campus. Tuesday Dec 5 Origins, Measurement, and Management of Stress and Anxiety 1:15 – 2:45 Wednesday Dec 6 Medical Marijuana and Cancer: What’s the Evidence? 1:15 – 2:45 Thursdays, Dec […]
Handling Food Leftovers
So, you know how to cook a turkey until it is safe to eat; but what about handling the leftovers? By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH Senior Extension Educator/Food Safety Even though many Americans are eating more meals out of the home and some are turning to “meal kits” to make it pretty painless to cook […]
The First HardCORE CT Apple Challenge
The First HardCORE CT Apple Challenge with Put Local On Your Tray! October is special for a few reasons. Everyone is getting back in the swing of things at school, the foliage outstanding, and the many varieties of delicious crisp apples are ripening atop trees in orchards across the state. The combination makes a perfect […]
Nutrition Education in Windham County
By Dianisi Torres This has been an exceptionally busy year for Nutrition Education. In addition to the EFNEP (Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program) being held at public schools and libraries including Windham, Moosup, Putnam, North Grosvenor Dale, and Killingly, the SNAP Ed program offers nutrition assistance to millions of low income families in need. […]
Windham Master Gardener Program
By John Lorusso We have had a great year educating our new crop of Master Gardeners in Brooklyn this year. The group began classes in the dead of winter in January and have been diligently working on their plant identification and diagnostic abilities all summer. In addition to those actions, they have been very busy […]
Windham County 4-H Providing New Opportunities for Young People
By Marc Cournoyer Though traditional 4-H interest areas continue to thrive, additional audiences have been reached with the introduction of imaginative new programs. The last year has seen continued expansion in the areas of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education with the success of the Saturday Science Club, a home school based STEM club […]
Are You Storm Ready?
By Karen Filchak Being storm-ready means advance planning and preparation in the event of power outages, evacuations or property damage. Many in Connecticut have assembled a “Go Pack”, “Bug-Out Bag” or some other type of emergency grab and go bag that can be easily accessed in the event of a power out age or the […]
Deadline Extended for Master Gardener Program Applications
Do you love gardening? Are you interested in expanding your knowledge and sharing that knowledge with others? Applications for the 2018 Master Gardener Program through UConn Extension are now due by Friday, November 17. Master Gardener interns receive horticultural training from UConn, and then share knowledge with the public through community volunteering and educational outreach […]
Building Communities: Brass City Harvest
UConn Extension empowers communities by building a network of awareness and knowledge. One example of this is Brass City Harvest, Inc. in Waterbury. Extension educators in our greenhouse and Master Gardener programs worked with Susan Pronovost to build the capacity of 501(c)3 organization. Susan shared her organization’s work with us Brass City Harvest, Inc. is […]
November Lifelong Learning Classes
CLIR, a lifelong learning program offered in collaboration with UConn Extension, will hold the following classes in November, all in Vernon Cottage on UConn’s Depot Campus, from 1:15 to 2:45 unless otherwise noted. Memoir Club Thursdays 10:15 – 11:45 Wed Nov 1 The Origins of Christian Fundamentalism Tues Nov 7 Programming Love Wed Nov 8 […]
CT Trail Census Update
By Kristina Kelly, Connecticut Trail Census Statewide Coordinator Fall is a busy time for the Connecticut Trail Census team as we are nearing the end of our pilot year. We are so excited to have this important data finalized and ready for release in January 2018 so that our local communities can begin to put […]
Apply to Become a UConn Extension Master Gardener
Do you love gardening? Are you interested in expanding your knowledge and sharing that knowledge with others? Applications are now available for the 2018 Master Gardener Program through UConn Extension. Master Gardener interns receive horticultural training from UConn, and then share knowledge with the public through community volunteering and educational outreach efforts. Enrollment in the […]
Tick Testing Available at UConn
Headed outdoors? Make sure you take precautions against ticks in October and November. Adult ticks are more active during this time of the year, creating a problem for both humans and animals. These disease-carrying arachnids reside in moist areas, long grass and the leaf litter and will latch onto humans and animals alike. Although there […]
Healthy and Homemade Meals in Fairfield County
Healthy and homemade meals and seasonal vegetables were part of nutrition education outreach conducted by Extension educator Heather Peracchio in September. Heather works with the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) and is based in the Fairfield County Extension Center. She reports on her programming for […]
CT Trails Symposium
UConn Extension educators Laura Brown, Kristina Kelly, and Emily Wilson are presenting at the CT Trails Symposium on Thursday, October 19th. The CT Greenways Council, in partnership with Goodwin College, encourages you to engage in conversation about why and how to put your local trail systems to work for your community. Speakers and panels will use […]
Extension Internship Leads to Career Path
When Julia Cobuzzi of Monroe transferred to UConn from Stonehill College in Massachusetts at the beginning of her sophomore year, she was not sure what she could do with a major in Allied Health Sciences. “I took Introduction to Nutrition with Stacey Mobley, and it has been my favorite course by far in my college […]
October Lifelong Learning Programs
CLIR, a lifelong learning program offered in collaboration with UConn Extension, will hold the following classes in October, all in Vernon Cottage on UConn’s Depot Campus,from 1:15 to 2:45 unless otherwise noted. Memoir Club Thursdays 10:15 – 11:45 Wed Oct 4 Putin vs. the World Tues Oct 10 Everything You Wanted to Know About the […]
Lifelong Learning Program on Immigration
Over 50 people came to hear Dr. Ann Jarosznska-Kirchman, Distinguished Professor of History at Eastern Connecticut State University speak on the History of Immigration in Connecticut as part of our Lifelong Learning program. See the full list of upcoming programs at http://clir.uconn.edu.
Guide to Emergency Preparedness
By Katy Davis Did you know that September is National Preparedness Month? The State of Connecticut Department of Public Health has issued the Connecticut Guide to Emergency Preparedness, with tons of information so you can prepared during an emergency. Also, The Connecticut Guide to Emergency Preparedness has come out in ten different languages! Those languages […]
Citizenship Washington Focus
By: Jessica LaRosa, Hartford County 4-H Member This summer, I had the opportunity to attend the 2017 Citizenship Washington Focus with 38 other 4-Hers from Connecticut. The trip was held in Washington D.C., and focused on our nation’s Legislative Branch in government, along with looking at how to become better leaders and citizens in our […]
My 2017 Climate Corps Summer Internship
By Nikki Pirtel The shoreline community of Westbrook, Connecticut, situated halfway between New Haven and New London, is home to approximately 7,000 residents while supporting seasonal tourists with numerous beaches and shopping stores in the town’s outlet. It is also the municipality I was assigned to research and create a vulnerability assessment for during my […]
UConn Extension Encourages Water Conservation with the 40 Gallon Challenge
By Angie Harris UConn Extension is inviting all Connecticut residents to join the 40 Gallon Challenge and take on new practices to increase water conservation. The 40 Gallon Challenge is a national call for residents and businesses to reduce water use on average by 40 gallons per person, per day. The challenge began in 2011 […]
Welcome New Trail Census Coordinator Kristina Kelly!
We welcome our new Trail Census Coordinator Kristina Kelly! Kristina has experience coordinating volunteer data collection programs such as DEEP’s Riffle Bioassessment by Volunteers (RBV), and has developed a passion for citizen science as away to involve the community in environmental education, protection and advocacy. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Geography […]
Healthy Homes an International Conversation
Dr. Hyun-Jeong Lee, Associate Professor, Department of Housing and Interior Design, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, South Korea, and Sohee Moon, Graduate Student, visited the University of Connecticut on August 24, and will be visiting University of Georgia and NIFA in Washington, D.C. to learn about the Department of Extension housing programs. Team members of the […]
Super Tracker App
Did you know that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has an app to help you track your food, fitness, and health? Download SuperTracker. With it you receive a personalized nutrition and physical activity plan, can track your food and physical activity; and receive tips and support to help you make healthier choices and plan ahead.
Lifelong Learning in September
CLIR, a lifelong learning program offered in collaboration with UConn Extension, will hold the following classes in September, most in Vernon Cottage on the UConn Depot Campus: Memoir Club Thursdays from Sept 7 10:15 – 11:45 An Introduction to the Socio-Cultural Roots of Climate Change Sept 11, 18, 25, 7:00 – 8:30, at CLiCK […]
CT Needs a Passport to the Parks
What is the Passport to the Parks? The Passport to the Parks is a $10 charge added to your 2-year motor vehicle registration which would generate an estimated $14.3 million each year for the operations, maintenance, and improvement of your State Parks. In return for paying this charge every other year, all motor vehicles with […]
Hike Safe
From the Hike Safe website: Wherever you hike, no matter what season or whether it’s a short hike or a multi-day trek,be safe: Follow the Hiker Responsibility Code. You are responsible for yourself, so be prepared: With knowledge and gear. Become self reliant by learning about the terrain, conditions, local weather and your equipment before you […]
Tackling Turfgrass
Article by Stacey Stearns Turfgrass is often overlooked by residents – but is one of the most abundant crops in the state, and an important part of Connecticut’s economic engine. Direct sales from the turfgrass industry are around $2.5 billion, with a total economic impact of $2.9 billion. Lawn care services are the largest turfgrass […]
Nutrient Management Planning
Article by Richard Meinert In the simplest form a Nutrient Management Plan is an inventory of the nutrients produced on the farm or needed by crops that are, or will be, produced, and a list of planned applications needed to distribute those nutrients to individual crop fields to support the growth of the desired crop, […]
Statewide Multi-Use Trail User Study
A statewide multi-use trail user study and volunteer data collection program By Laura Brown The Connecticut Trail Census is a statewide multi-use trail user study and volunteer data collection program on 15 multi-use trails. The goals are to understand when, who, how, and why people make use of Connecticut’s multi-use trails, educate leaders and general […]
Understanding the Value of Multi-Use Trails
Article by Laura Brown Answering growing demand for alternatives to car based transportation and potential improvements to public health and quality of life, Connecticut has vowed to invest billions of dollars in new transportation infrastructure, including $100 million on pedestrian and bicycle paths[1]. While interest in multi-use trails is growing, they can be expensive to […]
Connecticut’s New Marine Crop
By: Anoushka Concepcion, Connecticut Sea Grant and UConn Extension Connecticut has an extensive agricultural industry that extends far beyond land. Hidden under its coast, lies more than 70,000 acres where one of the best protein sources is produced – shellfish (clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops). The shellfish aquaculture industry is over 150 years old and […]
Job Opportunity
* 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 […]
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 […]
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 • […]