UConn Extension’s Center for Learning In Retirement (CLIR) classes for November (all held in Vernon Cottage on the UConn Depot campus): Why You Shouldn’t Worry Too Much About Who Wins the White House This November; Tuesday, November 1; 1:15-2:45 The Symphony; Wednesdays; November 2, 9, and 16; 1:15-2:45 Memoir Club; Thursdays, November 3, 10, and […]
Education
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 […]
Vegetable IPM Class of 2016
Each year, UConn Extension Educator Jude Boucher helps commercial vegetable growers find sustainable solutions to pest problems. The program emphasizes healthy soils, balanced plant nutrition, proper pest and beneficial identification, scouting and monitoring techniques, preventative management strategies, reduced-risk pesticide selection application, and resistance management. Farmers apply to become part of the program, as space is […]
Spanish Sessions at Northeast Greenhouse Conf.
The Northeast Greenhouse Conference will feature Spanish language sessions, presented by UConn Extension educator Rosa Raudales on Wednesday, November 9th. Raudales session on diagnosing disease is one of four Spanish sessions being offered. The others include: understanding plants, good and bad bugs, and working safely in greenhouses. Space is limited and attendees are advised to register […]
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 […]
Urban Ag Students
Our urban agriculture students, and Extension Educator German Cutz visited with Senator Richard Blumenthal at the Danbury Connecticut Farmers’ Market on Saturday, September 24th. Our students in the urban agriculture program complete extensive classroom hours, and hands-on learning in the field and markets.
School Districts Invited to “Put Local on Your Tray” This Fall
Just in time for National Farm To School Month in October, UConn Extension and its partners at the Connecticut State Department of Education, FoodCorps Connecticut, and the New England Dairy and Food Council are excited to announce an opportunity to participate in a new program called “Put Local On Your Tray”. Put Local On Your […]
Hands on Training for Greenhouse Growers
Hands on Training Sessions featured at the Northeast Greenhouse Conference Growers always value hands-on training sessions to learn the tools they need to be successful in today’s competitive environment. Come participate in the following hands on training sessions: Monitoring the Greenhouse Environment by Chris Currey from Iowa State University to be held on Thursday, November […]
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 […]
October Classes with CLIR
Our Center for Learning In Retirement (CLIR) is offering several interesting classes for October (all held in Vernon Cottage on the UConn Depot campus): Memoir Club: Thursdays, 10:15 – 11:45 The Unknown Kennedy (concerning the JFK assassination) Tuesdays, October 11 and 18 1:15-2:45 Art and Science: Are They the Same? […]
PEP Graduate Impacts Community
Daniella Pierre was recently recognized at the United States of Women summit in Washington DC, and is currently being nominated for an award from Legacy Magazine, all this because of her dedicated work in affordable housing for middle class families and empowering young women. She currently works as an academic advisor at Miami-Dade and is […]
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 […]
Invasive Plant Symposium Early Registration Ending
CIPWG SYMPOSIUM: Invasive Plants in Our Changing World: Learn from the Past, Prepare for the Future Presented by the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) Tuesday, October 11, 2016 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Student Union, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT This 8th biennial conference features national, regional, and local experts as well as […]
Bovay Joins CAHNR
Dr. John Bovay joined the ARE Department in August as Assistant Professor with 60% extension, 25% research, and 15% teaching responsibilities. We are excited to learn more about his extension and research interests. Can you share any prior Extension and outreach experience you have? Engaging with farmers and the public through outreach and extension has always been […]
2016 UConn Master Composter Program
Become a UConn Master Composter! The purpose of the Master Composter Program is to provide local compost enthusiasts with the tools and information necessary to educate and teach interested community members about composting and reducing the amount of solid waste sent to the state’s incinerators and landfills. Participants would attend classroom sessions at Auer Farm […]
UConn Extension Hosts Fall Open House
North Haven—UConn Extension’s New Haven County Extension Center invites the public to a Fall Open House on Thursday, September 15, 2016 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 305 Skiff Street, North Haven. The New Haven County Extension Resource Council, Inc. (NHCERC, Inc.), a volunteer organization supporting the educational outreach programs based in this center, […]
National Preparedness Month
September is recognized as National Preparedness Month (NPM) which serves as a reminder that we all must take action to prepare, now and throughout the year, for the types of emergencies that could affect us where we live, work, and also where we visit. Due to the success of last year’s theme, “Don’t Wait, Communicate. Make Your […]
CLIR Classes for September
Our Center for Learning In Retirement (CLIR) has planned their September classes. It’s not too late to register, visit our website for more information. CLIR classes for September are held in Vernon Cottage on the UConn Depot campus: Memoir Club: Thursdays from Sept 8, 10:15 – 11:45 BREXIT: Misplaced Nostalgia for the Sovereign Nation […]
What You (Probably) Did Not Know About Food Recalls
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH UConn Extension Educator/Food Safety Food recalls have become so commonplace that most consumers no longer pay attention. In the month of July alone, there were 46 recalls by food processors who are regulated by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) and the US Food […]
Early Registration Ends 9/12 for Invasive Plant Symposium
CIPWG SYMPOSIUM: Invasive Plants in Our Changing World: Learn from the Past, Prepare for the Future Presented by the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) Tuesday, October 11, 2016 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Student Union, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT This 8th biennial conference features national, regional, and local experts as well as citizen […]
Advancing the Business of Farming in Connecticut
UConn Extension and 8 statewide agricultural partners have received a grant from USDA-NIFA for their project, “Advancing the Business of Farming in Connecticut in Partnership with Agriculture Learning Centers.” The nearly $600,000 grant integrates the expertise and current training programs of UConn Extension with the Agricultural Learning Centers that provide targeted training, mentoring, and one-on-one […]
UConn to Host Invasive Plant Conference on Oct. 11
UConn to host major invasive plant conference on October 11 The Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) will present a symposium on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at the Student Union, University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT. The symposium will take place from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The symposium theme is Invasive Plants in Our […]
UConn PEP Testimonials
Our UConn PEP (People Empowering People) program is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. A few of our participants share what the program means to them.
Internship Program Provides Credentials for Job Search
By Kim Colavito Markesich Originally published by Naturally@UConn on July 26, 2016 According to a 2012 survey of employers conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education and American Public Media’s Marketplace, an internship is the single most important credential for recent college graduates in their job search. The UConn Extension/4-H Internship Program was created to […]
Living Shoreline Planting
UConn Extension worked on a living shoreline planting on Friday June 10, 2016 at Dodge Paddock Preserve in Stonington. The area is owned and managed by Avalonia Land Conservancy. Special thanks to Beth Sullivan, volunteer extraordinaire and Avalonia project manager.
An Opportunity to Explore Outside the Box with UConn Extension
By Tom Martella UConn Extension Summer Intern Often times students at my age find themselves concerned that the subject matter they have been studying for the past two, three, or even four years is not what they see themselves doing for the rest of their lives. Numerous questions begin to arise: Is it too […]
Bug Week Offers Programs For Whole Family
UConn Extension’s Bug Week is right around the corner, and we have programs for the whole family. Bugs are the unsung heroes of our ecosystem, providing services such as pollination and natural pest control. However, bugs don’t stop at environmental benefits. They have also impacted our culture through the manufacturing of silk, sources of dyes, wax […]
Citizen Science & the CT Woodland Owner
Written by Nancy Marek Scott Matties was checking his mailbox one late winter afternoon when he saw three shadowy figures cut across Ridge Road heading for his property. The shadows did not move like dogs. Domestic cats are not that big, he thought. He dashed to the back of his house and froze: three young […]
UConn Climate Corps
UConn Extension’s Chet Arnold, Juliana Barrett and Bruce Hyde are part of a team that received funding from the University as part of the Academic Plan Proposal Awards. Other team members include: Mark Boyer (Geography), Maria Chrysochoou (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Sylvain DeGuise (Pathobiology), and John Volin (Natural Resources and the Environment). This project will […]
Wild and Wonderful Insects of New England
Written by Pamm Cooper Toward the end of spring and the beginning of summer, I find that the most interesting insects are to be found. While spring offers some really good forester caterpillars and their attractive moths, among other things, nature seems to me to save the best for last, it seems to me. From […]
Emergency Preparedness for Families in Coastal Communities in Southeastern Connecticut
UConn Extension has received a two-year grant from USDA-NIFA to work with residents in four Southeastern Connecticut coastal communities promoting storm (coastal or heavy precipitation event) preparedness. The coastal communities of Connecticut and Rhode Island are impacted by flooding, storm surge, and wind causing property damage during major storm events such as nor’easters and hurricanes. […]
Telling Stories with Maps
Emily Wilson wrote a blog post for Map@Syst on the story maps being created by UConn Extension: CLEAR’s Extension faculty have long used maps to educate land use decision makers and the public about Connecticut’s landscape and natural resources. The Connecticut’s Changing Landscape (CCL) research project has been the foundation of the education. CCL is […]
Mix Some Whole Grains with Local Fruits and Veggies
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH Senior Extension Educator, UConn Extension Lest this article appears to be written by the food police, I confess I am a real fan of a plate of regular, white flour pasta, ciabatta bread, and, once and a while a fried bologna sandwich on good (well, maybe not so good) old […]
8 Tips for Keeping a Healthy Home
Is your home well ventilated? Visit the Healthy Homes Partnership for more information and tips.
UConn Extension Tractor Course Has Lasting Impact
For the past two years, UConn Extension has offered a Tractor Operation, Safety, and Basic Maintenance Course for beginning farmers at the UConn Plant Science Research Farm in Storrs. This two-day class is designed to educate and empower current or future users of agricultural tractors and farm equipment. During the class, they demystified tractors to improve their understanding of […]
Congratulations PEP Graduates
Congratulations to our recent People Empowering People (PEP) graduates from KITE Enfield!
Is Your Home Safe?
Is your home well safe? Visit the Healthy Homes Partnership for more information on keeping your home safe.