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ExtensionExpress 

Fall 2021

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4-H

Growing True Leaders

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butterfly on flower

Master Gardener

New Course & Project

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Evaluation Specialist

New Evaluation Specialist

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intern wth cow

Student Interns

Expanding Our Impact

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Thank you! 

Your support helped us co-create solutions to the critical issues facing Connecticut in 2021.

The past two years have challenged us more than anyone could have predicted. We have seen positive changes amid these challenges, and Extension adapted our services and programs to continue working with our audiences. Our educators are collaborating with stakeholders to address critical issues related to agriculture and food, climate, health, sustainable landscapes, and social justice.

Extension is unique in that the services we provide are place-based. Some organizations address the same challenges that Extension does, but our place-based perspective allows us to customize solutions for Connecticut residents and positively impact our communities with science-based, results driven solutions. Our educators understand the unique challenges that Connecticut faces because we live and work in our communities.

We are committed to providing transformational learning experiences to all our audiences. Extension continues to adapt and collaborate to find solutions for the human, environmental, and agricultural issues that our state faces.

Thank you for collaborating with us, we are here to serve you.

UConn 4-H Growing True Leaders

Our UConn 4-H members continue impressing us with their civic engagement, leadership, and workforce readiness projects. We serve over 15,000 youth from across the state each year in traditional club-based programs, after-school programs, and through 4-H camps. We rely on over 4,000 active volunteers to help us provide quality programming to youth members. Several of our 4-H volunteers and members were nationally recognized for their efforts this year.

  • Rachael Manzer, a volunteer in Hartford County, received the Northeast Region 4-H Volunteer of the Year award for her work with robotics programming.
  • June Zoppa, a 46-year volunteer from Hartford County, received the Northeast Region 4-H Lifetime Volunteer Award.
  • Olivia Hall, a 4-H member from Litchfield County was a runner up for the 2022 4-H Youth in Action Award for Healthy Living.

We appreciate all our 4-H members and volunteers for everything they do to make the program successful and offer transformative life experiences to Connecticut youth.

UConn Extension Welcomes New Evaluation Specialist

Dr. Jeantyl Norze joined Extension as our Evaluation Specialist in January of 2022. “I am very excited to join the UConn CAHNR Extension and hopeful about my contributions to help advance the land grant mission of the university. CAHNR Extension has an amazing dynamic team who is knowledgeable and open to new ideas that help further improve the lives of the residents and communities in the state through better programming,” Dr. Norze says. He is looking forward to meeting everyone to learn more about their work and determine how he can best assist them.

Read more at s.uconn.edu/jeantylnorze

Master Gardeners

Offering a New Gardening Fundamentals Online Course

UConn Extension’s Master Gardener program now offers the Fundamentals of Home Gardening, an asynchronous online series of classes covering a wide variety of gardening topics. These classes explore the foundation of good gardening practices, and help explain the why of successful gardens. UConn Extension educators and specialists teach the classes and draw on the Extension Master Gardener curriculum. Fundamentals of Home Gardening is a four-part, online series taken at your own pace, at times that work for you. Choose just the segments you’re interested in or complete all four components and earn a certificate of completion in the Fundamentals of Home Gardening.

The four modules cover Core Fundamentals, Environmental Factors, Ornamental Plants and Growing Your Own Foods. Each module is independent and does not require any prerequisites. Registration will open in February, and registrants will have six weeks to complete the three or four classes contained per module.

Master Gardener Signature Projects Improve our Communities

The Master Gardener program completes signature projects to improve our communities. Each of the nine Master Gardener offices has a variety of signature projects, and many continue from year to year, offering sustainable solutions in the statewide communities served.

The Butterfly Garden at Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Stamford is one example from the Master Gardener program volunteers with the Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford. Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary is an 11-acre section of Cove Island Park along the Long Island Sound.

The Butterfly Garden is located at the entrance and focuses on gardening for birds and butterflies. It also educates the public on how they can apply the same principles in their own yards or public spaces. Master Gardener volunteers work throughout the year to remove invasive plants, increase the diversity of native plants in the Butterfly Garden, and add nectar and host plants for butterflies and moths.

Volunteers also offer butterfly walks, moth nights, and educational materials. The team of six Master Gardener volunteers has financial support from the Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary and meets every Sunday to work on the Butterfly Garden.

Offering Experiential Learning and Expanding Our Impact

We had 17 students intern with Extension in the summer of 2021 and work 2,679 hours with Extension programs. A few of our students shared their experiences. Read about 7 of them on our Intern Spotlight page.

2020 Extension Donors

Thank you to our 2020 Extension donors. We are attempting to recognize your combined donations across all our program areas. Please contact us at extension@uconn.edu if we need to make a correction.

Bronze

($99 and Under)

  • Professor Emeritus William A. Aho
  • Mrs. Mary P. Anderson
  • Ms. Bea M. Andrews
  • Mrs. Janet G. Atkins
  • Mr. Jeffrey G. Beaty
  • Beaver Brook Farm
  • Ms. Janet Beebe
  • Mrs. Elaine K. Brand
  • Mrs. Ann T. Combs
  • Mrs. Joan E. Cominski & Mr. Michael J. Cominski
  • Mrs. Barbara H. Domski and Mr. John C. Domski
  • Ms. Diane Farnham
  • Mr. David D. Ferrero and Mrs. Joan A. Ferrero
  • First Town Vet Science 4-H Club
  • Mrs. Ingrid S. Fraize and Mr. William T. Fraize
  • Mr. Christopher Frombach and Mrs. Jenny Frombach
  • Ms. Donna M. Gionfriddo
  • Mr. Roger K. Hayes
  • Mrs. JoAnne C. Hickey and Hebert J. Hickey
  • Mrs. Deanne A. Hobson
  • Mr. Steven R. Howe
  • Ms. Judith C. Hsiang
  • Ms. Sandra Ingellis
  • Janet D. Jarvis and Gerald D. Jarvis
  • Mr. David A. Krampitz and Mrs. Susan E. Krampitz
  • Ms. Toni Leland
  • Quannah Leonard
  • Ms. Barbara M. Leroux
  • Ms. Helen P. Loomis
  • Mrs. Patricia H. Maines and Mr. Allan R. Maines
  • Ms. Avian R. Marggraff
  • Ms. Jennifer L. Martin
  • Mrs. C. Gail McCarthy
  • Mountain Ash Farm
  • Dr. Jenifer A. Nadeau
  • Ms. Ellen A. Paine
  • Mrs. Jane R. Pallokat

Bronze

(continued...)

  • Ms. Holly C. Palmisano
  • Dr. E. Carol Polifroni
  • Ms. Vicky Pelletier
  • Mrs. Betsy P. Pittman and Mr. Eric B. Pittman
  • Ms. Allison K. Platt
  • Ms. Donna A. Pursley
  • Mr. John R. Resino and Mrs. Barbara B. Resino
  • Ms. Annemarie Riemer
  • Michael Sciortino
  • Ms. Cathy Setterlin
  • Mrs. Deborah A. Sheridan and Mr. Dennis W. Sheridan
  • Mr. Arthur P. Smith and Mrs. Charlotte J. Allen-Smith
  • Mrs. Jean S. Smith
  • Ms. Stacey F. Stearns
  • Ms. Nancy Strong
  • Mrs. Marilyn Y. Tarasuk and Mr. Paul E. Tarasuk
  • Mr. Roger D. Tellefsen
  • Mr. Robert M. Visney
  • Ms. Mary Ellen Welch and Mr. Terrence M. Towers Sr.
  • Mrs. Sandra R. Wentz and Mr. Tim Wentz
  • Mrs. Bonnie Wetherell and Mr. Kris Wetherell
  • Mrs. Lorraine M. Wetherell and Mr. Ralph L. Wetherell Jr.
  • Mr. Scott P. Wetherell and Mrs. Ellen Wetherell
  • Mrs. Frances C. Whitehead
  • Mr. Edwin C. Whitehead and Mrs. Marjorie P. Whitehead
  • Ms. Nancy L. Wilhelm and Mr. Lanny P. Clouser
  • Winchester Grange #74
  • Mrs. Marjorie T. Winokur
  • Mrs. Frances T. Woody
  • Mrs. Elsie P. Woolam
  • Mr. Roger P. Young and Mrs. Shirley S. Young
  • Mr. David L. Zagaja and Mrs. Aimee C. Zagaja
  • Ms. Linda G. Zemmel
  • Mrs. June Zoppa and Mr. Michael R. Zoppa

Silver

($100 - $499)

  • Ms. Emily R. Dickinson-Adams and Dr. Roger G. Adams
  • Ms. Lucille A. Baver
  • Mr. Norman K. Bender and Mrs. Sally A. Bender
  • Bridgewood Fieldwater Foundation
  • Mr. Matthew Brooks
  • Mr. Peter S. Brzezicki and Mrs. Elizabeth B. Brzezicki
  • Ms. Bonnie E. Burr
  • Mr. Morris L. Burr Jr.
  • Dr. Sandra L. Bushmich
  • Dr. Merrilyn N. Cummings
  • Mrs. Jennifer E. Cushman and Mr. Wesley Cushman
  • Mrs. Renee J. Ellis and Mr. Edward A. Ellis
  • Dr. Cameron Faustman and Mrs. Carol A. Faustman
  • Mr. Rudy J. Favretti and Mrs. Joy P. Favretti
  • Mrs. Stephanie Fians and Mr. Edward W. Fians
  • Mr. Donald S. Francis
  • Mr. Jay G. Fromer and Mrs. Carole S. Fromer
  • Ms. Nancy L. Garrabrants
  • Ms. Mary Ann Gates
  • Mr. Alexander R. Gavitt Jr.
  • Mr. Gordon F. Gibson
  • Mr. A. J. Robert Guttay
  • Hall Implement Co
  • Mr. Peter J. Halvordson and Mrs. Patricia A. Halvordson
  • Mrs. Kathryn N. Hanlon
  • Mr. Dirk C. Hansen and Mrs. Joyce H. Hansen
  • Ms. Elaine Harwood
  • Hemlock Hill Farms
  • Dr. Prudence B. Holton and Mr. Kenneth W. Holton
  • Dr. Barbara J. Howe
  • Mrs. Mary I. Jackman
  • Dr. Patricia J. Jepson
  • Ms. Natalie B. Jurkovics
  • Ms. Mary P. Kegler
  • Mrs. Judith N. Kelly and Mr. Russell J. Kelly Jr.
  • Ms. Barbara A. Ladabouche
  • Mrs. Diane C. Lis
  • Dr. Rigoberto A. Lopez and Ms. Nesrin Rashad
  • Mrs. Lois F. Lyle
  • Dr. M. Elizabeth Mahan
  • Mr. Ronald Masters
  • Mrs. Patricia E. McCormick and Mr. Brian D. McCormick
  • Ms. Louise. F. Melling
  • Mr. Edward H. Merritt
  • Mrs. Mary K. Michalski and Mr. Len Michalski

Silver

(continued)

  • Mrs. Carol S. Nelson
  • Dr. Liam P. O’Leary and Mrs. Josephine M. O’Leary
  • Mr. Robert B. Peck and Mrs. Judith P. Peck
  • Mrs. Rebecca N. Person and Mr. Ross E. Person
  • Mr. James Przypek
  • Theresa Bearden Rettger and Michael Rettger Charitable Fund at Fidelity
  • Ms. Jennifer A. Riggs and Mr. Jay R. Poliner
  • Ms. Elizabeth Robertson
  • Mrs. Judith L. Schweitzer and Mr. Jeffrey S. Schweitzer
  • Mrs. Carolyn M. Sepe and Mr. Peter A. Sepe
  • Mrs. Nancy P. Smith
  • Ms. Anne G. Willard and Mr. John L. Swingen Jr.
  • Mrs. Jennifer F. Syme and Mr. William E. Syme
  • Dr. Cindy Tian
  • Mrs. Carol B. Tuller and Mr. Donald W. Tuller
  • The Nancy & Jim Weiss Fund at U.S. Charitable Gift Trust
  • Mr. W. B. Young Jr. and Mrs. Terrie L. Young
  • Ms. Linda Zanelli

Gold

($500 - $999)

  • Ms. Cheryl E. Czuba

Platinum

($1,000 and above)

  • Dr. Lynn R. Brown and Mrs. Marjorie S. Brown
  • Ms. Linda Brughelli
  • Colonel David E. Bull and Dr. Nancy H. Bull
  • Ceres Foundation Inc.
  • CoBank
  • Mr. Dudley G. Diebold and Mrs. Honoria H. Diebold
  • Mrs. Carole L. Eller
  • Dr. Michael P. O’Neill and Dr. Deborah Sheely
  • Kenneth V. Rideout Rev Trust
  • Mrs. Diana D. Simoni
  • Mr. Scott W. Sutcliffe and Mrs. Pamela Sutcliffe
  • National 4-H Council