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 […]
Author: Stacey Stearns
EFNEP: Making an Impact
The nutrition programming through EFNEP has three components: healthy food and physical activity choices, making funds go farther, and learning skills to improve food preparation and food safety practices. Clients participate in four to eight lessons, meet with the educator at least four times, complete pre and post assessments, participate in food and nutrition activities, […]
Hydroponics at UConn Extension
Hydroponics is a growing area of agriculture that uses mineral nutrient solutions in a soilless system to grow plants. Rosa researches chemistry and water clogging of hydroponics in her greenhouse. “With the CARE project, a set of growers in Connecticut have problems with low quality water clogging systems,” Extension educator Rosa Raudales mentions. “Samples are […]
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 […]
Bridging the Gap Between Classroom & Cafeteria
By Catherine Hallisey, FoodCorps Connecticut Fellow | Nov 30, 2016 Originally published by: foodcorps.org Big things are happening with farm to school in New London. The school district has a team of administrators, teachers, principals, non-profit organizations, and FoodCorps service members who are working towards one shared goal: “Every New London student will graduate educated and empowered to grow food, eat well, and […]
5 Tips for a Food Safe Thanksgiving
WASHINGTON — This week millions of Americans will gather family and friends around the dinner table to give thanks. But for those preparing the meal, it can be a stressful time. Not to mention, for many it is the largest meal they have cooked all year, leaving plenty of room for mistakes that could cause […]
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. […]
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 […]
8 Tips for Keeping a Healthy Home
Is your home well ventilated? Visit the Healthy Homes Partnership for more information and tips.
Is Your Home Safe?
Is your home well safe? Visit the Healthy Homes Partnership for more information on keeping your home safe.
Got Holes in Your Trees?
By Joan Allen, Assistant Extension Educator It’s not generally good news if you discover holes in the bark of your trees. Common causes of holes in trees include wood boring insects and birds. In the case of insects, it is usually the larval stage that feeds within the tree while the adults feed on […]
Hazardous Household Products
Are there hazardous household products in your home? Visit the Healthy Homes Partnership for more information on keeping your home safe.
Keep Pests Out!
Is your home free from pests? Visit the Healthy Homes Partnership for more information on keeping them out of your home.
Is Mold Causing You Health Problems?
Does your home have a mold problem? Visit the Healthy Homes Partnership for more information on keeping your home safe.
Energy Efficient Homes are Green
Energy efficient homes are green? Visit the Healthy Homes Partnership for more information on making your home energy efficient.
Paper Envelopes in your Mother’s Day Hanging Basket?
What are those paper envelopes in my Mother’s Day hanging baskets? By Leanne Pundt, UConn Extension Educator These small paper “envelopes” are slow release “sachets” that contain beneficial predatory mites that attack young thrips larvae. (Thrips are very small insects (1-2 mm. long) with narrow bodies and fringed wings. As they feed they can deform flowers, […]
Carbon Monoxide: The Silent Killer
Carbon monoxide is a silent killer? Visit the Healthy Homes Partnership for more information on keeping your home safe.
Asthma and Allergies
Are asthma and allergies a problem in your home? Visit the Healthy Homes Partnership for more information on keeping your home safe.
Growing True Leaders
Every child has the potential to be a true leader. However, kids today say they are missing experiences that grow the life skills they need – like confidence, responsibility, independence and compassion. It is a serious problem now that will lead to a severe leadership void in the years to come – impacting […]
Is Your Home Well Ventilated?
Is your home well ventilated? Visit the Healthy Homes Partnership for more information on keeping your home safe.
Volunteer Spotlight: Marcia Johnson
Teacher and 4-H Volunteer Brings Gardening, Nutrition and Fitness to Students in the Classroom and Beyond By Kim Markesich Originally published by Naturally@UConn on January 26, 2016 Twenty-eight years as an elementary school teacher has not dampened the enthusiasm of 4-H volunteer Marcia Johnson. She’s upbeat, energetic and clearly excited about teaching. Five years […]
UConn Represented at New England Grows
New England GROWS, the Northeast’s largest educational conference and green industry exposition, wrapped up on December 4 after three days of seminars and hands-on learning, combined with an exhibition showcasing the latest innovations from hundreds of leading industry exhibitors. Opening day saw record-breaking attendance and overall the event attracted nearly 9000 green industry professionals to […]
The Role of Greenways and Multi-Use Trails in Connecticut
Posted on September 20, 2015 on Extension Community & Economic Development By John McDonald, Extension Intern The concept of a network of trails in the state of Connecticut dates back to 1929, when the Connecticut Forest and Park Association established the blue-blazed hiking trail system (CFPA, 2006). In many cases, these trails follow steep ridge lines in […]
Sustainable & Climate Smart Agriculture
The White House recognized UConn Extension educator Jiff Martin as a Champion of Change for Sustainable and Climate Smart Agriculture in October. The program features individuals who are doing extraordinary things to inspire and empower members of their communities, Martin was one of 12 individuals from across the country selected for this honor. Jiff reflected […]
CT Sea Grant Awarded Grant to Grow Aquaculture and Shellfisheries
Tessa Getchis, Connecticut Sea Grant/UConn Extension aquaculture educator at the University of Connecticut, has been awarded a grant totaling $315,240 to enhance the growth of Connecticut aquaculture and shellfisheries. The project, titled “Listening, Learning and Leading to Support Shellfish Aquaculture Growth in Connecticut and the Nation” is funded by the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program’s […]
Home Canning, Food Safety, and Botulism
Home canning, food safety, and botulism—don’t freak out, but do process safely By Diane Wright Hirsch As an Extension educator, I have been teaching folks how to can for more than thirty years. And still, what worries folks the most is botulism poisoning. While it continues to be very rare, when it does occur, it […]
Jolly Ranchers 4-H Club
The Jolly Ranchers 4-H Club of Durham celebrated Memorial Day by participating in the town parade again this year. Photos by Len Baginski.
Sugaring Manure
Connecticut has more manure nutrients than we need for our crops. UConn Extension Educator Rich Meinert and two summer interns spent Friday “sugaring” manure. Just like maple growers sugar sap by boiling away the water we will be sugaring liquid dairy manure from a screw press separator to remove the water so that we […]
National Adaptation Forum
By Juliana Barrett Connecticut Sea Grant and UConn Extension In early May, over 700 people gathered in St Louis, MO for the second National Adaptation Forum (NAF). The purpose of the NAF is to promote and share climate adaptation research, issues, tools and strategies. Participants gathered from across the United States and Canada including federal, […]
Barnum School in Bridgeport
Barnum School 4-Hers in Bridgeport celebrated Earth Day on April 25th. Parents, students and community volunteers celebrated with a Garden clean up. Twenty-seven beds were cleaned, wood chips laid, and eight new beds were built.
Biological Control Programs for Ornamentals
Proven Biological Control Programs for Indoor and Outdoor Production of Ornamentals UConn Extension and UMass Extension are sponsoring, Proven Biological Control Programs; for indoor and outdoor production of ornamentals. This one day educational program will be held on Thursday, June 18, 2015 in Room 100 of the WB Young Building, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT. The […]
Eating Healthy with UConn Extension
In March, four classrooms of 2nd grade students at Morris Street School in Danbury explored tasting new vegetables like green beans, sugar snap peas, carrots and cauliflower in celebration of National Nutrition Month. Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and UConn Extension Educator Heather Peracchio MS, RDN talked about the importance of eating a variety of different color […]
Managing Landscape Pests
Click here to watch UConn Extension‘s Donna Ellis present at New England Grows on Managing Landscape Pests.
Gardens, gardens, everywhere…
….be sure to grow with food safety in mind By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH, RD UConn Extension Educator – Food Safety It is hard to believe that spring is just around the corner. Though we in Connecticut were all teased with 35-degree temperatures, we are quickly back in the deep freeze, surrounded by ugly, dirty […]
Congratulations PEP Graduates
Congratulations to our recent UConnExtension People Empowering People (PEP) graduates from Meriden and Putnam. A few graduates are pictured below, but many more were also recognized. 3 out of 5 graduates were able to make it to the graduation in Putnam, due to bad weather. Sherry Curran (far left) read a short description of each grad and what they brought […]
Get Ready to Guac and Roll!
By Catherine Hallisey FoodCorps Connecticut Service Member It all started with me holding up an avocado, screaming enthusiastically, “WHO IS READY TO GUAC AND ROLL?!” Unfortunately, my quirky pun did not elicit the response I had hoped for— instead students started groaning, “ewww that’s green” and “where’s the ranch?!” even “I am not touching that!” Although […]
Nutrition Education Award
Congratulations to UConn Extension‘s Heather Smith Pease, who received citations from the General Assembly and Senator Richard Blumenthal for the nutrition education she does at Hartford Job Corps Academy.
Spring Bedding Plant Meetings
The UConn Extension Spring Bedding Plant Meetings were held the first week in February in our Torrington and Vernon offices. We had good attendance of 35 in Torrington and 37 in Vernon, in spite of the weather! #UConnExtension’s Rosa Raudales spoke on Feeding Greenhouse Crops and Monitoring Water Quality. Yonghao Li of the CT Agricultural Experiment Station […]
Plant Defenses Against Insects
By Pamm Cooper for UConn Extension Historically, insects have been the most important bane of the plant kingdom. The fatal attraction that exists between plants and insects has woven an intricate balance between good and evil, survival and devastation, and benefits versus harm. While insects play a significant role in pollination, and while over 90% […]
Price Study of CSAs in CT
2014 Price Study of Community Supported Agriculture Operations in CT By Molly Deegan and Jiff Martin, UConn Extension extension.uconn.edu *For more information about this study, contact jiff.martin@uconn.edu Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): an arrangement whereby customers pay growers in advance of the growing season for a guaranteed share of the season’s harvest. Background: In summer 2014 […]