Originally published by UConn Today on July 29, 2019 Cari and Ken Donaldson had always wanted to farm. After finding a property in Willington, they established Ghost Fawn Homestead five years ago. Today, gardens and vegetable beds dot the hillside, while chickens quietly go about their day in the yard. “We are the second owner […]
Sustainable Landscapes
Designing sustainable landscapes across urban-rural interfaces
UConn Receives NSF Grant for “Environment Corps” Project
UConn has received a $2.25 million grant from the National Science Foundation to expand and study a new public engagement program that combines teaching, service learning, and Extension outreach. The program is called the Environment Corps and focuses on using STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills to address important environmental issues like climate adaptation, […]
Christmas in July at CT Greenhouses
It is Christmas in July for the greenhouse producers who grow poinsettias. In order to have plants that are blooming for December sales, greenhouses start the process early. Poinsettias require months in the greenhouse before they are ready to be purchased and taken home. Leanne Pundt, one of our Extension educators was scouting the plants […]
GMO 2.0 Overview
GMO 2.0 Overview By Quamyia Foye Quamyia Foye is an undergraduate at UConn and attended GMO 2.0: Science, Society and the Future and wrote the following summary of the event, along with her perceptions. Overview of Risks and Benefits of Genetically Engineered Crops Dr. Paul Vincelli, extension professor and provost distinguished service professor from […]
CEDAS Launches “Best Practices” Accreditation
CONNECTICUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION WELCOMES CONNECTICUT MUNICIPALITIES TO SHOWCASE ‘BEST PRACTICES’ – LAUNCHES ‘BEST PRACTICES IN LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT’ ACCREDITATION The Connecticut Economic Development Association (CEDAS) is announcing the launch of the ‘Best Practices in Land Use and Economic Development’ certification to recognize Connecticut municipalities for outstanding land use practices. In creating this […]
Meet Indu Upadhyaya: Food Safety Specialist
This article was originally published on Naturally.UConn.edu Where did you get your degrees? I received a bachelor of veterinary science and animal husbandry (equivalent to DVM) and a master’s degree in veterinary biochemistry from Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research in Pondicherry. I completed my PhD from UConn in animal science with a focus […]
4-H Alums Shine as UConn Students
Lauren Marshall (’18 ENGR, ’19 ENGR MS) and Hannah Kalichman (’15 CLAS and ’20 LAW) are poised to graduate from UConn and have an impact on our community when they enter the workforce in their respective fields. Both are alumni of the UConn 4-H program, and we recently sat down with them to learn how […]
Conservation Planning
Excess fertilizer use and inefficient nutrient management strategies often are causes of water quality impairment in the United States. When excess nitrogen enters large water bodies it enhances algae growth and when that algae decomposes, hypoxic conditions—often called a “dead zone” occur. Nutrients carried to the Long Island Sound have been linked to the seasonal […]
STEM Education for Teens, Adults, and Teachers
The Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA) is a group of three linked projects that focus on connecting STEM education for high school students with natural resource conservation at the local level. With over 130 land trusts in the state and each of its 169 municipalities having a Conservation Commission, Connecticut has a long history of […]
Teacher Professional Learning: Professional Development Workshop
UConn Extension is leading a project that provides high school science teachers from across the state with a head start on a new way of teaching. Over the past two summers, 48 teachers from 38 school districts attended the 3-day Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) workshop, Land and Water. The training, funded by a USDA/NIFA grant, […]
Risk Management Tools: Helping Connecticut Farms Grow
“Agriculture is inherently a risk filled profession,” says Associate Extension Educator Joseph Bonelli. “Utilizing risk management is a tool for farmers to minimize the impacts of threats they can’t completely control by reducing the impact of certain dangers on their farm business.” UConn Extension has a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Risk Management Association […]
Cubes in Space: UConn 4-H Robotics Program
UConn 4-H is the youth development program of UConn Extension. 4-H is a community of over 6 million young people across America who are learning Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), leadership, citizenship and life skills through their 4-H project work. 4-H provides youth with the opportunity to develop lifelong skills including civic engagement and […]
Natural Pesticide Issues
As the gardening season gets underway, lots of homemade weed-killer “recipes” are cropping up on social media, usually containing some combination of vinegar, Epsom salts, and Dawn dishwashing soap. These are often accompanied by a comment such as “no need for pesticides or herbicides!” It may feel good to use familiar household items to control […]
Connecticut Institute of Water Resources
What do taking a trip to the beach, testing a well, and planting a new garden have in common? You guessed it—water. UConn is home to a state-wide organization focused on providing Connecticut’s citizens with information and research about all the water resources we encounter in our daily lives. As the state’s land grant university, […]
Reducing Winter Road Salt Use
Extension educator Mike Dietz focuses on protecting surface waters with green infrastructure techniques in his research and Extension work. Mike has been involved in the development of the Green Snow Pro program, and he is the Director of the Connecticut Institute of Water Resources. The scientific studies continue to pile up, and confirm the same […]
Evan Lentz: Intern Spotlight
Evan Lentz and Casey Lambert spent the summer of 2018 as undergraduate interns scouting for diseases and insects at vineyards and small fruit farms throughout the state with the iPiPE grant through the National Institute for Food and Agriculture. iPIPE is the Integrated Pest Information Platform for Extension and Education. It’s a weather and pest-tracking […]
Welcome Abby Beissinger to UConn Extension!
UConn Extension and the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture are proud to announce our newest team member, Abby Beissinger. Abby has accepted the position of Plant Diagnostician in the UConn Plant Diagnostic Laboratory. Her first official day was May 28, 2019. Abby attended the University of Wisconsin and received a B.A. in Anthropology […]
CT ECO: Growing with UConn Extension
CT ECO is a website that provides access to many of Connecticut’s statewide geospatial data layers in different formats including over 9000 pdf maps, 10 map viewers (and counting), 138 data services and in some cases, data download. The website contains 18 aerial imagery datasets, the most recent having 3 inch pixels (wow!), statewide elevation […]
Personal Safety on the Trail
All trail users should follow basic tips for personal safety. These tips can also be adapted to other situations. 1. Be aware of your surroundings and other people on the trails and in parking lots. Do not wear head- phones or earbuds. 2. Park in well-lit areas and lock the doors of your vehicle, and […]
Got Geese?
Got Geese? If you’re trying to keep Canada Geese away from your pond, Pamm Cooper from our UConn Home & Garden Education Center has some strategies for you: “The best way to try and dissuade Canada geese from becoming residents of your property is to make sure water edges of ponds or shorelines are […]
The American Chestnut Tree: A GMO Story
American Chestnut Trees once dominated our landscape. Then, a blight wiped most of them out. Researchers are using science to try and discover a way to revive these majestic trees. Watch the video to learn more. Funding for this animation is from the UConn Extension Bull Innovation Fund and Northeast AgEnhancement.
Trail Use: Leave No Trace
Connecticut has a wealth of trails for us to enjoy, from state parks and forests to local land trusts. As you’re out there enjoying the trails, it’s key to practice the principles of Leave No Trace. The seven principles of the Leave No Trace program are: 1. Plan Ahead and Prepare 2. Travel and Camp […]
Beware of Volcano Mulch
In three short decades, volcano mulch has become one of the greatest threats to newly planted and young trees and shrubs. If unchecked, the significant monetary and human investment in greenscapes will result in more and more dead and dying trees. Volcano mulch is the over-mulching of plant material, notably trees and shrubs. Mulch plays […]
The best time to submit a soil sample
Article by Joseph Croze As most of you are probably already familiar with, the University of Connecticut is home to the UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory. This lab is staffed by Dawn Pettinelli, the manager, and myself, the technician. We also have a few part time and student employees throughout the year that help with […]
Internship Available – Fall 2019
Community & Economic Development Paid Internship Summer – Fall 2019 – Connecticut Economic Development Association Best Practices Program The Connecticut Economic Development Association (CEDAS) is seeking an intern to assist with all aspects of implementation of a new community Best Practices program pilot. The intern will be involved program’s implementation and will work closely with […]
Private Well Water Testing
Private wells provide water to 820,000 people in Connecticut, approximately 23% of the population’s water supply comes from private wells according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health. These wells are not regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, although Local Health Departments do have the authority over the proper siting and construction of private wells. […]
Is Your Well Water Contaminated?
Is your well water contaminated with road salt? Dr. Mike Dietz of the Connecticut Institute of Water Resources talked to NBC Connecticut last week about how we can reduce contamination. “‘This is a worldwide problem. It’s a really big problem in the United States because the amount of salt that we’ve been applying has been […]
It’s Spring – Head Outside!
Finally, the weather is getting warmer, and we can wake up from our winter hibernation. With milder temperatures, heading outside is a great plan. We are fortunate to live in Connecticut and have access to many beautiful parks, beaches and trails. Here are some moderate to vigorous activities to get us started in the right […]
Ten Tips for the April Gardener
Ten Tips for the April Gardener Click on highlighted links for additional information. Prune old, leggy growth from heather (which flowers on new growth in late summer) but prune heath (which sets its flower buds in late spring) just enough to shape it in the early spring. Start dahlia tubers in pots indoors in a cool spot. Pinch back […]
Spotlight – Soil Degradation
One of the most pressing resource related issues around the world is the continual reduction in the percentage of arable land. Currently, 37% of land worldwide is considered agricultural, only 10% is deemed arable, or plowable, and suitable for crop production (World Bank Group, 2015). The shrinking percentage of suitable farm land is a direct […]
Take the Climate Change Challenge with UConn Extension
Connecticut Environmental Action Day (CEAD) is a one-day conference that seeks to inspire students to take the #ClimateChangeChallenge and then post their actions using #ExtendtheChange to encourage friends and families to do the same. CEAD is sponsored by UConn Extension with our partners from UConn’s Department of Marketing, Department of Anthropology, and UConn PIRG. The goals […]
‘New normal’ of flooded roads presents complex challenges
Story and photos by Judy Benson With frequent downpours flooding many of the state’s coastal roads throughout the fall and into January – including the previous day – the workshop could hardly have had more relevance and timeliness. “I spent yesterday dealing with countless calls to my office from people saying they couldn’t get to […]
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, […]
A CLEAR Approach to Land Use
In this revealing article in the magazine International Innovation, UConn Extension’s Chet Arnold reviews the importance of instilling knowledge in land use decision makers and outlines the contributions that the Center for Land Use Education and Research is making in this area.
CT Tree Warden’s Association
– Article by Bob Ricard for UConn Extension Approximately 85 tree wardens, deputy tree wardens, urban forestry volunteers, and others gathered in Glastonbury, March 20th, for the Tree Wardens’ Association of Connecticut, Inc., 22nd Annual Dinner Meeting. The primary purpose of the meeting was to conduct the business of the state-wide organization, founded in 1992 […]
Pesticides and School Athletic Fields
Jason Henderson talks to NBC news about pesticides and school athletic fields. Watch the video to understand more about the current laws and what goes into maintaining an athletic field.
New Greenhouse Pest Guide Web App
Try our new mobile optimized website app for commercial growers that contains options for biological control and pesticides for management of insect and mite pests common in commercial greenhouse production. This app can be used on your computer, smart phone or other electronic device. This was a cooperative project between Leanne Pundt of UConn’s IPM […]
Fall Foliage Color: How it Happens!
Fall in New England. Even those of us who have lived here for years or grown up here look forward to the annual brilliant display of color. The duration and intensity of color and even the proportion of reds vs. yellows changes from one year to the next. What are the factors that initiate and […]
Sugar Maple – Value, Strengths, Threats and Resilience
By Tom Worthley, Assistant Extension Professor, UConn Extension Hardly an autumn season goes by without numerous writers in magazines, newspapers and websites extolling the virtues of sugar maples for their foliar brilliance and colorful contributions to the Connecticut countryside. Shortly thereafter the late winter and spring can be relied upon to summon forth additional textual homage […]
Salt of the Earth
Post updated 9/2025 UConn Extension’s Center for Land Use Education And Research (CLEAR) provides information, education and assistance to Connecticut’s land use decision makers, community organizations and citizens on how to better protect natural resources while accommodating economic growth. One of CLEAR’s focus areas is WATER. Learn more about CLEAR’s water resources. There are several […]