Advancing Adaptation and Resilience in a Changing Climate
Come and see Juliana Barrett and Ralph Lewis, the authors of Connecticut’s Sandy Shores: An Introduction to the Geology, Ecology, Plants and Animals, this Wednesday November 29th. The even starts at 4:00PM at the Lowell P. Weicker Jr. Building, room 103 at the UConn Avery Point Campus.
Earlier this month, Laura Urban presented a lecture to our CLIR (Center for Learnign in Retirement) community: The Roadside to a Thriving Native Ecosystem; we are pleased to announce that the slideshow portion of the presentation is now available to view on the CLIR website!
Click the image above or the direct link below to access this informative slideshow!
The Connecticut Conservation Districts are gathering information about natural resource concerns from agricultural producers, private forest landowners, environmental organizations, and government agencies to help structure future Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Farm Bill programs.We invite you to participate in one of the five Local Work Group meetings. To register, please click on the link for the location most convenient for you to participate. The Local Work Group meetings are a free event and include a light lunch. For more information on the Connecticut Conservation Districts, please visit https://www.conservect.org/. LINKS TO REGISTER Nov. 28, 12:00-2:30pm at UConn Ext. TorringtonNov. 29, 12:00-2:30pm at Tolland County Agricultural Center, VernonDec. 5, 12:00-2:30PM at deKoven House, MiddletownDec. 6, 10:30-1:00pm at Milford Public Library, MilfordDec. 7, 12:00-2:30pm at UConn Avery Point, GrotonHey Farmers!
Looking for a new suite of tools and resources for you to use on your farms to help you make good decisions about the climate needs you are undoubtedly facing. We want to tell you about them!
So JOIN US for an introduction to UConn Extension’s newest project to support beginning farmers as they shift toward climate smart farming strategies. The project includes a new online course, one-on-one consultations, expert analysis of soil tests, plus a microgrant opportunity!
Thursday, Nov. 9
11:30 AM- 12:15
SIGN UP HERE: s.uconn.edu/climatesmart
This UConn Extension workshop, in partnership with USDA RMA, will
assist producers in understanding the seasonal risks, challenges and
opportunities associated with our changing climate. Click the flyer above for more info!
The UConn Master Gardeners have assembled a calendar for Connecticut gardeners! There are tips through every month on how to plan and maintain your garden for fresh blooms and abundant vegetables. This year there is additional information on supporting beneficial insects in the landscape, with tips on using integrated pest management, creating habitat for beneficials, and starting native plants by seed in the winter. All photos were submitted by local gardeners and selected by MG Volunteers during a statewide photo contest. MG Volunteers guided the design, information, and topics of this years calendar. We thank them for their work! 28 pages plus cover. 8.5in x 11in. Folded calendar.
Purchase it today for pickup or delivery at our marketplace site.
$12 – Local Pickup at County Office (available Monday October 23rd)
$18 – Delivery
If this piques your interest for more gardening content, visit our articles at:
https://mastergardener.uconn.edu/resources/
Or the Home and Garden Factsheets:
https://homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu/factsheets/
This summer has been one for the books, at least weather-wise. It has been rainy with little periods of dry weather, and the warm nights coupled with high humidity have provided an excellent opportunity for certain fungal pathogens to develop. Anthracnose species are just some of the fungal diseases that affect many plants, especially those under stress, and certain maples were infected earlier this season.
Driving along the road, maples infected with anthracnose can be clearly seen. The foliage has turned brown, leaves appear to be drying up, and leaf fall may be extensive. On some trees, it appears as though only seed clusters remain on the trees while leaves are almost all on the ground. This premature leaf drop may affect the tree’s ability to manufacture carbohydrates for next spring’s growth spurt. When leaf fall occurs early enough in the year then trees can produce new leaves before fall so this is not an issue. Leaf drop began on many trees in August, so time will tell what lingering effect this will have on some maples.
All maples including sugar maples (Acer saccharum), Norway maples (A. platanoides), red maples (A. rubrum), and others are susceptible to infection from anthracnose when environmental conditions, host pathogens, and a susceptible host plant combine to make a perfect storm for disease development. While normally a minor disease of maples, environmental conditions that promote disease infections that are persistent can be more than just an aesthetic issue and be more serious on trees already weakened by other issues.
Anthracnose fungi overwinter within dead leaf tissue and in any infected twigs and buds. The fruiting bodies are produced in the spring from any leaves left on the ground or from the infected twigs and buds. The spores that are produced will be spread by splashing rainwater or wind. Spores are only produced when the environmental conditions are right – usually during periods of mild and wet weather that occur from spring into late summer. Typically, these spores are more numerous in late spring and early summer, as they were this year. During hot dry weather, spore activity is less, but we certainly did not experience these conditions this year.
What can a homeowner do if their trees have suffered from anthracnose this year? The easiest thing to do is rake up the leaves from infected trees and remove them from the property. If dumped in the woods, infections can occur on any trees near those leaves. Infected twigs can be pruned off, and discarded, but that is not practical for large trees. Get a soil test to determine if any nutritional deficiencies need correcting. A pH that is too acidic can be raised by liming correctly based on soil test results. Maples can struggle in soils where the soil pH is too low. Sometimes repeat limestone applications are needed.
Do your best to make sure the growing conditions you can control like compaction issues, fertilization needs, problems with flooding, infected leaf pick up, and other things that may affect tree health are taken care of. Next year may be the total opposite of this year and may or may not bring a different set of problems for maples. Anthracnose may not be a concern if we have a drier year, and that is what many of us homeowners and gardeners hope for – perhaps!
By Pamm Cooper, UConn Home and Garden Education Center
For questions on maple anthracnose or if you have any other gardening questions, contact the UConn Home & Garden Education at (877) 486-6271 or www.homegarden.cahnr,uconn.edu or your local Cooperative Extension Center.
The UConn Extension podcast covers four topics:
You can listen to all episodes on our Spotify channel at s.uconn.edu/extension-podcast.
Maggie Cozens joined Connecticut Sea Grant and UConn Extension as the Long Island Sound Study outreach coordinator this summer. Her role focuses on encouraging people to care about Long Island Sound and help steward it. The Environmental Protection Agency funds the Long Island Sound Study. It is a partnership with New York Sea Grant, and NEIWPCC, an interstate commission focused on water quality.
“I’m hoping that people will learn they can be empowered participants in stewarding their landscapes, and that they can work with their communities to ensure the integrity of local ecosystems. We can all be active agents stewarding the coastline and watershed,” Maggie reflects on the new role.
She grew up in Newtown, Connecticut, and earned her bachelor of science degree from Appalachian State University in North Carolina and a master of science in environmental science from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington.
“I try to involve lots of different voices in environmental conversations. People often want to be active champions of the natural world but don’t always know how. There is a strong sense of place in coastal Connecticut, and I’m excited to tap into it.”
During her undergraduate program, Maggie had the opportunity to participate in a semester with the Sea Education Association She sailed from Cape Cod to Ireland, and it was her first time sailing. The tall ship world is connected, and that experience was the catalyst for additional marine science opportunities.
Maggie’s interests always focus on watershed health and marine science. She spent a year as an AmeriCorps volunteer at New England Science and Sailing in southeastern Connecticut. After graduate school, she lived on board a schooner and taught marine science and whale biology to middle school students. She then went on to coordinate environmental education and direct a summer ecology camp at Great Hollow Nature Preserve in New Fairfield, CT.
“These experiences stoked a love of field science, environmental education, and outreach. I have been fortunate to participate in a lot of different opportunities within environmental science, conservation, and education,” she says.
She worked for Maine Coastal Heritage Trust before joining UConn and is glad to be back in Connecticut. “Connecticut contains some of my favorite places to hike; the Connecticut landscape has such an interesting legacy, and you can see it every time you’re outside. There is a wonderful diversity of flora, fauna, and communities. Of the states I’ve had the pleasure of living in, Connecticut never fails to surprise me with its often-overlooked natural beauty and nuance. It is interesting to be outside in this state.
Visit seagrant.uconn.edu to learn more about Maggie and her stewardship work with the Long Island Sound Study.
Continuing rain and extreme weather events, including impacts from hurricanes, are saturating our Connecticut communities. UConn Extension has the following resources to support agricultural producers, consumers, residents, and others affected. You can also sign up for mobile weather alerts by visiting weather.gov and CT Alerts. Anyone in a Disaster area can use the Ready.gov disaster recovery resources.
UConn Extension provides answers you can trust. Our educators can also connect with agricultural producers, residents, and businesses individually. Ask us a question.
Our team offers the following advice on extreme flooding:
Recommendations include: avoid areas with extreme flooding, as little as six inches of water can cause problems, do not drive through flooded water, check weather forecasts, and sign up for mobile alerts.
Flooding and erosion also cause issues on beach properties. Our Sea Grant program has a checklist for coastal hazards.
There are emergency preparedness resources for all residents available at our Adapt CT program. Coastal homeowners and businesses can also use resources specifically made for their situation.
The saturated soil means that incoming rain may cause more problems in your home. Visit http://s.uconn.edu/prevent-flood-damage for resources.
Water testing is also advised in some situations. Visit our website for more resources on how to get water tested in Connecticut.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has information for handling private wells and septic systems after a flood:
Soil testing can help determine the extent of damage and any soil remediation needed. Visit our soil lab online for more information.
Flooding sometimes impacts homes and gardens too. We have the following resources to help in those situations:
Water testing is also advised in some situations. Visit our website for more resources on how to get water tested in Connecticut.
Soil testing can help determine the extent of damage and any soil remediation needed. Visit our soil lab online for more information.
UConn Extension is part of the Produce Safety Alliance, and there are guidelines for flooded farms. We also recommend reviewing our farm worker training video series (y en Español) as the principles will help guide farm recovery after a flood.
Equine owners also need to be cognizant of disaster preparation, especially floods, and we have specific recommendations for these situations as well as on preparing for equine disasters.
We have programs to help municipalities with stormwater and flooding, including the MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems) and the Adapt CT program for climate adaptation, including flooding in coastal and other communities. There are also fact sheets available:
Many state and national organizations have programs and resources that can help with extreme flooding:
Putting People First is the focus so they will protect their health during the cleanup and restoration process.
Thanks to the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) and Enterprise Community Partners, A Field Guide for Flooded Home Cleanup (also available in Spanish) has received a makeover. The widely-used guide was first developed nearly 15 years ago to teach safe mold removal practices in hurricane-damaged homes.
In addition, NCHH has a free online training course to educate homeowners and contractors in mold removal safety.
The Rebuild Healthy Homes Guide was developed to help homeowners, volunteers, and other workers to restore damaged homes in a way that puts people first. It includes how-to methods, tips, and improvement ideas for safe restoration that result in not just a livable dwelling, but a healthy home that offers even more than before.