Family

New Trail Census Data Portal

Posted on by
The CT Trails Program is excited to announce the launch of the new CT Trail Census Dashboard which includes yearly dashboards since 2017 and a new yearly comparison dashboard. Use the information to support trail reports, projects, fundraising, and more! The portal offers
  • people walking dog on a traila map, list, and short description for all CT Trail Census infrared counters statewide
  • selection tools to find trail counters
  • daily, weekly and monthly total use
  • average use during the day and during the week
Don’t miss the Understanding Charts and Statistics – Single Year or Yearly Comparison  web page, or the help web page to learn more about the dashboard and how to use it.Please reach out with any questions and comments!

Connecticut Gardeners’ 2024 Calendar

Posted on by
Calendar Cover

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/

 

Calendar Back
Sample Page

Meet Brenda Sanchez

Posted on by

Brenda SanchezBrenda Sanchez recently joined our team as an Outreach Nutrition Education Assistant with the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) in our Bethel office in Fairfield County. She joins us from experiences working in the medical field and with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, where she spent 11 years as a peer counselor and certified lactation consultant.  

Many members of Brenda’s family are involved in medical and nutrition positions, and the role with Extension builds off her previous experiences as well. We sat down with Brenda to learn more about her background and role with Extension. 

What is your area of interest and how did you get interested in it? 

I like anything related to the medical field as well as working in the community. Working with the community gives me great satisfaction. Knowing I have helped and impacted their lives for the betterment of themselves and their families is just a great feeling.  

I got interested in these areas by seeing them modeled on in my family. I had fitting examples of love towards the community through many family members. I was also exposed to the medical field through family members since I was a kid, so I became passionate about it. 

What excites you the most about working with UConn Extension? 

Knowing I will help families and young people achieve better eating habits and make better lifestyle choices in their nutrition. I like to do service and work with the community and help them make better choices and feed their family.  

What is one thing you hope people will learn from you and your work? 

I hope I can help people embrace a lifestyle that they did not imagine was possible for themselves and their families, by choosing, preparing, and managing a variety of foods available in the market, I hope to offer choices that might seem doable even in a low-income budget or as a single mom raising her children. I’m also passionate about helping mothers and their children. 

One thing everyone should know about nutrition is to grab those resources that are out there for them and make the best possible nutrition and diet choices and enjoy it as a family. 

What advice do you have for parents with picky eaters? 

Modeling behavior is one thing that always works. I modeled in front of my own children, and they all eat everything. Parents I’ve worked with also have success with it. The more variety of foods you can include in a diet, the more benefits there are. Also, tell children about the benefits different foods have, it engages them. 

What is your favorite thing to do in Connecticut?  

Family time, all my family lives in Connecticut, I also enjoy the fresh air, the space and nature that Connecticut offers. 

What are some of your hobbies and other interests?  

I like to walk, read, and bake. I love to travel, try new foods, I love to learn about diverse cultures, their customs and beliefs. 

Job Opening: Evaluation Specialist

Posted on by

banner of Extension programs

We’re hiring an Extension Evaluation Specialist. Join our team and advance the field of program evaluation by designing and testing methods that lead to improved capacity to measure outcomes of UConn Extension programs. The Specialist designs and delivers education programs and non-credit courses for UConn Extension faculty, staff, and administrators to increase their capacity to evaluate programs aligned with the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources strategic vision and initiatives. Learn more and apply: https://s.uconn.edu/eval-specialist

Flooding Resources for Agriculture, Residents & Municipalities

Posted on by
cornfield flooded with rain
Photo: Joe Wojnilo

Many of our communities are affected by the statewide flooding from the Connecticut River after heavy rains in New York and Vermont. Flooding conditions continued after more rain arrived. UConn Extension has the following resources to support agricultural producers, consumers, residents, and others affected. 

Flooding Resources

Bug Out During our 2023 Bug Week Events

Posted on by

monarch butterfly on lilacUConn Extension’s 9th annual Bug Week is buzzing from July 24 to July 29 with programs for the entire family.

All ages are welcome to attend and explore the activities and events dedicated to insects and their relatives.  Bug Week programs include the following:

Join UConn Extension faculty, Spring Valley Student Farm staff and students for an interactive “Insect Wonders at the Farm” event on Tuesday, July 25 from 2 to 6 p.m. at 1327 Stafford Rd., Mansfield, CT.

While at the Farm you can play Bug Jeopardy, take a bug tour and learn about beekeeping.  There will be free activities for the entire family.

See displays of live insects from local gardens and participate in bug walks at the Middlesex County Extension Office, 1066 Saybrook Rd., Haddam, CT on Wednesday, July 26 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.  The program will include bug hunts in the Extension gardens, insect identification, and giveaways.  Master Gardeners will be available to answer your gardening questions All ages are invited to explore the wonderful world of insects at this free event.

Learn about insects and where to look for them by participating in bug walks at the New London County Extension Office,  562 New London Turnpike, Norwich, CT on Thursday, July 27 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.  The program will include displays of live insects from local gardens, insect identification and giveaways.  Master Gardeners will be available to answer your gardening questions.  Join us at this free event to learn more about the fascinating world of insects.

Join the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History and the UConn Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in the Biology/Physics building at UConn Storrs on Thursday, July 27 from noon to 4 p.m. for Parasite Day! Explore the wonderful, under-appreciated world of parasites with displays and activities for all ages. See real museum specimens up close, participate in games and scavenger hunts, enjoy a tour of the Biodiversity Research Collections, and learn ways to keep your pets parasite free from UConn Police Department K9 Officers Tildy and Carson (and their handler Officer O’Reilly). FREE and open to the public!

Visit our website at bugs.uconn.edu to register for events!

We are also holding a Photo Contest.  Learn more at http://bugs.uconn.edu/photo-contest/

UConn Extension offices are located across the state and offer an array of services dedicated to educating and informing the public on innovative technology and scientific improvements.  Bug Week is one example of UConn Extension’s mission in tying research to real life, by addressing insects and some of their relatives.  For more information on Bug Week, please visit our website at www.bugs.uconn.edu, email bugweeek@uconn.edu or call 860-486-9228.

 

Did You Know? Ants

Posted on by

Ants around ant holeWhile ants can be a nuisance, they are actually considered beneficial predators when they are in places where they are not disrupting plant growth. They prefer sandy, dry soils and that is probably why they are in this area. Compost is not an effective means of killing ants, but if a sandy soil is amended with sufficient compost as to make soil more moisture- retentive, ants may move elsewhere.

Ants are difficult to control because colonies are located in chambers many feet below the soil surface. Any control method outside of soil amending, would involve using baits that ants would bring deep into the chambers and share with fellow ants.

A dense turf cover with grass kept 3 inches high or a little higher would go a long way in discouraging ants from an area.  Watering to keep soils moist during peak ant activity may encourage ants to relocate.

You may want to choose an area to maintain as a quality turf, and let the ants remain in the rest of the area.   See link below for ant control options, many of which include chemical control products, which you can elect not to use.

There is much more information about ant management at the following link: https://extension.umn.edu/insects-infest-homes/ants

-Pamm Cooper

Play Breadwinner and Learn about Financial Literacy

Posted on by

Are you interested in learning more about financial literacy?

Want to practice budgeting and making sound financial decisions as an adult in Connecticut?

Play Breadwinner!

Breadwinner was created with the purpose of teaching others about how to manage your money in the Connecticut workforce. The hope is to get teenagers and young adults to practice budgeting and understand what goes into a singular month of living. You begin with finding an occupation and learn how much of your gross income you take home after taxes. All the data is based off of starting salaries in each occupation. From there you work through housing, utilities, and various expenses in the life of an adult. Test your ability to budget and learn what you value the most when making financial decisions.

The Breadwinner game app is in its testing phase and its creators would appreciate your feedback. UConn Extension financial literacy program is working on improvements and how to adjust the game to fit the needs of its target audience. If you play along and find areas of improvement or have suggestions for what to include, add them to the survey at the end. Play the game through the end and click the “Please help us improve the game” on the final results page to fill out the survey. If you are curious about learning more about the UConn Financial Literacy Program, please reach out to Faye Griffiths-Smith at faye.griffiths-smith@uconn.edu.

-Naiiya Patel