Today, Ventura County UCCE Staff Research Associate Maren Mochizuki shares information with us about local water quality education and improvement.

California’s Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) is offering 1 hour of education credit for completion of a survey of management practices available here. 

Growers who have already completed 8 hours of education credit in compliance with the Ag Waiver (click here for more information) are encouraged to complete a survey to document their progressive management strategies and to demonstrate to the RWQCB the additional hours members of the Ventura County Agricultural Irrigated Lands Group (VCAILG) have completed during the 5-year period of the waiver.

The survey is available in both English and Spanish.  Growers who complete a survey are also eligible for management practice recommendations and implementation assistance at no cost (click here for more information).

For more information or questions regarding the management practices survey, please contact Emmanuel González at 805 760 7413.   Return completed surveys to Emmanuel at:

Resource Conservation District-Ventura County, 3380 Somis Rd, Somis, CA  93066.

 

 

The UC Hansen Agricultural Center will hold a free workshop on low cost/no cost gardening Saturday March, 27, 2010 from 10:00am to 11:30.  Learn about:

• gardening techniques
• recycling concepts
• personal creativity
• patience

Find out how to build healthy soil, propagate plants, re-purpose salvaged materials and control pests and diseases on a minimal budget.  Bring a note pad, pen or pencil and a grocery bag (plastic or paper).

The workshop is free, but space is limited and registration is required. Please call 525-9293 ext. 214 or email to reserve your spot. Additional details can be found on the UC HAC website.

Ants are a common a pest. Did you know that the household pesticides commonly used to control them are major contributors to water quality problems in California?

Pyrethroid insecticides are the chemicals typically used to control ants in and around residential structures. After the insecticides are applied they find their way into our waterways via urban runoff. Even at low concentrations, these chemicals can be toxic to aquatic organisms. With a few changes in our behavior, we can greatly reduce the amount of these pesticides in our water. For ways to reduce ants around your home visit UC’s urban pest management online or view this video.

More information about urban ant management and other UC IPM projects can be found in the 2009 Annual Report UC Statewide IPM Program Highlights.

 

Life Cycle of the Argentine Ant

 

Crack in pavement can be a nesting site for ants or other pests.

Large gap near ceiling pipe in school kitchen allowing ants and other pests to travel to connecting rooms.

The Ventura County Branches of the American Association of University Women organizes an annual program for students in 5^th through 9^th grade called Brighter Horizons.  Volunteers introduce their careers and conduct hands-on workshops to motivate students, especially girls, to excel in science, math, and technology.

For the past few years, Maren Mochizuki, UCCE-Ventura Staff Research Associate, has presented a popular workshop called “Where Does Our Food Come From?”  Students discuss which botanical plant parts constitute some of their favorite foods.  Soil contains nutrients for plants and students learn to identify and detect properties of soil by feel.

This year, the program was held on Saturday, March 6 from 8 am to noon at Cal Luthern University in Thousand Oaks.