- Author: Saoimanu Sope
Tail length, fur color, eye size, ear shape and nose structure are some of the characteristics highlighted during the “Rodent Speed Dating ID” activity at West Coast Rodent Academy (WCRA). If you thought you would find rats at WCRA, you wouldn't be wrong. The medium-sized rodents are the main attraction in teaching participants how to accurately identify different rodent species. Rotating from one table to the next, participants get to examine the taxidermic creatures and assess their bodies up close.
The unique urban rodent management workshop – co-hosted by the University of California Cooperative Extension, Target Specialty Products and Veseris – is in its eighth year, and continues to help pest management professionals better understand rodent ecology and integrated pest management including rodent disease, trapping, monitoring and much more.
From Oct. 9–11, 45 participants gathered at the UC South Coast Research and Extension Center (SCREC) in Irvine and learned from industry experts including Niamh Quinn, UCCE human-wildlife interactions advisor for Orange, San Diego and Los Angeles counties.
“West Coast Rodent Academy is a great example of the research-extension continuum. Every year we are able to bring brand-new research to our participants,” said Quinn.
Participants in attendance have professional experience ranging from zero to 40 years. Paige Reyes, who is less than a month into her role as a pesticide applicator, attended WCRA thanks to a scholarship.
On the first day of the workshop series, participants learned all about commensal rodents, or rats and mice that inhabit spaces frequented by human activity, including roof rats, Norway rats and house mice. Lectures focus on the biology, behavior, identification, trapping and excluding of such rodents.
“I had no idea how prolific some of these rodents are,” said Lance Swift, director of Maintenance, Operations and Transportation for Princeton Joint Unified School District in the greater Sacramento area. Swift has been a licensed qualified pesticide applicator for 19 years but was a first timer at WCRA.
“I live in an ag community, so I mostly deal with field mice and burrowing pests. What I really love about this training experience compared to others I've participated in is how specific they are. I'm learning a lot,” said Swift, who also received a scholarship.
On day two, participants were assigned to groups for a series of exclusion activities that required every member to secure potential entry points using materials like mesh, caulk and mineral wool. To hype participants up and establish a sense of team spirit, groups were given punny names such as “Final Pestination,” “The Great Ratsby,” “Do the Rat Thing,” and “Rats All Folks,” to name a few.
Josue Campos, who has been working in pest management for the last 22 years, said he appreciates the detailed teaching on the biology of rats during WCRA. After completing the exclusion activities with his group, the Bay Area entrepreneur said he's excited to share the skills and knowledge he gained with his colleagues back home.
“The industry has evolved, and we need to stay up to date. Coming here and learning about what doesn't work anymore and what we need to start doing is helpful,” he said. Campos has been working for a small pest-management business in San Jose, but recently started his own company called Go For It Pest Solutions.
“For mom-and-pop shops, like the business I work for, we don't always hear about opportunities like this. But when we do, we get access to good information that we can pass on to the next generation of industry leaders,” said Campos, adding that he waited a year to finally participate in WCRA. “It was worth the wait!” he said.
Later in the day, participants focused on rodenticides and research explained by Quinn. She talked about her research funded by the Department of Pesticide Regulation on monitoring rodenticide exposure in live carnivores as well as her California Department of Food and Agriculture-funded research on rodenticide resistance.
For their final activity, participants were presented a fictional rodent management issue centered on a structure at SCREC. The challenge puts the participants' new knowledge to the test and concludes with them pitching proposed solutions to three judges who represent different audiences. One judge focuses on innovation, another on technical accuracy and the third on customer satisfaction.
On the last day, participants engaged in conversations about regulation compliance and industry updates. They also learned strategies on how to communicate with the public about the nature of pest management.
To learn more about West Coast Rodent Academy, visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/WCRA/.
- Author: Michael Hsu
Document includes refreshed vision and mission, outlines challenges where UC ANR can make impact
Vice President Glenda Humiston and the Strategic Visioning Committee are pleased to announce the release of the UC ANR Strategic Vision 2040, which will guide our work, structure and resource allocation to optimize and align our research, programs and partnerships over the next 15 years.
The document is the result of a 15-month process, during which the committee synthesized thousands of comments and feedback from hundreds of UC ANR employees and community members, including agency staff, elected officials, nonprofit groups, California Tribes, industry partners, farmers and producers.
“The Strategic Vision 2040 represents a reaffirmation of UC ANR's commitment to serve as a catalyst for positive change – cultivating, co-creating and sharing science-based solutions on a wide range of issues,” Humiston said. “I want to personally thank the Strategic Visioning Committee and everyone who contributed to creating this truly grassroots document that shows where we can make a real difference for our state, nation and world.”
The visioning process produced a refreshed vision and mission for UC ANR:
Our Vision: UC ANR will be valued in every California community for meaningful engagement and making a positive impact in people's lives.
Our Mission: UC ANR cultivates thriving communities, sustainable agriculture, resilient ecosystems, and economic prosperity in California through development and sharing of equitable and collaborative science-based solutions that have national and global impact.
In addition, the extensive community input helped the committee identify seven distinct California challenges as priority areas in which UC ANR can make a significant impact.
On top of our core areas of Agriculture and Food Systems, Natural Ecosystems and Working Landscapes, and Thriving People and Communities, the Strategic Vision 2040 document lists four issues that overarch all our research and extension work: Climate Change; Innovation; Regulations, Policy and Compliance; and Systemic Inequities.
The Strategic Vision 2040 document is not intended to be a full strategic plan. This week, a new committee kicked off a series of meetings to develop UC ANR's 2025-2030 Strategic Framework with specific goals, objectives, metrics and deliverables designed to operationalize the Vision.
- Author: Saoimanu Sope
In late January, the University of California Nursery and Floriculture Alliance co-hosted the 62nd Western Region International Plant Propagators' Society (WR-IPPS) Annual Meeting in Temecula.
UCNFA, associated with the Nursery and Floriculture Workgroup of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, is a statewide partnership of researchers and educators, growers, floriculture associations and allied industries. It serves the educational needs of California's agricultural industries that produce greenhouse crops and nursery products including vegetable seedlings, ornamentals, fruiting trees, vines and shrubs.
“Up until 2007 and before almonds and grapes became a big deal, nursery and floricultural products were the top crop commodity in the state,” said Loren Oki, specialist emeritus of Cooperative Extension at UC Davis and co-director of UCNFA. “Nurseries and floriculture are a $3.6 billion industry in California, but not many people know about it.”
Since its inception in 1951, IPPS has sought and shared plant production knowledge globally with an emphasis on nursery production. Oki has been a member of IPPS since the 1980s. His father, George, who owned and operated Oki Nursery, helped establish the Western Region in the 1960s, paving a path for Oki who served as president of WR-IPPS in the 1990s.
Although this year was the first that UCNFA co-hosted, Oki is confident that it won't be the last. “We're already planning a conference for the fall in conjunction with WR-IPPS. Since the target audience of UCNFA are growers, it just makes sense to partner with growers for these events,” Oki said.
This year's meeting involved 145 attendees, 29 exhibitors and 23 speakers and occurred over four days – two of which were dedicated to grower tours and the other two offering educational presentations in both English and Spanish, another first for WR-IPPS.
Gerry Spinelli, UC Cooperative Extension production horticulture advisor for San Diego County and member of UCNFA's administrative committee, was instrumental in coordinating the event. When he wasn't moderating sessions or facilitating Q&A, Spinelli was sharing his expertise on measuring pressure, distribution uniformity and improving irrigation management in English and Spanish.
“It's rewarding to see so much statewide interest in nurseries and floriculture,” said Spinelli. “WR-IPPS is a great opportunity to showcase the extraordinary San Diego nursery and greenhouse industry on an international stage, and a perfect occasion for clientele to meet our new UC Cooperative Extension advisors.”
Bruno Pitton, who became the UCCE environmental horticulture advisor for Placer and Nevada counties in November, appreciated the increase in science-based talks compared to previous years.
“Before, there were more talks on production practices from grower to grower. This year, I noticed that there's more science extension talks – which is a good thing,” said Pitton, who also gave a presentation on nitrogen management in nursery production and irrigation training.
Recent UC ANR hires like Emma Volk, production horticulture advisor for Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, had the opportunity to learn not only from industry leaders nationwide, but fellow ANR colleagues. For example, she heard Don Merhaut, UCCE specialist for nursery and floriculture crops based at UC Riverside, present on controlled release fertilizer dynamics in containers during a one-year growing cycle for Southern California.
UCCE advisors and specialists had a significant presence at this year's meeting, leaving a positive impression on attendees, including Tony Shireman, WR-IPPS president, who said that partnering with UC ANR experts helps IPPS achieve its mission to seek and share plant knowledge globally.
“We're fortunate to have connections to people like those joining us from Cooperative Extension. It allows us to expand our knowledge and extend our reach,” Shireman said.
Johanna Del Castillo Munera and Kosana Suvocarev, two professors of Cooperative Extension at UC Davis, also attended and joined Spinelli for both English and Spanish sessions. Del Castillo Munera presented on disease challenges and management for nurseries, and Suvocarev talked about crop water requirements for irrigation scheduling in nurseries and greenhouses.
“There's a good sense of community here and there's a lot of passion from the speakers,” said Grant Johnson, UCCE urban agriculture technology advisor for UCCE Los Angeles and Orange counties, adding that he valued the opportunity to learn from growers and scientists simultaneously.
After attendees spent an entire day touring local nursery and floriculture operations and learning from growers in North San Diego County and Riverside County, they concluded the day with a dinner and keynote address from Karen Ross, California Department of Food and Agriculture secretary.
On the last day, Chris Shogren, UCCE environmental horticulture advisor for Los Angeles County and member of UCNFA's administrative committee, and Eric Middleton, UCCE integrated pest management advisor for San Diego, Los Angeles and Orange counties, talked about pest and pathogen management. The advisors offered fascinating visuals including photos comparing the size of agave mites to a penny, and led a stimulating Q&A session.
To learn more about the UC Nursery and Floriculture Alliance, visit https://ucnfa.ucanr.edu/.
- Author: Cheryl Reynolds
Spring is in full swing and summer is right around the corner. If you work in agricultural, turf, landscape or structural settings, you are probably at your busiest. If you handle pesticides as part of your work, you most likely wear personal protective equipment (PPE). However, do you know if you are wearing the right type of gear for the job that you do? Wearing the appropriate PPE, taking it off the right way, and correctly cleaning it prevents unnecessary pesticide exposure to yourself and others.
To prevent exposing family members or those around you to pesticide residues, learn the appropriate steps to take by viewing a new online course on Proper Selection, Use, and Removal of Personal Protective Equipment from the UC Statewide IPM Program.
The course is approved by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) for 1.5 hours in the Laws and Regulations category. This course is designed for all pesticide handlers with the goal to provide them with information on pesticide labels and the California Code of Regulations (CCR) to help them select, wear, remove, and dispose of or store PPE.
In California, all pesticide handlers (applicators, mixers, loaders, those who transport pesticides, or those who fix application equipment) are legally required to wear PPE. However, to get the most protection from PPE, it must be used correctly. Violations involving the incorrect use of PPE were the second most commonly reported type of agricultural-use violation in 2017 as reported by DPR (PDF).
The new PPE online course opens with a scenario describing a real example of an accident reported toDPR that led to an incident of pesticide exposure because the correct eye protection was not worn. The content that follows is divided into six instructional modules, highlighting types ofPPE, how to select it, and when certain items should be worn. Participants answer short questions about the different types ofPPE, open pesticide labels to learn how to select the rightPPE and learn when certain items should be worn. Short how-to videos and animated sequences demonstrate the proper way to put on or remove items such as gloves, coveralls, respirators andeyewear. To receive a certificate of completion and continuing education hours, you must pass a final test with 70 percent or higher.
If this is the year to renew your license with DPR, get a jumpstart on it. Take this new course and all the other UC IPM online courses to refresh your knowledge and get the CEUs you need. There is a $30 fee for taking Proper Selection, Use, and Removal of Personal Protective Equipment. You are welcome to view the content for free on YouTube, but without the activities, final exam and continuing education credit. For more information about license renewal, visit DPR.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Wendy Powers, associate vice president, announced the 2018 winners of the biennial Distinguished Service Awards on April 11 at the UC ANR Statewide Conference in Ontario.
Sponsored by UC ANR and Academic Assembly Council, the Distinguished Service Awards recognize service and academic excellence in UC Cooperative Extension over a significant period of time. Awards highlight the use of innovative methods and the integration of research, extension and leadership by UC ANR academics.
Awards were given for outstanding research, outstanding extension, outstanding new academic, outstanding team, and outstanding leader. Winners for each category are listed below.
Outstanding Research - Youth Retention Study Team
The Youth Retention Study examined the retention and drop-out rates (nearly 50 percent) of first year 4-H members. The team looked at re-enrollment trends over a seven-year period to understand the phenomena of why youth leave the 4-H program. While the focus of the study was on California, the team has engaged multiple states in this effort to document the national scope of this issue, and used the data to develop tools and strategies for addressing and extending that information through peer-reviewed articles, workshops and training. Two of the factors they found reducing retention were a lack of communication and the inability to understand and navigate the 4-H program. These findings led to development of a handbook for families to navigate the 4-H program and a Project Leader Checklist for implementing the 4-H project experience.
The Youth Retention Study Team includes
- JoLynn Miller, CE Advisor - UCCE Central Sierra Multi-County Partnership
- Kendra Lewis, Academic Coordinator - UC ANR Statewide 4-H Program
- Marianne Bird, CE Advisor - UCCE Capital Corridor MCP
- John Borba, CE Advisor - UCCE Kern
- Claudia Diaz-Carrasco, CE Advisor - UCCE Riverside and San Bernardino
- Dorina Espinoza, CE Advisor - UCCE Humboldt and Del Norte
- Russell Hill, CE Advisor - UCCE Merced, Mariposa and Madera
- Car Mun Kok, CE Advisor - UCCE Lake and Mendocino
- Sue Manglallan, CE Advisor - UCCE San Diego
- Kali Trzesniewski, CE Specialist – UC Davis, Department of Human & Community Development
Outstanding Extension - David Haviland
David Haviland has been the UC Cooperative Extension entomology advisor in Kern County and affiliated IPM advisor with the UC IPM Program since 2002. He has developed an exemplary extension program to address the needs of clientele and support continued productivity in the third largest agricultural output county in the nation. Haviland's extension program is based on continuous needs assessment, applied local research to solve problems, collaboration with multiple partners, and extension programming focused on grower and pest control adviser adoption of improved pest management practices. Haviland uses his research outputs to drive his prodigious extension program. This includes 430 presentations to more than 32,000 people, primarily to farmers and pest control advisers. Haviland has developed a national and international reputation through publishing the results of his research in peer-reviewed scientific publications, and by giving national and international presentations.
Outstanding New Academic - Katherine Soule
Katherine Soule has been the youth, families and communities advisor since 2013 and director of Cooperative Extension in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties since 2017. Soule has guided programming to increase diversity and reach of the 4-H Youth Development Program. She has more than doubled overall youth participation to more than 16,000 youth in the two counties and increased Latino youth participation by almost 500 percent in less than 4 years. In addition, Soule has built a multicultural, bilingual UC CalFresh staff that focuses on developing sustained engagement with partnering school districts, administrators, teachers, families and other community-based organizations. In the previous two years, the UC CalFresh staff provided nutrition education to more than 17,000 youth; more than 8,500 families and community members attended community events where they received nutrition education; led peer educators in the participation of 4,700 hours of programming and engaged more than 6,600 students in nutrition and physical activities education. The Statewide 4-H Director said, “Despite the large assignment, she has provided incredible leadership in both program areas in both counties.” In partnership with 4-H volunteers and the California 4-H Foundation, she has raised $300,000 annually from grants and gifts to support and advance 4-H programming in Santa Barbara County. This youth, families and communities program also serves as the model for program integration and growth.
Outstanding Leader - Cheryl Wilen
Cheryl Wilen is the area integrated pest management advisor for San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles counties. Throughout her 23-year career, Wilen's work has represented outstanding leadership through a continual focus on positive changes. Wilen has been an effective leader in the Statewide IPM Program, ANR and the western region. In this role, she has provided significant input on CE advisor performance and advancement evaluations, represented IPM advisors to UC IPM leadership, and coordinated the annual extension planning meeting for IPM advisors and affiliated advisors. In addition to significant leadership in UC IPM, Wilen was the ANR Strategic Initiative Leader for Endemic and Invasive Pests and Diseases from 2014 to 2017. She led development of the strategic initiative goals and worked with Program Teams and Workgroups to address these goals. Wilen's leadership style is a direct reflection of her approach to research and extension. If she identifies an important unmet need, then she seeks to address it. Similarly, when she identifies a leadership need that she is capable of meeting, she steps up to help the organization move forward. Her leadership is consistently pragmatic and focused on results.
Outstanding Team - Dairy Quality Assurance Environmental Stewardship Program Team
This team of CE specialists and CE advisors has provided outstanding service to California's dairy farmers as a partner in the California Dairy Quality Assurance Program (CDQAP) through applied research, development of monitoring methods and tools, and implementation of educational programs to help dairy farmers comply with state water-quality law. The team developed the educational component of the “Environmental Stewardship Short Course,” delivering 377 short course workshops (750 classroom hours) throughout the state to date. They developed tools for producers including a lab manual for manure analysis, an e-learning module for sampling methods and an on-line decision support tool. These extension products were based on a prodigious research record including 15 peer-reviewed papers. The Dairy Quality Assurance Environmental Stewardship Program Team is an excellent example of UC ANR academics working together and with government and industry partners under the Sustainable Natural Environment Strategic Initiative. As a result of the team's work, the industry quickly reached a 95 percent compliance rate with water quality reporting requirements.
Dairy Quality Assurance Environmental Stewardship Program Team includes
- Deanne Meyer, CE Specialist – UC Davis, Department of Human & Community Development
- Betsy Karle, CE Advisor and UCCE Director– UCCE Glenn
- Jennifer Heguy, CE Advisor – UCCE Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Merced
- David Lewis, CE Advisor and UCCE Director – UCCE Marin and Napa
- Jeffery Stackhouse, CE Advisor – UCCE Humboldt and Del Norte
