- 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
Over 2,000 climate-ready trees have been planted in low-shade neighborhoods throughout Riverside and San Bernardino counties thanks to the efforts of emerita advisor Janet Hartin.
Looking back at her 40 years as a UC Cooperative Extension environmental horticulture advisor, Hartin – who retired in July – is most proud of the “Trees for Tomorrow Start Today” program. She started it in 2019 with her colleague and friend, Mandy Parkes, Inland Empire Resource Conservation District manager.
About 10 years ago, when the project was just a fleeting thought, Hartin said wildfires and extreme heat were a growing concern in California. These natural occurrences – along with the reality of urban heat islands, a phenomenon where urban areas are significantly warmer than the surrounding rural areas – inspired Hartin to act because more people die from extreme heat than from wildfires.
The Trees for Tomorrow Start Today program recommends planting species of trees that are more resistant to drought, heat, pests, and the impacts of urban heat islands and climate change –all factors that traditionally planted tree species cannot always withstand, according to Hartin. Cooling urban areas with heat-tolerant trees can make a huge difference for the people and animals living in those communities.
“Surfaces such as asphalt parking lots can be more than 60 degrees hotter when they're unshaded,” Hartin said. “Trees not only cool urban areas by providing shade but also through transpiration, where water vapor is returned to the atmosphere through leaves, serving as a very effective and natural air conditioner.”
Becoming the go-to tree advocate and expert in the region
To reach neighborhoods that needed shade trees, Hartin identified grassroots organizations and partnered with the UC Master Gardener Program to recruit volunteers in communities that would benefit the most to launch the Trees for Tomorrow Start Today program. When selecting neighborhoods, Hartin and her team prioritized communities that experienced higher risks of pulmonary and/or cardiovascular disease – often exacerbated by poor air quality and extreme heat.
To ensure trees thrive, Hartin partnered with UC Master Gardener volunteers to educate residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties on tree planting and care before giving them free trees to plant.
“She is the tree advocate and expert in the region,” said Parkes. “The most important aspect of her work is that UC Master Gardeners, who are especially trained in this program, help ensure that each person goes home with the ‘right' tree to increase chances of success and realization of climate benefit, and can always contact the helpline if questions or problems arise later.”
Trees for Tomorrow Start Today relies on climate-ready and drought-, heat- and pest-resistant tree species that have been vetted in various ways. Some are performing well in research trials at UC Davis, UC Riverside and the UC South Coast Research and Extension Center in Irvine led by Hartin and her UC and U.S. Forest Service colleagues.
Other climate-ready trees have been identified in Hartin's independent research projects and by observing species' survival rates in even harsher climates than the climate zones the trees are now being planted in, with an eye on the future for their long-term success.
In partnership with the South Coast Air Quality Management District, Hartin was able to establish community bonds in San Bernardino and east Coachella Valley, areas that have benefitted significantly from the Trees for Tomorrow Start Today program.
“The truth is that the applied aspect of my work was needed to ensure the program's success. I needed the help from my arboriculture and non-commercial clientele to keep it real,” said Hartin.
Eager to listen and better understand the community, Hartin said her clientele educated her and played an integral role in the development of the program. She describes this relationship as a “two-way street” that has been incredibly rewarding for all involved.
“When we create a continuum of applied research that includes the end user, and follow their lead on problem-solving, we can help enable that clientele to enact long-term solutions,” Hartin said.
Husam Yousef, UC Master Gardener in San Bernardino County, said the continuity of this tree-planting project means ensuring a positive impact on the environment and the well-being of San Bernardino residents in the coming decades. “It's about time we give back what we have taken for years!" said Yousef.
Years of contribution recognized by industry organizations
Hartin has emerged as a statewide leader in landscape water management and sustainable landscaping, which have become critical issues during the lengthy and persistent California drought. In 2022, Hartin was inducted into the Green Industry Hall of Fame, which recognizes individuals with a minimum of 20 years in the landscape, nursery or floriculture industry and who have made significant contributions to the field.
“There is no doubt about the high quality and effective nature of Janet's contributions to the University of California and industry,” said Don Hodel, emeritus UCCE environmental horticulture for Los Angeles County. “Her knowledge, competence and professionalism are beyond question, and uphold the University's strong and high reputation for academic research, education and service.”
The California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA) recently recognized Hartin for several series of pest management seminars she organized for landscape clientele in San Bernardino, Riverside, and Los Angeles counties, and her contribution to the 2024 statewide CAPCA Conference.
“Janet is an excellent writer and contributor, and easily conveys information to clientele in a clear and precise manner,” Hodel added. “Her presentations are always timely, informative, lucid, interesting, well-illustrated and delivered in a professional manner and met with much audience enthusiasm.”
Thinking back to 1984 when she first joined UCCE as an environmental horticulture advisor fresh out of graduate school, Hartin remembers there was a focus on equity and ensuring that clientele of all ethnicities and races were served. How to do this, though, remained less clear back then.
Over the years, Hartin has learned to focus on listening, and working with and learning from colleagues and clientele with diverse backgrounds – as exemplified by her Trees for Tomorrow Start Today work.
Paving a path for rising environmental horticulturalists
Her leadership experience as the Chair of UC ANR's Associate Editors Board, and a member of the academic Peer Review Committee, statewide Master Gardener Steering Committee, and Water Strategic Initiative panel helped prepare her for a long-term role as an UC ANR Environmental Horticulture Program Team leader with colleagues Don Hodel and Heiner Lieth.
Together, they coordinated annual Program Team meetings and workgroup meetings and oversaw the authorship of a white paper describing the size and impact of the environmental horticulture industry. These efforts, coupled with support from county directors involved in the position identification process, were instrumental in the hiring of vital UCCE environmental horticulture advisor positions over the last five years.
“It's great to have fresh ideas and new skills in our cohort,” Hartin said. “We were down to bare bones, numbers-wise, before these hires.”
Hartin said that she would advise the younger generation of academics to recognize how important and rewarding cultural experiences and opportunities to work with diverse clientele can be. She also urges advisors to let clientele help define their programmatic vision and path forward.
“I love to see UC ANR and partners and collaborators that are so supportive of our mission and vision work closely together with clientele to identify and tackle tough issues, improving the quality of life for Californians,” Hartin said. “I know that ANR is in good hands moving forward.”
- Author: Saoimanu Sope
Staff Assembly Council is calling all ANR staff to participate in a questionnaire created and supported by the Council of UC Staff Assemblies (CUCSA) and Staff Engagement Workgroup to understand the impact of new policies and procedures on your daily work. This initiative seeks to gather insights on the additional tasks and workload that recent changes may have introduced to staff locally and systemwide.
Here is the questionnaire: How Laws are Increasing the Administrative Load for UC Staff.
This approach stems from CUCSA's discussion with Government Relations, where we recognized the growing need for examples of government mandates that have added to the administrative workload. The objective is to encourage greater consideration while creating new policies, ensuring that they do not contribute to the expectation that employees can continue to take on more tasks without relief.
Your anonymous responses are of utmost importance. They will help identify areas where administrative strain has increased, contributing to ongoing discussions about how new policies affect our work. Your privacy and comfort in sharing your feedback are our top priorities.
Please take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire by Thursday, November 7, 2024. Your input is vital as CUCSA assesses the broader impact of these changes.
If you have questions, please contact ANR's CUCSA representatives: Christine Davidson at cdavidson@ucanr.edu or Shirley Salado at scsalado@ucanr.edu.
- Author: Saoimanu Sope
About 15 years ago, Mary Maser saw an ad in the classified section of her local newspaper for a job opening with the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program serving San Diego County. As a community education specialist with EFNEP, she has provided nutrition lessons for thousands of Spanish-speaking residents until her retirement on July 1.
Maser, who is of Mexican descent and fluent in Spanish, enjoyed working with the Spanish-speaking community in San Diego because it kept her connected to her roots. Before joining University of California Cooperative Extension, Maser taught factory workers English and served as an interpreter in the medical field.
“I've had a lot of different jobs and being fluent in Spanish has helped me in my line of work tremendously,” she said.
“We offer the EFNEP courses in English and Spanish, but a majority of my students were Spanish speakers,” recalled Maser, who taught nutrition education and healthy living practices to adults. Making her students feel as comfortable as possible was important to Maser.
Based on her time with EFNEP, Maser said that she is most proud of her students' dedication.
“I was impressed with the number of students who showed up to every class, wanting to learn, even during the pandemic,” Maser said. When the COVID-19 shelter-in-place mandate hit California, Maser said she started teaching students over the phone.
“I had one student who was spending quality time with family in Tahoe, and I told her that it was okay for us to postpone class,” Maser said. “But she insisted and said she wanted to do it, so we did.”
Maser was the only community education specialist who worked in San Diego's North County. For years, she participated in community events like the Fallbrook Clinic Health Fair, promoting EFNEP and connecting with residents. In 2019, she was recognized by Senator Brian Jones for her work with EFNEP and continued efforts teaching healthy living.
“Many of my students didn't speak English well or at all and had varying levels of education. For some, it was the first class they ever took in their life,” said Maser. “There's a lot of fear and stress they deal with on a daily basis, but it never stopped them from coming to class,” she added, emphasizing how much she admires her students' tenacity to learn.
Shirley Salado, UCCE nutrition supervisor for EFNEP in San Diego County, described Maser as a positive, respectful and considerate teammate. “Mary loved to teach nutrition and fondly cared for the Hispanic community. She was so attentive to her participants, ensuring nutrition knowledge was clearly presented to help families make better healthy choices for their well-being,” Salado said.
In her retirement, Maser is looking forward to traveling and learning another language. “I think Italian would be the easiest for me to learn, and I know a little bit of Portuguese, but I'm also interested in French,” she said.
Maser will also be using retirement to practice what she has preached for so many years, by focusing on her health and wellness.
