- Author: Leyla Marandi
UC ANR is participating in a national Cooperative Extension partnership with Extension Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine education and uptake called Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching and Engagement (EXCITE). The CDC recognizes that Extension's position as a trusted partner in communities can help address hesitancy around COVID-19 vaccines and other adult immunizations. As part of this effort, UC ANR's Program Planning and Evaluation unit worked with UCCE county offices and statewide programs/institutes to collect baseline activity around COVID-19 vaccine outreach and education across UC ANR's programs to share with our national partners.
Here are some of the things the team learned:
- UC ANR's vaccine education and promotion efforts occurred in at least 15 counties;
- Vaccine education was included in a unique 4-H statewide project, the 4-H Disease Detectives Project; see their UC Delivers blog;
- UC ANR reached approximately 18,545 individuals through in-person, virtual, email, direct mailing, or social media posts that extended vaccine education and referral to sites;
- County offices partnered with at least eight different vaccine sites on promotion and referral activities. Two counties hosted vaccine sites through their offices (kudos to San Luis Obispo and Santa Cruz!).
UC ANR leadership applauds these efforts that demonstrate the organization's ingenuity and commitment to public health.
If you or your office are conducting new or ongoing activities on vaccination outreach and education, please email leyla.marandi@ucop.edu.We would love to share your work with our EXCITE Collaborative partners!
The News and Information Outreach in Spanish (NOS) team also received funding from the EXCITE program to promote vaccination in Spanish-speaking and indigenous communities and is working with Marcel Horowitz, UCCE healthy youth, families and communities advisor for the Capitol Corridor, and UC San Diego microbiologist Fabian Rivera to develop the campaign messaging and materials.
- Author: Mark Bell
Unify-Communicate-Advocate
The UCANR Strategic Initiatives offer a home for strategic thought - drawing on members of the wider UC ANR community and beyond to 1) help people connect and 2) to help them identify and address issues of current and emerging importance.
Where to now? Growing nutrition & health (amongst others) for the future
The recent news on the increase in UC ANR's budget is exciting. We know the needs and the funds required to meet those needs across the state will require even more support. Although this will position ANR better, it will not fund all needs. A key to moving forward is to know what is needed, our role, and potential collaborators and partners to support the work for greater positive community impact.
So what are the areas for the future? With input from many, a number of opportunities have already been outlined related to factors such as fire, resilience, water, etc. See Strategic Themes.
One area to build on relates to opportunities around nutrition and health. Our existing work provides multiple health benefits - and these benefits emerge across many programs such as 4-H, EFNEP, California Naturalist, Nutrition Policy Institute, Master Gardeners, UC Integrated Pest Management, UC Master Food Preserver and CalFresh Healthy Living, UC. Additionally, COVID helped us realize how much more is needed and highlighted that we can do much more.
This month, the SI leaders will facilitate a discussion to build on what has recently been emerging in relation to our health work. In essence we want to know "What is our vision for the future of our nutrition and health work?" Stay tuned, but reach out to the SI leaders if you have thoughts and get involved when opportunity presents.
For more on the SIs and their activities, contact:
Jim Farrar: Pests (EIPD)
OPEN: Natural Ecosystems (SNE) (Let us know if you are interested in making sure SNE has a voice)
David Lewis: (Water)
Deanne Meyer: Food Systems (SFS)
Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty: Families and Communities (HFC)
Mark Bell: Vice Provost (Strategic Initiatives and Statewide Programs)
- Author: Leyla Marandi
UC ANR's 2020 Annual Report is now live! The Program Planning and Evaluation unit collaborated with UC ANR academics, specialists, program staff, and Strategic Communications to compile the annual report with over 50 vignettes that highlight the statewide impact of our organization during an extraordinary year.
The report illustrates many of the ways that UC ANR pivoted work to adapt to social distancing policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, 4-H advisors and staff created unique distance-learning opportunities for youth to learn about the natural world and participate in community service. UCCE advisors provided small-scale farms with technical assistance on COVID-19 safety and applying for emergency grants. Several statewide programs engaged in food-security initiatives that enhanced access to fresh produce at food banks and increased electronic benefit transfer (EBT) use at farmers markets.
UC ANR maintained its work on critical issues affecting Californians, including drought, wildfires, and climate resilience. UCCE academics led landowners and community organizations in adopt prescribed-fire tactics that reduce fuels and generated new knowledge about wildfire impacts on wildlife communities and post-fire mudslide risks. Others helped improve water efficiency and security for alfalfa growers in the Colorado Basin through innovative irrigation methods and introduced new findings on using species variations that better tolerate drought conditions for key crops like avocado, citrus, and grapes.
Programs such as UC Master Gardener and UC California Naturalist underwent organizational reflection on racial justice, strengthened efforts to increase the diversity of program volunteers, staff and participants, and worked to improve accessibility and cultural relevance for all Californians.
The annual report stories are organized by UC ANR's public values, demonstrating the organization's vision to improve the lives of all 40 million residents in California. If you have any questions about the annual report, please contact Leyla Marandi at leyla.marandi@ucop.edu.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Dora Garay, ANR social media strategist, will offer weekly social media office hours to discuss social media. Starting July 7, on Wednesdays from 12 to 1 p.m., ANR colleagues are invited to bring questions or anything they would like to share about their social media channels and community.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/91575159341?pwd=aTVVbVpVK1NUdFpKT3hQNHdOcDE3UT09
Meeting ID: 915 7515 9341
Passcode: SM593
If the office hour doesn't work for your schedule, feel free to email her at dgaray@ucanr.edu and set up a meeting.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Together UC ANR programs raised over $100,000 across the state on June 4, Big Dig Day.
“This show of support demonstrates the impact our UC ANR colleagues are having in your communities and the value that donors place on our work,” said Emily Delk, director of annual giving and donor stewardship.
The following are the top recipients of Big Dig donations.
Top 5 Counties:
- Lassen County
- Modoc County
- San Luis Obispo County
- Sonoma County
- Orange County
Top 5 Statewide Programs/RECs:
- UC Master Gardeners
- California 4-H
- UC ANR
- Research and Extension Centers
- California Naturalists
Campaign Boosts
The first 40 groups that raised a total of $500+ received $100.
$250 went to the 4 groups with the most new donors:
- Los Angeles Master Gardeners
- Orange County Master Gardeners
- San Luis Obispo Master Gardeners
- Colusa Master Gardeners
$500 went to the first 10 groups who raised a single $500+ gift:
- Marin County 4-H
- Napa County 4-H
- Sonoma County 4-H
- Humboldt County Master Gardeners
- Siskiyou County 4-H
- Lassen County 4-H
- Lassen County 4-H Endowment
- Modoc County 4-H Endowment
- California Naturalists
- Sacramento County 4-H
1st Time Performer: Lassen County 4-H Forever Endowment
Social Media Superstar (Group): Sacramento County 4-H and Colusa Master Gardeners
Social Media Superstar (Program/REC): Hopland REC and California Naturalists
Insomniac Award: (first gift of the day) Ventura County Master Gardeners
Match Makers Award: Colusa Master Gardeners
Delk encourages everyone to stay in touch with donors. “Reach out to learn more about why they gave and how you can continue to engage them,” she said. “Strengthening your relationships is an investment in building lasting support.”
“The ANR Facebook event was our best performing content with a reach of 28,622, of which 4,639 were organic,” said Dora Garay, social media strategist.
Find your 2021 gift reports by county and by program: https://ucdavis.box.com/s/v9hovzvgsjmb1kby8rf3mkdrzifygikf.
If you have any questions, please contact Tina Wikner, Systems and Data Admin, cwikner@ucanr.edu.
