- Author: Hannah Bird
- Author: Lily Elola
My name is Lily (she/her) and I'll be working as a Climate Resiliency Fellow for the Hopland Research and Extension Center through July 2024. My position was made possible through GrizzlyCrops, an AmeriCorps program operated through UC Berkeley's Center for Law, Energy and the Environment. I grew up in the East Bay, after which I moved to San Luis Obispo where I got my B.S. in Environmental Management and Protection at Cal Poly. The first couple years of my undergraduate education I worked as an application aid for Calfresh, federally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). After that, I worked as a researcher on two different projects under the supervision of Cal Poly's Natural Resource and Environmental Science Department. One project created a triangulated methodology for managing sustainable consumer experience using eye-tracking and biometric data collection. The other evaluated nitrogen mineralization rates of various organic fertilizers in order to better inform sustainable agricultural operations. In the spring of 2023 I received a grant from Cal Poly's Natural Resource and Environmental Science Department to host the LEAD Scholars Talk. Exhibit, an on-campus event showcasing the voices and experiences of black, indigenous, and queer environmental activists/industry professionals.
My work at the HREC in the coming year aims to: (1) Increase community preparedness and resilience to extreme weather and climate change, (2) Improve access to natural environments, (3) Increase diversity, inclusiveness and cultural competence in environmental education, and (4) Increase youth awareness of natural resource and agricultural systems, issues, and solutions. I'll be working with community educator Hannah Bird to develop and deliver environmental education programs to K-12 students about the importance of ecosystem management, fire science, rangeland conservation, and natural resource ecology.
I consider the ability to foster a meaningful relationship with Earth's natural resources an immense privilege! I'm excited to share what I have learned with the HREC and the greater community it serves.
Learn more about how the GrizzlyCorps program works to promote regenerative agri-food systems and fire and forest resilience around the state of California here.
- Author: Hannah Bird
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- Author: Hannah Bird
I lived and worked at a ranch in Santa Barbara the following semester, doing school online. During that time, I wrote my undergraduate thesis based on feedback from some regenerative ranchers and farmers in California who said that there's not enough information about how regenerative techniques are applicable on a given farmer's land with its particular conditions. To engage with this, I proposed an experiment to study the effect of the Indigenous Three Sisters intercropping system and no-till techniques on soil health and soil organic carbon across climate types. I graduated in the fall of 2021 with a degree in biology and a minor in studio art. Since then, I lived at and helped renovate a collective in Germany, hitchhiked through Greece and Albania, and worked restoring a piece of land in Bodega, CA. I firmly believe that a community facing a challenge is best positioned to find appropriate solutions for it, and that science should be done by and for the people it affects. Values which I'm excited that the extension system shares.
While here, I will be building HREC's capacity to conduct work around climate resiliency: supporting regenerative grazing and sustainable forest management; educating and facilitating citizen science using the land as our primary teacher; supporting new technologies on working and research landscapes; and building and deepening partnerships in the community.
If you're curious about the GrizzlyCorps program you can find more information here: https://www.grizzlycorps.org/
- Author: Hannah Bird
University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP), UC Cooperative Extension and the UC Hopland REC have partnered with Mendocino County Farm Bureau, Visit Mendocino County, , experienced local agritourism operators and other local partners to offer a five-session agritourism planning course for farmers and ranchers and others involved in agritourism in Mendocino, Lake and Sonoma Counties. Farmers and ranchers who are considering, starting or expanding agritourism or nature tourism enterprises on their farms or ranches are invited to register for this low-cost participatory course.
Agritourism is a commercial enterprise at a working farm or ranch conducted for the enjoyment and education of visitors, and that generates supplemental income for the owner or operator. Agritourism can include farm stands or shops, U-pick, farm stays, tours, on-farm classes, workshops, tasting rooms, fairs, festivals, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, Christmas tree farms, winery weddings, orchard dinners, youth camps, barn dances, hunting or fishing, guest ranches, and more.
“Agricultural operations in the North Coast region can offer visitors a diversity of natural beauty and unique experiences with local farmers and ranchers. It can be difficult for small-scale farmers and ranchers to make a living when dealing with production challenges, uncertainty and lack of economies of scale. Our workshops will give agricultural producers contacts and tools to understand regulatory requirements and to develop and market their agritourism enterprises, adding to their income and helping spread the risk of tough production years,” said Penny Leff, UC SAREP Agritourism Coordinator.
Participants will evaluate their own farms or ranches for agritourism potential and consider the costs and potential benefits of various activities. Each will receive the UC ANR published handbook, “Agritourism and Nature Tourism in California,” which will be used as the text for the class. Attendees will hear from experienced agritourism operators and experts in business planning, risk management, regulatory compliance and marketing. Class instructors will provide individual guidance and help participants form a supportive network as they plan their own agritourism or nature tourism businesses.
Registration is now open.
Important: The Mendocino region Agritourism Intensive class is open only to farmers, ranchers and others involved in or planning agritourism in Mendocino, Lake and Sonoma Counties.
Registration:http://ucanr.edu/agtourmendo
Format: 4 participatory 2-hour Zoom meetings, every Wednesday morning from March 3, 2021 through March 24, 2021, and one in-person field day on the site of a Mendocino County agritourism operation (location TBD) on March 31.
Workshop fee: $40 (for all class sessions, class manual mailed to each participant, lunch on March 31)
Information & scholarship options: Penny Leff, paleff@ucanr.edu, 530-902-9763 (cell)
This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2018-70027-28587.
Mendo agtourwkshop flier
- Author: Hannah Bird
A great update from our Summer Camp intern Taylor Woodruff:
Planning the whole camp was one thing, but actually running the Sustainable You summer camp was awesome! I was a little nervous to meet all of the campers, but everyone was extremely kind and caring. The kids are what made the camp so great! Of course the activities were fun, but seeing them engaging and actually caring about our planet is what makes it all worth it. They were all such a joy to be around. Although I am the intern, I didn't feel like I was working. I wanted to be there and I was having just as much fun as all the other campers. The whole property of HREC is gorgeous, and exploring the area with fun activities was my favorite part. The hardest part of camp was to not just be their friend, but to keep reminding them that I am an adult and they needed to be listening when I was talking. If Hannah and I split into groups to do an activity, my group seemed to be a lot more off-task and thought they were allowed to do whatever they pleased. It was difficult for me to keep their attention when they just wanted to hangout and play, not listen to what I was trying to teach them. But for the most part, everyone tried to listen as best they could. Of course it can be difficult at their age, but they really tried and that's what matters. For me, the activities which involved a little more science were my favorites. For example, I got to do some chemistry with the campers. They performed water quality tests, and determined whether the water was healthy or polluted. It made me happy to bring out the microscopes, and have the campers observe spiders and snake skin extremely close. Putting the solar cars together was also great. Then I got to help tweak their cars to race faster. We got to see and appreciate the animals: five lambs, a giant wolf spider, multiple species of snakes, lizards, rats, mice, scorpions, and the sheep dogs with their sheep. Although we didn't see them in-person, the campers found so much more wildlife on their trail cameras. They got some awesome pictures of raccoons, foxes, and more! When I was planning for Tuesday morning, I was worried about our water treatment tour. We haven't been there before, so we weren't sure what to expect. It actually was a lot of the kids favorite tour, so that was great. Hannah and I might've been too prepared with planning, and ended up with a lot of backup activities. It was way better to overplan, than to have empty spaces where the kids would be bored. Overall, the whole camp was a blast, and I would love to come and help out if they ever need me again.
-- Taylor Woodruff