- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
There's a good reason why.
Shapiro has monitored the butterfly populations of central California since 1972 and maintains a research site at https://butterfly.ucdavis.edu. "I began doing the 4th of July butterfly count in 1978 and have done it every year since--always on the actual Fourth," he emailed his "posse" today.
"As I read the models, the first week of July this year will be at or near record heat every day," Shapiro wrote. "The maximum should be 108 or 109 on Wednesday, and Thursday the 4th about 106 here (Davis, Calif.)"
"As most of you know, under such heat butterflies go into heat-avoidance mode," he pointed out. "Any data generated after the T (temperature) reaches 100F are suspect. Does anyone record butterfly diversity when things are known to not be flying?"
Shapiro quipped that he knows his limits "and I am not going to push them, even with a supply of intravenous Gatorade. If I do the Willow Slough count it will be after the T retreats to a civilized level, which may not be until about the 9th or 10th."
"At any rate, don't expect a report on Thursday."
Note: You may know Shapiro not only for his incredible butterfly population data, but also for the "Beer for a Butterfly" contest he hosts every year in the three-county area of Sacramento, Yolo and Solano. The first person to net the first-of-the-year cabbage white butterfly, Pieris rapae, and win the contest receives a pitcher of beer or its equivalent. It's all part of his scientific research. P. rapae is emerging earlier and earlier as the regional climate has warmed, Shapiro says. (See Bug Squad post)
- Author: Anne Schellman
Summer is here, and so is the Stanislaus County Fair! Our local University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Master Gardener Program volunteers are excited to have a presence at the fair this year. Our bright blue popup tent makes our booth easy to spot in front of the Floriculture building located just inside the fairgrounds near the Arch gate (off 900 North Broadway) in Turlock.
Free Seed Packets
Stop by to talk to our volunteers and ask for a packet of cilantro or CA poppy seeds (while supplies last). Cilantro and poppies thrive during cool weather, so wait to plant seeds until fall.
Have a Pest Problem?
UC IPM Quick Tips cards for common pests are available FREE in English or Spanish on topics like ants, powdery mildew, gophers, cockroaches, mosquitoes, and more!
For more information about the fair, visit the Stanislaus County Fair Website. http://stancofair.com/
/h3>/h3>- Author: Gregory C Ira
I recently came across a national forum thread on iNaturalist where someone was curious to know more about the value of becoming a “certified” naturalist. Not surprisingly, there was a wide range of opinions. These ranged from supportive to skeptical to cynical. Because many of the responses came from people who have not taken a course themselves, I thought it might be valuable to share some data from people who actually completed a course – in this case, the UC California Naturalist course offered by over 60 different organizations around the state.
To summarize the forum discussion, the believers - commonly people who actually have taken a course – found that taking a course was useful for people who were new to an area, had no previous science background, or were looking for ways to connect and engage in volunteer service locally. The skeptics often cited the improbability of becoming a “master” or expert in anything after just taking a short course or the fact that a degree in many science fields would render certification unnecessary. Finally, the more cynical views suggested that certification was just another ploy to separate people from their money.
In California, our End-of-Course Evaluation provides useful insight into why people pursue naturalist certification, as well as their level of satisfaction with the course. The five most commonly cited reasons for pursuing naturalist certification from over 1,000 respondents were: 1) to learn more about the local environment, 2) learn about conservation issues, 3) spend time outside, 4) career development, and 5) meet people with similar interests. Securing the certification ranks sixth out of ten choices and is rarely the driving factor for taking the course.
Regardless of their rationale for taking the course, 72% of those who completed the course were very satisfied with their experience, and 93% were either very or somewhat satisfied. Regarding putting their experience to use, 95% of the respondents indicated that participation in the course improved their capacity to do their volunteer service, and the majority indicated they plan to do more in the coming year. Increasingly, more course participants are looking at the course as a form of professional development, and about 93% indicated that participation in the course improved their capacity to do their work or the work they would like to do in the future. Anecdotally, we find the social learning component of our program and our efforts to create an inclusive community of naturalists to be essential to the high levels of satisfaction and an important factor in sustained engagement.
It's also important to address the skeptical views and challenge the more cynical views of certification. First, no reputable naturalist certification program claims to make expert naturalists in a matter of a dozen weeks. The use of the term “master” naturalist is problematic for that and other reasons, which is why it's not used in our California program. We all agree that expertise is gained over time - often a lifetime - and our program is happy to simply inspire, support, or reinforce that pursuit.
Finally, while we live in a time full of scams, cons, and frauds the suggestion that certification is just a way to separate you from your money really reinforces my view of the debilitating nature of cynicism. Most naturalist certification programs are run on a shoestring budget. Statewide program costs are often supported by land grant universities, non-profits, or state agencies. The registration fees of a typical course are barely enough to cover the costs of the educators who deliver them. State and local programs regularly pursue grants, constantly writing proposals to ensure that cost isn't a barrier to participation. Having worked in this field for several decades now, I can safely say that the course instructors are driven not by profits but by their values and deep sense of purpose.
So, next time someone asks you about that California Naturalist or Climate Stewards pin you have on your hat/backpack/lapel, let them know what certification really means. Embrace their interest, address their skepticism, redirect their cynicism, and invite them to join our community and transform the way they see their environment and their role in protecting it.
/span>- Author: DIANA CERVANTES
En la Escuela Popular en San José, una academia bilingüe (inglés/español) para estudiantes desde kinder hasta el octavo grado, algo emocionante está ocurriendo.
La mañana del 18 de junio, un grupo de estudiantes llegó y se puso en manos de los instructores del programa 4H de la División de Agricultura y Recursos Naturales de la Universida de California (UC ANR). Este día hay dos retos por cumplir: el primero es integrar a los estudiantes en un plan de estudios, y el segundo, servir de ejemplo sobre cómo enseñar a otros instructores a dar los cursos que 4H imparte.
“El propósito de este campamento es compartir todas las actividades con un grupo de jóvenes y, al mismo tiempo, que estas actividades y maneras en que han sido enseñadas hoy en día sirvan como un ejemplo para educadores o profesionales que trabajen en programas después de la escuela, para que ellos o ellas puedan impartir estas lecciones”, explicó Fe Moncloa, asesora emérita de extensión universitaria de UC ANR.
Las actividades que se impartieron provienen del currículom iCode, el cual utiliza tres conceptos: el desarrollo juvenil, la computación y la justicia social. Todas las actividades realizadas en el aula giran en torno a estos temas.
Uno de los estudiantes, John, de 13 años, comentó: “Yo me enteré sobre el campamento por la maestra, ella nos invitó y yo me interesé en los temas que iban a presentar. Me dio curiosidad por saber más; los temas son buenos, es algo que sí me llama la atención”.
Zubia Mahmood es una de las instructoras de 4H. Para Zubia, la clave de una buena instrucción es la adaptación. “Trato de adaptar el currículo para no ofender a nadie y hacerlo fácil y entendible para todos”, explicó Mahmood, quien además utiliza actividades que permiten romper el hielo entre estudiantes, así como entre estudiantes y maestros.
El campamento en la Escuela Popular es un reflejo de cómo la educación puede ser inclusiva y relevante, ofreciendo a los estudiantes no solo conocimientos académicos, sino también habilidades prácticas y una comprensión profunda de temas sociales. Al final del día, tanto los estudiantes como los instructores salieron enriquecidos, llevando consigo nuevas lecciones y experiencias que trascenderán más allá del aula.
- Author: Luis Espino
I have been monitoring some fields in the Glenn and Butte County area the past two week and I have been finding some significant number of armyworms. Defoliation is not noticeable yet, at least not just by looking at the canopy. If you look under the canopy you may see some defoliation. The worms are still small but I have been finding 5 or more worms per square foot. Past research has shown that more than 5 worms per square foot can result in defoliation exceeding 25%.
Armyworms found on June 28, 2024, Butte County
Boxplot of number of larvae per square foot found causing defoliation in seven locations of the Sacramento Valley of California, 2022 and 2023. Numbers above boxes correspond to the number of observations of that level of defoliation.
Make sure you scout your fields closely this upcoming week. Early next week we will know if we are at peak moth flight, which would mean that next week is when we expect the most worm activity.