Posts Tagged: California

New 4-H director to youth: ‘You are worthy and you are valuable’

Holmes brings a lifetime of service, mentorship to California 4-H program

Growing up in rural Alabama, Kimberly Sinclair Holmes – the new statewide director of California 4-H – experienced firsthand the enduring value of youth development programs in a limited-resource environment.

From first grade through seventh, Holmes participated in a summer program hosted by nearby Tuskegee University, a historically Black land-grant university. Every day, Holmes would play sports like kickball and softball, enjoy craft projects, and strengthen the English and math skills she learned in school.

“We didn't necessarily have all the amenities you might have in a more urban setting, so the program allowed us to socialize with friends and keep relatively up-to-date on our skills,” Holmes explained. “We learned something new each week, too.”

In her new role overseeing 4-H across the most populous state in the U.S., Holmes said she aims to ensure that those types of invaluable opportunities are available to all young people. Affiliated with the nationwide youth development program, 4-H in California engages approximately 58,000 youth each year and is administered by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.

“My emphasis is – and will be – on ensuring that every youth in the state of California knows what 4-H is – and how to connect in whatever way is meaningful for them, whether in the traditional club setting, an expanded learning or after-school program, one-day events or online activities,” said Holmes, who started in her director position in July.

Holmes' past shapes her path

As a child, Holmes, whose paternal grandfather was a sharecropper in the Deep South, helped her family grow fruits and vegetables in their garden – that is, when she and her siblings weren't romping through the countryside on the outskirts of Tuskegee, a small town near Montgomery, the capital of Alabama.

“We were either chasing the chickens and turkeys, or the chickens and turkeys were chasing us, depending on the day,” she laughed.

The youngest of eight children, Holmes said she was very much a “daddy's girl” who loved to watch her father tinker with the family automobiles, in the shade of a leafy tree on sweltering 100-degree days.

Holmes' early interest in mechanics and her fix-it mentality shaped her initial academic and career pursuits. After graduating from Tuskegee University with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, she worked as a product systems engineer in the auto industry for about seven years.

As a young professional in Kokomo, Indiana, Holmes got involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters. She was paired with a “little sister” – appropriately named Destiny – and Holmes' experiences helping Destiny navigate the challenges in her life demonstrated the impact that mentorship can have on young people.

“Growing up in a limited-resource rural environment, I was always aware of and tuned into whether the young people coming behind me would have the same opportunities, and the extent to which I might be able to help them,” Holmes said. “The more I received mentoring from professionals who were helping to shape my career, the more compelled I felt to pass that along – to help other young people figure it out.”

After conversations with colleagues and self-reflection on how to make a difference in society, Holmes pivoted from engineering car parts to engineering programs in higher education. She took an administrative job at the University of Texas, Dallas, where she would serve as assistant dean in the School of Engineering and Computer Science, as well as an advisor to five different student organizations on campus.

For that service, Holmes received an award for mentoring from the National GEM Consortium, whose mission is to provide financial support to persons from underrepresented groups who pursue graduate degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-related fields.

Holmes was on her way to a new career in guiding young people through school and life.

Continuing a family legacy of youth service, mentorship

Looking back, Holmes said it was influential elementary school teachers and her own parents who showed her the immense value of a career helping and serving others. Holmes' parents were involved in several ministries and managed a gospel singing group that traveled all over the South.

Following her parents' example, Holmes joined a youth ministry as an undergraduate in college, where she first began talking with local youth about their challenges, frustrations, aspirations and dreams.

“I saw so many young people struggling with their identity and what they could do as a career.  It really troubled me that they were struggling as much as they were,” Holmes said. “I asked myself, ‘What are you doing to help them figure it out?' That's really where it started.”

All along her professional and academic path, Holmes continued to serve as a mentor and guide by having difficult conversations about setting and realizing life goals. After attaining her Ph.D. in public policy/administration from UT Dallas, she progressed through a series of administration roles at higher-education institutions throughout the South.

Holmes eventually landed at Alabama A&M University, where she was serving as assistant Extension director and a 4-H state program leader in the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, prior to joining UC ANR.

A vision for the future of youth development

Like her “shade-tree mechanic” father, Holmes still enjoys tinkering in her free time. She will also apply her engineer's perspective to optimizing 4-H programs in California, which offer young people hands-on experiences on everything from animal sciences to robotics, and from fine arts to programming languages.

While praising the “phenomenal team” of UC Cooperative Extension advisors and educators and 4-H support staff, Holmes will also be looking to build on their innovations.

“There are several strategies you would use to improve, measure and improve efficiencies in an engineering system; but there are also several strategies and processes you would use to measure and improve systems in an organization,” Holmes said. “I think what I bring uniquely to this role is the ability to see and integrate those strategies for even greater organizational effectiveness and growth.”

After listening to and learning from her team across the state, Holmes is eager to develop and calibrate new ways to reach more young people – as the benefits of 4-H are needed more than ever. The concerns of youth she has heard throughout her career are even more pronounced and pressing now.

“It's something I worry about constantly, especially post-pandemic – the data about how our young people are struggling with having positive images of themselves and hope for the future,” Holmes said. “There's a lot of despondency; there's a lot of anxiety; there's the issue of chronic absenteeism; and the number of youth who have now reported a diagnosed mental health disorder is alarmingly high.”

Aside from the myriad life and work skills that 4-H activities can teach young people, participation in 4-H also helps them see, for themselves, their intrinsic worth as a person – outside of external influences such as social media. A sense of belonging within a supportive community, like the one that 4-H cultivates, can guide young people to that truth.

“I want to be absolutely certain you know that you are worthy and you are valuable – you have something to offer, and there's something unique and special about you,” Holmes said. “You have unique gifts and talents that only you can exercise in the world. Because only you can exercise them in the world, it's critically important that – before you give up, give in or give out when the pressures of life weigh on you – you have people around you who will help you through those difficult moments.”

Holmes believes that when communities create spaces in which all youth feel a sense of belonging and are able to connect their interests and abilities with possible careers, young people will make significant progress towards reaching their full potential.

“This achievement will then contribute to a greater quality of life for the youth, as well as communities statewide,” she said.

Webinars explore role of trees in climate change resilience, May 14-16

A free webinar series titled “Trees to the Rescue: Solutions for Climate Change” will be held on May 14-16, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day. The webinars are sponsored by the University of California Thelma Hansen Fund.

“The webinars aim to increase our understanding of the role of trees in mitigating and adapting to climate change, how to plant the right trees and keep them healthy in urban environments, and the challenges of increasing the number of trees at the local level,” said Annemiek Schilder, director of Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center, who is organizing the series. Hansen REC is operated by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Participants will discuss some of the challenges and pitfalls of reforestation, urban greening and tree equity. They will also provide diverse perspectives on tree planting and maintenance efforts and policy at the local level.

“Anyone interested in learning about the importance of trees in urban environments and climate resilience, as well as tree retention in the landscape should join us,” she said.

The agenda for each 90-minute webinar is listed below. To register, visit https://bit.ly/HansenTreesWebinar. 

Tuesday, May 14: Trees as a Tool for Climate Change Mitigation and Resilience

4 p.m. Welcome—Annemiek Schilder, Director of Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center

4:05 p.m. Opening Remarks—Matt LaVere, Ventura County Supervisor District 1

4:10 p.m. Improving Outcomes of Tree Growing and Forest Restoration Efforts—Karen Holl, Professor of Environmental Studies, UC Santa Cruz

4:50 p.m. Climate Resilience through Urban Greening—Edith de Guzman, UC Cooperative Extension Specialist, Water Equity and Adaptation Policy, UCLA

5:30 p.m. Closing—Annemiek Schilder 

Wednesday, May 15: Optimizing Tree Survival in a Changing Climate

4 p.m. Welcome—Emma Volk, Production Horticulture Advisor, UCCE Ventura and Santa Barbara counties

4:05 p.m. Cooling Urban Heat Islands with Climate-Resilient Trees—Janet Hartin, Environmental Horticulture Advisor, UCCE Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties

4:30 p.m. Keeping Trees Healthy from Sapling to Maturity—James Downer, Environmental Horticulture and Plant Pathology Advisor Emeritus, UCCE Ventura County

5:05 p.m. Dealing with the Inevitable Threat of Exotic and Invasive Pests—John Kabashima, Environmental Horticulture Advisor Emeritus, UCCE Orange County

5:30 p.m. Closing—Emma Volk 

Thursday, May 16: Tree Advocacy and Planning at the Local Level

4 p.m. Welcome—Julie Clark, Natural Resources Community Education Specialist, UCCE Ventura County

4:05 p.m. Native Tree Restoration with Partners and the Public—Joey Algiers, Restoration Ecologist, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

4:30 p.m. Panel Discussion (Joey Algiers, moderator):

• Joey Algiers, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
• Mireille Vargas, County of Ventura Sustainability Division
• Mikaela Randolph, Green Schoolyards America
• Jan Scow, Registered Consulting Arborist, Ojai Valley
• Max Young, Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council

5:30 p.m. Closing—Julie Clark

 

New UC California Naturalists inspire care for nature in San Diego County

Nearly 200 residents trained in past seven years by program, a part of UC Environmental Stewards  

On one of her darkest days, Tammah Watts stood in front of her kitchen sink to fill a pitcher of water. Outside of her window, the San Marcos resident noticed a flutter in the distance. She spotted a small yellow bird emerge from the tree and her eyes grew in admiration.

Bird-watching from her kitchen window became an escape for Watts while she was temporarily homebound after a surgery. It's where she found connection beyond the interior space of her home.

“I started noticing other birds that had always been there. The yard didn't change, but my mind and my perspective did,” she said.

Eager to learn more and expose others to her new hobby and its healing power, Watts joined the University of California Environmental Stewards program, a statewide program housed under UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, to become a certified California Naturalist.

The program offers two environmental education certification courses: the California Naturalist course, which introduces people to the wonders of California's unique ecology and engages the public in the study and stewardship of the state's natural communities, and a separate Climate Stewards course.

One of the many strengths of the program is that it allows people from diverse backgrounds to find common ground in nature even if how they became interested varies, said Eliot Freutel, a community education specialist for the UC Environmental Stewards program in Southern California.

 “Our partners that help us administer the course are organizations that already have access to the public and provide informal science education, such as natural history museums or Audubon societies,” Freutel added.

Welcoming a new cohort of environmental stewards

In early March, the longest-standing California Naturalist course in San Diego County graduated 25 new members, Watts being one of them, under Karen Merrill and Paige DeCino's instruction. For seven years, Merrill and DeCino have served as co-instructors at the Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center in Oceanside and graduated 166 members prior to their most recent and final class.

Transitioning into retirement, DeCino and Merrill reflected on their seven years of service and are proud to see younger and more diverse faces join the California Naturalist program. Tucker Shelton, who recently graduated alongside his mom, is among the few young people who have joined the program over the years. A love for nature began when Shelton discovered tide pools when he was just a boy. At 14 years old, Shelton wants to inspire a generation of youth with a passion and care for nature.

“When you're younger and your brain is still developing, you're the most interested in new things. If you find a passion at a young age, you'll most likely grow up with it becoming a part of you,” said Tucker, whose capstone project focuses on an essay about the endangered Townsend's big-eared bat and uses stamp art to raise awareness. His art will be featured and sold at an upcoming exhibit and all proceeds will be donated to the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve in Julian.

Hannah Marquez, another recent graduate, was born and raised in San Diego. She values its cultural diversity and believes connecting the public to nature begins with language. In working with Tecolote Canyon Natural Park and Nature Center in Mission Valley to establish an updated native plant library, Marquez is providing relevant information and resources in English and Spanish.

“A lot of people aren't comfortable using technology, and relying on Google Translate isn't going to cut it,” said Marquez, adding that her parents' limited English inspired this project.

Marquez hopes to interest more people in growing native plants in their backyard and believes accessible information is the first step to doing so.

“This has been so rewarding for us,” said Merrill. “Typically, our students are already involved in the community, but for those who aren't, it's amazing to see them become a part of the community and engage in a way that they haven't before.”

DeCino agreed and said that she really hopes to find new instructors to keep the momentum of California Naturalists in San Diego County alive. “Even though we're retiring, we'll still be around here and there, but its important to us that we pass the torch,” DeCino said.

The future of California Naturalists in San Diego County

What's next for San Diego County, you ask?

“We definitely want to expand in the area. But right now, we're looking for alums who are interested in taking over the program held at Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center,” Freutel said. “I'm also hoping to secure more partnerships throughout San Diego County so that the course is offered in various places, not just North County, which can lead to accessibility concerns.”

Like other students, Marquez commuted an hour, each way, to participate in the UC Environmental Stewards program. “It's a worthwhile course, one that helps people have a positive impact in their own community,” said Freutel. 

For Watts, helping people find healing and connection to the world around them – an experience her book, a guide to the powerful healing of bird-watching, discusses – is a priority. “It's not just about watching birds,” she said. “It's about noticing the tree the bird lives in, and the ground the tree is growing in.” 

During a nature walk that Watts led for a group of kids, she noticed two sets of footprints in the dirt. Immediately, she could differentiate the two. “One belonged to a raccoon and the other belonged to a deer,” Watts said. “I was so excited that I could tell them apart, and I promise I didn't know this before taking the CalNat course.”

To learn how you can join the UC Environmental Stewards program and become a California Naturalist or Climate Steward, visit: https://calnat.ucanr.edu/Take_a_class/

$1.7M granted for climate-smart planning led by UC ANR scientists

In California, natural and working lands make up 95 million acres of the state and play a vital role in building resilience to the impacts of climate change. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources was awarded $1.7 million for the California Next Generation and Equitable Climate Action Plan, as part of the state's Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy and California's 30x30 Initiative, an effort to conserve 30% of the state's lands and coastal waters by 2030.

Natural and working lands include both unmanaged and managed areas actively used for agriculture, forestry or production purposes.

Chandra Richards, UC Cooperative Extension agricultural land acquisitions academic coordinator for Southern California, and Cristina Murillo-Barrick, UCCE's Black, Indigenous and People of Color community development advisor for the Bay Area, are leading the California Next Generation and Equitable Climate Action Plan project.

To build capacity and technical assistance for climate-smart action planning, Richards and Murillo-Barrick will use the Climate Smart Land Management Program funding, awarded through the California Department of Conservation, to focus on two of the most pressing climate action issues: equitable land access and land management diversification.

According to the 2022 U.S. Department of Agriculture census, demographic data indicates that California agricultural land ownership and production is concentrated within an aging and mostly White demographic. However, research suggests diverse management practices promote healthy landscapes. This has been shown to benefit the environment, human health and climate resilience in multiple ways.

For this reason, this project centers on “historically underrepresented communities,” a term that includes California Native American Tribes, communities of color, landless farmers, immigrant and non-English speaking communities and other agency-designated minority groups (racial, ethnic and non-male groups, socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and California designated severely disadvantaged communities).

Focusing on Southern California, UC Cooperative Extension scientists will identify barriers to land access, management and opportunities to increase land manager diversity. They also will engage historically underrepresented communities in coalition building, capacity assessment and climate action planning.

Within the last few decades, Californians have faced increased ecosystem stressors and decreasing diversity of natural systems. This pattern continues to damage already-vulnerable communities (disproportionately historically underrepresented communities), while also worsening and intensifying climate impacts, including drought, wildfire, flooding and disease. Overcoming these kinds of systemic and structural challenges will require the next generation of land managers to reflect California equitably, while preparing them to take on climate resilience. The project will determine clear solutions and plans that enable long-term, strategic land use and protection.

To do this work, UCCE is collaborating with the Community Alliance with Family Farms (CAFF), California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD) and the California Bountiful Foundation, all of whom serve as subgrantees and will deepen connections with communities.

Organizations like CARCD have long served as “boots on the ground” personnel and have close relationships with landowners and land managers. “RCDs have been hearing the land equity need for a long time and are actively collaborating with different partners to tackle this pressing issue,” said Qi Zhou, program manager of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at CARCD and member of the Strategic Growth Council Land Equity Task Force.

“California RCDs are excited about this project because it will allow major California agriculture and conservation partners to collaboratively develop plans and implement projects centering on equity land access and land management diversification,” Zhou added.

Project lead Richards said $270,000 of the grant will be reserved for new partnerships with organizations in Southern California that have experience with, and strong ties to, historically underserved communities.

UC ANR is collaborating with the California Department of Food and Agriculture as well as California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN), and World Be Well, a Southern California nonprofit.

Tawny Mata, CDFA's director of the Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation, described technical assistance providers as being grounded in their local agricultural communities and recognized their importance to partners in the success of CDFA's incentive programs.

“When we do succeed in reaching historically underserved farmers and ranchers with our grant programs, it is often with the thoughtful support and planning of a technical assistance provider,” Mata said. “I look forward to this project helping us refine our own technical assistance funding programs and bringing technical assistance providers together to network and share best practices for improving land access and promoting climate-smart agriculture.”

“The successes of this project will elevate the voices of historically underrepresented communities, strengthening efforts in these communities to support climate action,” said Richards. Additionally, the project will increase sharing of regional reports, needs assessments and community plans surrounding climate-smart management practices. Finally, it will boost technical assistance for these groups specifically.

To learn more about the  Climate Smart Land Management Program and this year's awardees, visit:

https://www.conservation.ca.gov/index/Pages/News/California-award-8-5-million-climate-action-natural-working-lands.aspx.

UC Master Gardeners of San Diego celebrates 40 years of service to community

For 40 years, the University of California Master Gardener Program of San Diego County has upheld its mission of providing research-based information about home horticulture and pest management to the public, while earning and sustaining the community's trust in doing so.

“People trust UC Master Gardeners to provide accurate advice on gardening because they are trained by UC ANR [UC Agriculture and Natural Resources],” said Vincent Lazaneo, emeritus urban horticulture advisor and the first UC Master Gardener program coordinator for San Diego County.

The UC Master Gardener program, a public service and outreach program under UC ANR, is administered by local UC Cooperative Extension offices and outreach is provided by trained volunteers.  In 1983, the UC Master Gardener program of San Diego County started with about 30 volunteers. Today, more than 350 volunteers serve the program, which is now managed by program coordinator Leah Taylor.

In San Diego, UC Master Gardeners have had a significant presence in schools, where they encourage an appreciation for plants and our planet; at the county fair where they field hundreds of questions related to plant care; and in community spaces such as Balboa Park and the Carlsbad Flower Fields where they staff demonstration gardens.

“Having the UC behind us is huge,” said Anne Perreira, UC Master Gardener and current president of the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County. “It opens doors for us and gives us credibility.”

'Dual citizenship' status expands capacity for support

When Lazaneo started the UC Master Gardener program in 1983, he felt the need to establish a formal association or 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that would support the program.

Unsure of what the future held, Lazaneo believed that nonprofit status would increase the UC Master Gardeners' flexibility regarding project development, community engagement and financial planning. After 10 years, the UC Master Gardeners of San Diego County were approved as a registered nonprofit organization and became simultaneously known as the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County.

“It can be confusing for people when they hear that we're a UC program and an association,” explained Taylor. “It's like ‘dual citizenship' in a way, and I think the most important thing to know is that our status as a nonprofit and affiliation to UC work in conjunction to not only support the UC Master Gardeners and what they do in San Diego, but their ability to support UC Master Gardener programs in other counties.”

Emphasizing the research-based approach

Taylor, who has been the program coordinator since 2021, said that the UC Master Gardener program is instrumental in extending the work of UCCE advisors. “If you're working on research and you need to get that information out into the public, we've got 350 UC Master Gardeners who are trained and available to communicate on your behalf,” Taylor said.

“For me it's like a multiplier effect: how many San Diegans can I reach by teaching a seminar on small-scale hydroponics? Maybe 20 or 30,” said Gerry Spinelli, UC Cooperative Extension production horticulture advisor for San Diego County. “But how many can I reach by training 20 or 30 UC Master Gardener volunteers on the same topic? Maybe 200 or 300.”

Spinelli, who also advises the UC Master Gardeners for San Diego County, said that the group has been instrumental in data collection and disseminating information to the public, particularly in urban underserved areas.

Lazaneo recalls the UC Master Gardeners establishing a partnership in 1983 with Cuyamaca College in El Cajon. The college's Horticulture Department allowed the UC Master Gardeners to develop a research garden on campus. After setting a perimeter, building a fence, installing irrigation lines and rototilling the soil, the UC Master Gardeners planted different tomato varieties that were used in a statewide study assessing plant performance for home gardens.

In addition to educating and equipping the public, the UC Master Gardeners of San Diego County have contributed to research efforts on specific crops, including the development of a new artichoke variety, Imperial Star, with guidance from Wayne Schrader, former UCCE vegetable crops advisor for San Diego County. 

The research garden, which was used for more than a decade, also aided in research efforts evaluating asparagus varieties, horned cucumbers called “Kiwano,” a fruit similar to melon called pepino dulce, sweet peas, rhubarb and many others. Similarly, the research garden has contributed to trials for soil solarization and chemical treatment to control root knot nematodes and expanded understanding of powdery mildew's impact on summer squash.

Evolving with the times

Out of 170 applications, Lazaneo selected about 30 individuals to be a part of the first class of UC Master Gardeners for San Diego County. Carol Graham, who is still active today, was in the original cohort that formed in 1983.

Graham said that “times have certainly changed,” and one of the changes she's noticed since joining UC Master Gardeners is the proliferation of insects. “I don't remember pests being a severe issue when I first started. Now, you've got all kinds of bugs that have moved into the county, causing people to overuse and misuse pesticides,” said Graham.

Graham's 40 years as a UC Master Gardener have given her an opportunity to teach people how to overcome their phobias of bugs and how to use pesticides safely and appropriately. Furthermore, her role as a UC Master Gardener has allowed her to teach others how to grow their own food in hopes of enhancing food security in the county, something she cares deeply about.

The UC Master Gardeners also have changed the way they communicate over the years. DeLayne Harmon, vice president of member services, is well-versed in the program's history.

“Before we began tracking our volunteer hours online, do you know what the UC Master Gardeners did back in the day?” asked Harmon, who joined UC Master Gardeners in 2020. “They wrote everything down by hand, with pen and paper!”

“It's easy to have the mentality that's like, ‘This is how we've always done things,'” said Harmon. “But the UC Master Gardeners know that there is always room for improvement, and we welcome opportunities to be better.”

Giving back and putting people first

The UC Master Gardeners of San Diego County are eager to improve access to fresh food in schools. Recently, the UC Master Gardeners were given a $5,000 grant by the Sage Garden Project, which will be used to partner with schools in under-resourced communities.

“We want to be in places where the people don't know about UC Master Gardeners,” said Perreira, the association president. “We realized that there are a lot of students who don't know what fresh food looks like and we want to change that.”

In 2022, the UC Master Gardeners transformed a landfill into a demonstration garden, now called the Paradise Hills Native Garden, which they also maintain. “It's beautiful and there are walking trails for the community to enjoy,” Taylor said. “The native garden is in a neighborhood that doesn't have a lot of green space, and to have something so beautiful, that encourages community gatherings, it's a good thing.” 

Looking to the future of the UC Master Gardener program in San Diego, Taylor says that she wants to continue making an impact in the community and having the UC Master Gardeners be that driving force.

Grateful for Taylor's leadership, Spinelli said that he is excited about the program's impact on food education, particularly in food deserts.

“We are blessed with a climate that allows year-round food production, and with the science-based knowledge offered by the UC system, our UC Master Gardeners can provide San Diego County residents with the tools to grow local, healthy, nutritious, safe and environmentally friendly food for their families,” Spinelli said.

When reflecting on how far the UC Master Gardeners of San Diego County have come, Perreira – who has been a UC Master Gardener since 2016 – emphasized how important it is to continue their legacy of doing good in and with the community. “We've got a diversity of skills within our group and I'm ready for us to expand our capacity to create change. What we do and what we say have to mean something!” she said.

To read this story in Spanish, visit: https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=59028

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