Posts Tagged: March-April 2019

Hopland REC calls for research proposals

The Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC) is soliciting proposals for new research and extension projects for the period July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020. The center provides research project access to 5,358 acres of Northern California Coast Range landscape which, unlike the UC Natural Reserve System, can be manipulated to provide field conditions matching research needs. This setting provides a rich, diversified opportunity for natural resources and agricultural research and extension programs, especially on topics pertinent to oak woodlands and rangelands of the central and northern coast of California.

Research proposals must be submitted through http://hrec.ucanr.edu/Research/Submitting_a_Proposal. The deadline to submit a research proposal is May 17, 2019. 2019-2020 Research Rates can be found at http://hrec.ucanr.edu/Research/Current_Research_Rates.

Among the highlights of HREC are:

• A wide variety of elevations from 600 feet to 3000 feet with four principle vegetation types (grass, woodland-grass, dense woodland, and chaparral) interspersed with riparian corridors around natural springs and ponds and seasonal vernal pools. HREC also has 25 acres of irrigated pasture.
• A rich flora and fauna including more than 600 plant and 300 animal species. HREC also has one of the most intensively studied resident herds of Columbian black-tailed deer on the West Coast.
• A variety of land management regimes across a mosaic of pastures, from heavily grazed by our sheep flock to biological reserves not grazed since the 1950s, from areas which have not seen fire in decades to a wide swath burned by wildfire in July/August of 2018.
• A staff skilled in a wide variety of agricultural techniques and methods, from animal husbandry and wildlife management to irrigation and equipment fabrication, all available to assist with project tasks.
• A rich vault of previous research to reference for past data, particularly in the fields of plant and animal science, ecology, hydrology, entomology, fire science, and natural resource management.
• An extensive, well maintained road network which provides easy access to most of the center lands.

• A conference hall for larger group events, a field lab, a newly renovated lab, a greenhouse, a large lysimeter, fully equipped shops for fabricating or repairing equipment, a fleet of vehicles and agricultural equipment to use at the center, and various warehouses available for equipment and sample storage.
• Accommodations for longer visits, ranging from dormitory-style bunkhouse to private houses. Hopland REC also has fiber optic high-speed internet and wifi service throughout its headquarters area.

Potential researchers should direct questions to John Bailey, Hopland REC director, at jtbailey@ucanr.edu.

 

Employee comment sought on academic freedom, responsibilities of non-faculty academics

The University invites comments on a proposed new Academic Personnel Manual Section 011 (APM - 011), Academic Freedom, Protection of Professional Standards, and Responsibilities of Non-Faculty Academic Appointees. 

Currently, APM - 010 (Academic Freedom) defines academic freedom as it pertains to faculty and defines the freedom of scholarly inquiry for students, as it derives from the faculty's academic freedom. APM - 015 (The Faculty Code of Conduct) defines the corresponding responsibilities as it pertains to faculty only. Although APM - 010 states that it is not intended to “diminish the rights and responsibilities enjoyed by other academic appointees,” APM - 010 and APM - 015 do not address how these concepts apply or do not apply to non-faculty academic appointees. The proposed new policy is intended to address the academic privileges, rights, obligations, and responsibilities of non-faculty academic appointees.

The proposed new APM - 011, Academic Freedom, Protection of Professional Standards, and Responsibilities of Non-Faculty Academic Appointees, is posted at: https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/academic-personnel-policy/policies-under-review/apm-011.html.

If you have any questions or if you wish to comment, please contact Robin Sanchez at rgsanchez@ucanr.edu, no later than July 1, 2019.

UC ANR Staff Assembly launched Healthy Meeting Best Practices

To create a culture of health and wellness at UC ANR, the Staff Assembly Wellness Committee crafted an infographic to make it easy for staff and academics to adopt healthful practices at meetings. A pdf version of the "Healthy Meeting Best Practices" may be downloaded from the Staff Assembly website and printed on demand. 

The best practices, reviewed and approved by Lorrene Ritchie, director of UCANR's Nutrition Policy Institute, are based on the comprehensive UC Living Well Healthy Meeting and Event Guide, which is also available for download on the Staff Assembly website.

In short, the wellness committee is encouraging all meeting planners to

o   incorporate movement in the meeting agenda

o   serve water – preferably from the tap in reusable pitchers

o   focus on fruits, veggies and whole grains if meals or refreshments are provided

o   cut back on the use of disposable items (like plastic cups and cutlery)

To get the guidelines into everybody's hands, the committee has printed the best practices on cleaning cloths – the kind you can use for eyeglasses, your cell phone or computer monitor. Your staff assembly ambassador distributed the cloths at each UC ANR location. If you don't know who your ambassador is, check the list on the Staff Assembly website. 

The Wellness Committee promoted the implementation of Healthy Meeting Best Practices with a competition April 1 - 18. Pictures of healthy meeting best practices were shared on social media with the hashtag #UCANRhealthymeeting. The San Bernardino County Master Gardener program tweeted the winning picture, a mini video which showed six staff members exercising with hula hoops and tension bands. The office won a pitcher for serving infused water.

If you have questions or comments about the Healthy Meeting Best Practices or the April competition, please fill out the form on the SA Council Healthy Meeting Best Practices page. 

Help shape the next EcoFarm Conference

The 40th EcoFarm Conference takes place Jan. 22-25, 2020. The Ecological Farming Association (EcoFarm) is a nonprofit educational organization whose mission is to nurture safe, healthy, just and ecologically sustainable farms, food systems and communities by bringing people together for education, alliance building, advocacy and celebration.  

EcoFarm has grown into a broad network of grassroots leadership and has facilitated an exchange of knowledge for over 60,000 people. Held annually at Asilomar Conference Grounds, the event attracts hundreds of organic farmers from across the country. 

EcoFarm wants to hear your ideas for workshops, speakers and films to be featured at the 2020 conference. This is chance to present your work to a dedicated audience. Workshop/Speaker/Film proposals will be collected through June 1, 2019.  

In memoriam: Dennis Teeguarden

Dennis Teeguarden, professor emeritus of forest economics in the UC Berkeley Department of Environment Science, Policy and Management, passed away at home in Richland, Wash., on Feb. 21. He was 88.

After serving in the U.S. Navy, Teeguarden earned his Master of Forestry degree and Ph.D. in agricultural and resource economics at UC Berkeley, then immediately joined its faculty and went on to become an internationally recognized scholar in the field of forest economics. He served as chair of the UC Berkeley Department of Forestry and Resource Management and then as associate dean of the College of Natural Resources.

“He set a high standard for all of us with respect to fairness and civility, concern for students and junior faculty, and professional engagement beyond the boundaries of the campus,” said Keith Gilless, UC Berkeley professor of forest economics. “I benefited a great deal from his support and advice throughout my own career.”

Teeguarden served as a consultant to industry and government, including the National Park Service, the California Forestry Protective Association, the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, the U.S. Forest Service, and the California State Legislature.

“Of particular note was his service as a member of the Committee of Scientists formed to assist in the development of the federal regulations to implement the National Forest Management Act of 1976,” wrote Gilless. “The act, which was passed in the aftermath of the Monongahela judicial decision regarding harvesting, curtailed clearcutting on national forests. Teeguarden's impact on the Committee's recommendations was profound, reflecting his belief in the value of rigorous financial analysis in support of sustainable management to provide recreation, water, wildlife, and other forest ecosystem benefits to current and future generations.”

Teeguarden co-authored “Forest Resource Management: Decision-making Principles and Cases,” a major textbook on forest-resource management. He was a fellow of the Society of American Foresters and a member of the Western Forest Economists, the California Wildfowl Association, and Ducks Unlimited.

He is survived by his wife Sally Annette Gleason, sister Judith Ruth Moyle, children Jason Teeguarden, Julie Pebworth and Justin Teeguarden, and grandchildren Sagan, Soren and Sebastian Teeguarden.

Teeguarden earned a bachelor's degree in forestry from Michigan Technological University in 1953, and his affection for hisalma mater led him to serve in retirement on that institutions Board of Trustees. The family suggests that donations in Teeguarden's name can be made to the Michigan Tech Alumni Endowed Scholarship fund (#5001) by sending a check to Erin Froese, The School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, MI 49931  

A veterans memorial service will be held on May 4, 2019, in Richland, Wash. 

Read more about Teeguarden's career at https://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu/news/2019/03/memoriam-dennis-earl-teeguarden.

 

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