Posts Tagged: video

Interested in exchanging video ideas?

Jeff Mitchell thinks video is an important tool to teach and inspire. His videos have elicited tens of thousands of views with comments from viewers all over the world.

ANR offers online training on how to make videos. To further hone video-production techniques, Jeff Mitchell, UCCE specialist, is wondering if ANR colleagues would be interested in an informal way to exchange ideas.  

“I am talking about an active, quick-fire workgroup of similarly interested folks who could share tips and skills,” Mitchell said. While he doesn't have a specific communications mechanism in mind, Mitchell would like to hear from others who would like to share techniques about video production. If you're interested, please contact Mitchell at jpmitchell@ucdavis.edu. 

In the Frontiers in Communication article “Why Should Scientists be on YouTube? It's all About Bamboo, Oil and Ice Cream,” USDA-ARS scientist Eric Brennan writes, “DIY videos are not a silver bullet that will automatically improve science communication, but they can help scientists to 1) reflect on and improve their communications skills, 2) tell stories about their research with interesting visuals that augment their peer-reviewed papers, 3) efficiently connect with and inspire broad audiences including future scientists, 4) increase scientific literacy, and 5) reduce misinformation.” 

Brennan and Douglas Gayeton, creative leader of The Lexicon of Sustainability, recently joined Mitchell to give a presentation to ANR communicators on the use of video in science communication. Brennan, a research horticulturist in organic systems, noted that while his peer-reviewed journal articles may get a couple dozen citations, videos about his research get as many as 200,000 views. To view a recording of the presentations, visit https://youtu.be/FXxvbHV7Ois.

Strategic Initiative Brief: Virtual consultations, food system resiliency, growing reach

Unify-Communicate-Advocate

June - sharing skills 

Want to try a virtual consultation? 

Save time, get the job done and keep safe by consulting virtually. Here are some notes from Dan Macon on virtual consultations. Please send any related tips or other suggestions to Mark Bell. 

Food System Resiliency Webinar Series begins July 14

Join the Sustainable Food Systems and Healthy Families and Communities Strategic Initiative leaders for the Food Systems Resiliency Webinar Series taking place on the second and fourth Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., beginning July 14. 

Webinar presentations will provide up-to-date information and identify resources available for UC ANR and community partners. Ample time will be used for questions and answers, identification of information gaps and connecting people with like interests. 

Food system resiliency will be viewed through food safety, California food systems partnerships and resources and Victory Gardens Then and Now to name a few.  Other perspectives include input from growers, ranchers, shippers, marketing, consumers, farmers markets, CSAs, families and youth.  If you are interested in submitting a panel proposal, link to https://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=30391.

July 14, 10 a.m. – Food safety and COVID-19 presented by Erin DiCaprio and Alda Pires

This webinar introduces food safety concerns that have arisen during COVID-10 pandemic. Useful videos, websites and access to print materials will be shared. Additional information on consumer food and garden safety will be shared that have broad application beyond the current pandemic.

Register at http://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=30589.

July 28, 10 a.m. – California Food systems: Partnerships and Resources.  

Please join moderator Kamal Khaira, UC CalFresh director, as we learn more about programs, resources and services that can support children and families during this unprecedented time. The main topics will cover ways to secure benefits and access nutritious foods. Speakers include: 

• Brian Kaiser, California Department of Social Services bureau chief for CalFresh and Nutrition Program Family Engagement and Empowerment Division
• Andy Naja-Riese, CEO Agricultural Institute of Marin
• Leyla Marandi, program manager for California Food for California Kids Center for Ecoliteracy

Register at http://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=30590.

More information will be posted at https://ucanr.edu/sites/Professional_Development/Monthly_WebANRs.

Growing reach - "Owning YouTube"

Thank you to the more than 180 individuals who participated in the recent four-part video training series. If you missed the training, it is available online. More than 40 UC ANR staff and academics, who participated in the training, accessed funding provided to purchase equipment and software. 

The pipeline for submitting your how-to video productions and having them posted on ANR's main YouTube channels (UCANR and UCANRSpanish) is open for business. Be on the lookout for an ANR how-to video contest in the coming year.

Let us know what skills or tips you found useful and what more you'd like to learn. 

For more on the SIs and their activities, contact:

Jim Farrar (EIPD)

David Lewis (Water)

David Lile (SNE)

Deanne Meyer (SFS)

Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty (HFC)

Mark Bell (Strategic Initiatives and Statewide Programs)

Strategic Initiative Brief: video clinics, Knowledge Stream & thematic websites

Strategic Initiatives leaders will host workshops to create "how-to" videos.

Our digital journey: progress on video clinics, the Knowledge Stream blog and thematic websites.

Video clinics moving ahead - interested? 

Stay tuned for two Strategic Initiative-sponsored "how to" video clinics in April - one in the north and one in the south. We expect to train around 20 participants per clinic. 

What next? 5 steps to increased impact:

Step 1: an email to all from the SI leaders inviting indications of interest to participate 

Step 2: a pre-clinic webinar to learn the basics of storyboarding, branding, titling and describing videos, and more (applicable to all) 

Step 3: two days of hands-on experience, working with others on how to produce 1-5 minute branded “how-to” videos

Step 4: development of an online course and other resources to support on-going video production 

Step 5: people share with colleagues, using what they learn and upload. Best practices for uploading to the UC ANR YouTube channel (Strategic Communications will begin some serious curating and reorganization of our YouTube channel to facilitate discoverability of content). 

Currently available resources (please share if you have other good resources):

Strat Comm communications toolkit. 

For more information about the video clinics, Contact David Lile and David Lewis

Trivia Question: What is our top-viewed video with more than 1.5 million views? 

(Answer: Bed Bugs in Spanish)

Knowledge Stream blog and thematic websites

Join the movement: contribute!

The Knowledge Stream helps people find practical, "how-to" information. Submit a short story (200-800 words with picture and URL links) here. Stories will appear in the Knowledge Stream Blog and in the main web site Focus Areas. Stories may also appear on the home page tiles and in social media posts.

Focused, thematic websites like the UC IPM site are effective in delivering research-based, how-to information. Two other thematic sites are being further developed: Fire and Healthy Soils. Feedback and suggestions welcome. Please also share your suggestions for other potential thematic sites with the SI leaders. 

For more:

Fire: Max Moritz or Ricky Satomi

Soils: Mark Bell

SI leadership team: 

• Jim Farrar (EIPD)
• David Lewis (Water)
• David Lile (SNE)
• Deanne Meyer (SFS)
• Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty (HFC)
• Mark Bell (Strategic Initiatives and Statewide Programs)

PAC discusses strategic plan and urban agriculture

At the recent President’s Advisory Commission meeting, President Napolitano praised UC ANR’s work in “areas of critical importance.”

Downtown Oakland was the site of the biannual UC President's Advisory Commission on Agriculture and Natural Resources (PAC) meeting on Aug. 9, which included a Q&A session with President Napolitano, program presentations from UC Cooperative Extension county directors Rob Bennaton and Igor Lacan, and updates from deans Helene Dillard (UC Davis), Keith Gilless (UC Berkeley) and Kathryn Uhrich (UC Riverside), as well as Executive Associate Dean John Pascoe (filling in for Dean Michael Lairmore, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine). 

In her opening remarks, UC ANR Vice President Glenda Humiston introduced Mark Bell, the division's new vice provost for statewide programs and strategic initiatives. Bell spoke about the strength of the UC system, the diversity of programs offered by UC ANR statewide, and his plans to leverage the strong volunteer and staff base of programs like UC Master Gardeners and 4-H.

Humiston also offered updates on the division's strategic plan and the significant progress made in implementing its key goals. Associate Vice President Tu Tran then gave a presentation on the division's financial situation, which he titled “A Fiscal Plan for Success.” Tran addressed UC ANR's place in the state budget and its revenue projections through FY 2021-22, which includes significant growth in major gifts and fundraising.

Jerry Lohr, right, congratulated fellow PAC member Grant Davis on his new position as director of the state Department of Water Resources.

Bennaton and Lacan both gave spirited and enthusiastic presentations that were received well. Bennaton, who serves as county director for Alameda and Contra Costa counties as well as UCCE urban agriculture advisor for the Bay Area, discussed the benefits of urban agriculture and the assortment of activities going on in community development, habitat restoration and youth programming.

Lacan, also a UCCE environmental horticulture advisor for the Bay Area and co-director in San Mateo and San Francisco counties, talked about the diverse and richly rewarding work he spearheads in urban forestry. His work currently focuses on sustainable management of urban trees and urban water.

During a Q&A period, the president engaged PAC members on various issues such as potential public-private partnerships that could involve UC ANR, targeted approaches to advocacy and deferred maintenance needs for UC writ large but also for UC ANR and its research and extension centers system, specifically.

The deans gave updates on research and activities occurring at their respective colleges and school.

The next PAC meeting is scheduled for December, also in Oakland. 

Travel funds available for UCCE specialists, AES faculty to collaborate with off-campus ANR academics

ANR will be making additional travel support available for UC Cooperative Extension specialists to collaborate with ANR academics off-campus, including UCCE advisors in the counties and ANR academics at the RECs in fiscal year 2017/18.

With the level of funds available, each specialist may apply for up to $2,500 for FY 2017/18 (travel reports must be submitted within 45 days of travel, and funds must be expended by June 30, 2018). These travel funds must be utilized by the UCCE specialists only and cannot be used for out-of-state travel.

UC ANR values the work of AES faculty across the three partner campuses. As the recognized lead for the California Agriculture Experiment Station, UC ANR receives federal Hatch funds to support the AES mission and distributes those funds to the three partner campuses to manage and support AES faculty. In recognition of the importance of the partnership between UC ANR academics and AES faculty, UC ANR is expanding the travel support program to include AES faculty as part of a pilot program. Upon completion of a request, UC ANR will support travel by AES faculty to meet and work with UC ANR county-based or REC-based academics. Support is limited to $1,000 per AES faculty member with a cap on the total pool of funds available set at $25,000 for FY17-18. Additional support may be available through the campuses; AES faculty should consult their departments or colleges to determine if additional support is available. Travel support must be used by the AES faculty member for his/her own travel to plan and execute research or present research findings at meetings hosted by UC ANR academics.

Completing a short online survey is the only step to apply for these funds.

A brief survey form is accessible from your ANR Portal. The direct link is http://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=18400. The survey asks 

•        Name and title of specialist requesting support

•        Project/Program name

•        Brief project description (one paragraph)

•        Collaborating advisors

There is no deadline for applications for these travel funds, but they must be expended in the fiscal year 2017/18.

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