Posts Tagged: Hopland Research

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.

 

Post-fire research opportunities available at Hopland REC for limited time

On July 27 and 28, the River Fire burned approximately two-thirds of the Hopland Research and Extension Center's 5,358 acres. 

“While this was a dramatic event that did damage parts of the center, none of the main buildings, livestock nor staff were hurt by the fire,” said John Bailey, Hopland REC interim director.

“This event has created a unique opportunity for research,” Bailey said. “With Hopland REC's extensive pre-fire historical data, plus immediate post-fire, pre-rain observations that we intend to collect, we have the foundation to support relevant and timely research on the effects of fire and mechanisms of recovery.”

Scientists are invited to learn more about research opportunities this fall, during a webinar on Sept. 7 and a site tour on Oct. 19. The invitation is open to UC scientists and non-UC scientists.

To register for either or both events, visit https://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=25451.

“We will offer researchers special rates and access to the site over this brief period,” Bailey said. 

Read the Hopland REC blog post at //ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=28037 to learn more about the site and how you can be involved in post-fire research at Hopland REC.

For more information, join the webinar and site visit or contact Bailey at (707) 744-1424 ext 112 or jtbailey@ucanr.edu.

 

 

 

Wildfire impacts ANR community

Dear Colleagues,

There are 19 wildfires threatening communities all over the state and causing concern for our friends and colleagues. We've been in touch with our colleagues in the fire zones and everyone is safe and, as far as we know, no ANR members have lost homes. Here's an update from the affected areas.

In Lake County, the UCCE office is closed and staff members have been evacuated from their homes since Saturday due to the Mendocino Complex fires.

Hopland REC was hit hard by the River Fire. The good news is the evacuation order was lifted Monday and all Hopland Research and Extension Center employees are safe and the headquarter buildings are undamaged. The guard dog that had gone missing has been found. The animals were moved on Friday and all livestock are safe and accounted for. Roughly 2500 acres of the upper pastures burned and the domestic water line from the spring is down. On Friday, Cal Fire set up Incident Command Post at Hopland REC with 6+ engines, three bulldozers and a water tanker. Kudos to John Bailey, superintendent and interim director, and staff for their efforts, which no doubt limited the damage.

UCCE Shasta office is open. Many staff members evacuated due to the massive Carr Fire. Last week, 4-H members helped relocate animals to safety. At least one 4-H family lost their home to the Carr Fire – and 4-H advisor Nate Caeton fears others he hasn't been able to contact in the West Side 4-H Club have lost homes – so the local UCCE staff is reaching out to see how they can help.

UCCE Mendocino office is open. All employees are safe and the office suffered no damage from the Ranch Fire.

UCCE Riverside office is open. A Master Gardener volunteer lost her home in Idyllwild to the Cranston Fire. UCCE Master Gardener coordinator Rosa Olaiz and the rest of the UCCE Riverside County staff are safe and are making plans to assist the volunteer.

UCCE San Bernardino office is open and all staff members are safe from the Cranston Fire.

As the fires are still active, we're continuing to monitor the situation and hope for the best.

Because emergencies can arise without warning, UC ANR Environmental Health and Safety has this Safety Note to help make plans http://safety.ucanr.edu/files/152253.pdf. You can also learn what to do before, during and after a fire at http://cesutter.ucanr.edu/LivingWithFire, a website by Kate Wilkin, UCCE forestry, fire and natural resources advisor for Sutter, Yuba, Butte and Nevada counties.

Thank you all for your hard work and dedication, especially those of you impacted by the fires.

Sincerely,

Glenda Humiston
Vice President

ANR Statewide Conference reaches maximum capacity

If you haven't registered for the ANR Statewide Conference yet, there's no guarantee space will be available. There are 653 people registered, including speakers and UC President's Advisory Commission members (PAC), for the conference being held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Ontario April 9-12.

“At this point, we are accepting applications to attend because we're exceeding capacity of the facility,” said Sherry Cooper, director of Program Support Unit. “New registrations will not be confirmed until you receive an email or phone call confirming your registration, so please wait for confirmation before making travel plans.”

Among those registered are 145 UC Cooperative Extension advisors, 71 UCCE specialists, 26 academic coordinators and administrators, 20 Agricultural Experiment Station faculty members and nearly 350 administrative and programmatic staff.

The President's Advisory Commission will meet on Monday afternoon and PAC members have been invited to stay to hear California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross speak Monday evening, ANR leaders discuss “Charting a Sustainable Future for ANR,” and President Janet Napolitano speak on Tuesday.

The agriculture and natural resources industry leaders who serve on PAC will also join ANR members Tuesday morning to listen to keynote speaker Antwi Akom, UCSF and SFSU professor and founding director of Social Innovation and Urban Opportunity Lab (SOUL) and co-founder and CEO of Streetwyze. His talk is titled “Race, Space, Place and Waste: How Innovation, Education, and Inspiration Can Fearlessly Catalyze California Towards Becoming the World's Leader in Agriculture and Natural Resources Management.”

If you plan to tweet about the ANR Statewide Conference, the hashtag is #UCANRconf2018.

IGIS plans next steps based on program review

In 2017, an ad hoc committee was appointed to carry out ANR's routine five-year statewide program review of our Informatics and Geographic Information Systems (IGIS) Program. Associate Vice President Powers and I extend a thank you to the committee for their time commitment and thoroughness in examining the program and providing recommendations to UC ANR's Program Council (PC). The time and effort of IGIS Director Maggi Kelly and staff to provide information and PC's review of the report and recommendations are also greatly appreciated.

Given limited personnel and a short time since startup, IGIS has made significant contributions throughout ANR. There is a great need for the program within and beyond ANR, and IGIS personnel have shown impressive results in reaching out to the wider ANR community and external partners.

Here is a summary of the direction and next steps I provided to the IGIS Program Director:

• IGIS should focus on expanding capacity and reach with drones and prioritize investing in new technology.
• IGIS will work with the REC Directors to develop a call process to identify science leads who are interested in taking over full ownership of one or more of the flux towers.
• IGIS should discontinue its involvement with cataloguing dark data, but work with ANR Communication Services and Information Technology office (CSIT) to inform ANR academics that digitized documents are available in the ANR repository.
• Associate Vice President Powers and I will meet with Program Director Kelly to further discuss the proposal to re-characterize IGIS from a statewide program to a statewide academic service.
• IGIS will develop a business plan to continue to scale up services that are in demand by UC ANR academics and offer services in a way that decreases reliance on central funds.
• IGIS should update its website to clearly articulate to whom resources and services are available. When IGIS is not able to provide a service, to the degree possible, it should act as a clearing house and refer clients to other providers.
• IGIS should incorporate evaluation methods that focus on the effectiveness of workshops and services and the extent of IGIS' reach.

I look forward to working with IGIS as it pursues these and other opportunities that may arise.

Glenda Humiston
Vice President

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