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University of California
ANR Employees

UC ANR 2020 Annual Report highlights impacts during COVID crisis

 

UC ANR's 2020 Annual Report is now live! The Program Planning and Evaluation unit collaborated with UC ANR academics, specialists, program staff, and Strategic Communications to compile the annual report with over 50 vignettes that highlight the statewide impact of our organization during an extraordinary year. 

 

The report illustrates many of the ways that UC ANR pivoted work to adapt to social distancing policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, 4-H advisors and staff created unique distance-learning opportunities for youth to learn about the natural world and participate in community service. UCCE advisors provided small-scale farms with technical assistance on COVID-19 safety and applying for emergency grants. Several statewide programs engaged in food-security initiatives that enhanced access to fresh produce at food banks and increased electronic benefit transfer (EBT) use at farmers markets.

 

 

UCCE small farms team in Fresno County partnered with Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries to ease accessibility to COVID-19 vaccine shots and safety signs for Southeast Asian farmers and farmworkers.

UC ANR maintained its work on critical issues affecting Californians, including drought, wildfires, and climate resilience. UCCE academics led landowners and community organizations in adopt prescribed-fire tactics that reduce fuels and generated new knowledge about wildfire impacts on wildlife communities and post-fire mudslide risks. Others helped improve water efficiency and security for alfalfa growers in the Colorado Basin through innovative irrigation methods and introduced new findings on using species variations that better tolerate drought conditions for key crops like avocado, citrus, and grapes.

 

Programs such as UC Master Gardener and UC California Naturalist underwent organizational reflection on racial justice, strengthened efforts to increase the diversity of program volunteers, staff and participants, and worked to improve accessibility and cultural relevance for all Californians.

 

The annual report stories are organized by UC ANR's public values, demonstrating the organization's vision to improve the lives of all 40 million residents in California. If you have any questions about the annual report, please contact Leyla Marandi at leyla.marandi@ucop.edu.

Posted on Tuesday, June 29, 2021 at 1:25 PM
  • Author: Leyla Marandi

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