Extension Update: Featured Programs Archives

The Community Assets for People Mapping Project (CAP-Map), is a collaborative effort between UNH Cooperative Extension, UNH's Complex Systems Research Center, Research Computing, and the New Hampshire Endowment for Health.

Its purpose is to help New Hampshire communities, organizations and agencies share and access information about a range of community and regional resources. The ultimate goal of the project is to help any group or organization that wants to share information about a particular resource, to do so on the web. This information would then be displayed in map form and be accessible to anyone who wants to learn more about that particular resource over the Internet.

If you would like to learn more about CAP-Map, there will be a demonstration from 10 to noon at the Holiday Inn in Concord on June 20. At the demonstration, participants will see how this GIS-based system could ultimately help them to:

• Make unmapped data mappable, even by those without GIS experience.
• Share information about resources or data their organization maintains.
• Convey complex information in a visual, easy-to-understand format.
• Explore relationships between community or statewide assets/resources and demographic data.

Last month's Nor'Easter is a striking example of how a series of worse case scenarios add up to create havoc and destruction on a statewide basis. Start with frozen and snow covered grounds that kept any rainwater from being absorbed into the soil. Add to that the previous fall storms and January thaw, which had already raised groundwater to relatively high levels. Then add the seven-plus inches of rain that pelted the landscape in a short period of time. The result was an impressive display of the power of flowing water. In fact, the US Geological Survey reported the highest flows ever recorded for five of the rivers in southern New Hampshire.

The infamous Mother's Day floods of last year, however, actually recorded a higher total rainfall level (in Durham that storm totaled just over 11 inches compared to the 7.5 inches for last month's storm). While that storm resulted in substantial damage in select areas of the state, the ground was snow and ice free, most of the trees had leafed out and spring vegetation was sprouting. The protection that vegetative cover affords against the force of water is substantial. Leaves, branches and stems absorb much of the potential energy of rainfall. Extensive root systems hold the soil in place.

Overland water flow from storm events and thaws is called "runoff." As we clear the land of natural vegetation and our communities spread outward, we increase the occurrences of runoff through the creation of impervious surfaces. Impervious surfaces like roads, roofs, parking lots and compacted areas allow water to collect and flow as opposed to vegetated areas and wetlands that allow water to pond and infiltrate into the ground. The more we can limit and breakup these impervious areas and promote more vegetated areas, the less runoff and erosion will result. This can be done on individual properties as well as through innovative community planning.

To learn more about how landscaping choices can actually improve water quality by treating runoff situations, refer to UNH Cooperative Extension's newest publication: "Landscaping at the Water's Edge: An Ecological Approach to Shoreline Landscaping."

Gear ratios, differential slippage, torque, pit crews and race strategy are all part of a new and exciting 4-H Science and Technology program racing ahead to teach science and technology to youth. In March, a team of youth development professionals, local business owners, educators, youth and parents came together in the Seacoast area to form a fun and challenging science-based after-school program called the "Techno Team."

Youth from the Seabrook and Hampton areas learn science and technology concepts while building and racing radio-controlled cars. Teams of three are responsible for kit-building 1/10 scale R/C race cars, developing an array of technical skills and scientific knowledge while investing 10-12 hours of teamwork and labor in each car.

Shown in the photo, are left to right, standing, Trent Schriefer and Don Desharnais from Maximus R/C Raceway, and seated, left and right, Joey Catalano and Patrick O'Brien from Seabrook.

Many physical science properties are addressed and geometric racing strategies developed. Trent Schriefer, 4-H Science and Technology Extension Specialist, said, "Kids learn scientific principles and practices and don't even realize it." Staff from the Maximus R/C Raceway and
4-H educators provide technical support for each race team.

This 10-week pilot program, based at Seacoast Youth Services and designed in collaboration with the UNH Cooperative Extension 4-H Science and Technology staff, CYFAR, 21st Century and the Maximus R/C Raceway in York, delivers science-oriented youth programs to teens at risk. "Techno Team" 4-H programs are all about teaching science and technology concepts while fostering positive youth development, community partnerships, and the "real-world" relevant engagement of youth, says Schriefer.

Future "Techno Team" topic areas for the Seacoast will include GPS, Aerospace and Robotics. If interested in a 4-H "Techno Team" program or collaboration, contact Trent Schriefer at trent.schriefer@unh.edu

Scott Estle and Karen Balnis will spearhead work on the Lighten Up NH! Initiative, aimed at helping New Hampshire residents reach and maintain a healthy weight.

The project includes a comprehensive website of New Hampshire-specific resources and formation of a statewide Lighten Up NH! alliance of organizations and health professionals interested in reducing obesity in the Granite State. The project is funded with a three-year grant from HNHfoundation.

An interdisciplinary team has been reviewing the many dimensions of the obesity issue to find ways to expand UNH's outreach. Each team member knew of many first-rate local and statewide initiatives aimed at some aspect of the problem, but soon realized the state lacked a program to make them visible to one another, and to connect all these people and programs in some meaningful way.

This website will collect and integrate all obesity resources specific to New Hampshire as well as connect people in interactive online communities of practice and interest. The site will organize and integrate the best online resources in ways that individuals, parents, teachers, health professionals and community leaders will find useful. As a result, community leaders might visit the site to learn about approaches other communities have tried, health professionals to connect their patients with local programs, and individuals to find information and peer support. The alliance will help concerned professionals, organizations and individuals connect with each other to share ideas, collaborate on programs, and maximize scarce resources.

Extension works in communities throughout New Hampshire in nearly every dimension of human life. With its long history of establishing successful coalitions that bring together a wide array of people and organizations working toward a common goal, forming the alliance was a natural role for Extension to play in our statewide effort to tackle obesity.

Mark Wiley, Extension Specialist for marine science education, Ann Reid, Extension Associate who directs the Great Bay Coast Watch and the UNH Marine Docents are working hard with their colleagues of the Gulf of Maine Marine Educators Association to host the 2007 National Marine Educator Association annual conference this summer.

The conference, entitled "Downeast 2007" is coming to Portland, July 23 -27. This is a chance for teachers, other educators and researchers interested in the "world of water, both fresh and salt" to come together to share inspiration, innovative ideas and programs.

"We anticipate over 400 marine educators from around the country and around the world to descend on Portland this summer." Wiley commented. "Most importantly, we hope that many New England teachers will take advantage of the conference's convenient location to attend for the day, or for the whole week."

The highlight of the conference will be keynote presentations on marine and freshwater subjects from researchers and activists such as Dr. Robert Steneck of the University of Maine, National Geographic underwater photographer Bill Curtsinger, ocean advocates Joan Benoit Samuelson and Casco Baykeeper Joe Payne, and noted author and former swordfish boat captain Linda Greenlaw.

Wiley, Reid, and the Docents role will be to keep the conference running smoothly, help direct conferees around Portland, and provide an interesting and enlightening experience for all participants. "We are really looking forward to sharing the best of the Gulf of Maine with our colleagues from away." Wiley remarked.

For more information about the conference, visit the conference web site or call Mark Wiley at (603) 749-1565.

Five New Hampshire 4-H Teams each received $1,400 grants from Cumberland Farms, administered through National 4-H Council. Grants focus on development and implementation of a youth-designed and youth-led strategy that address a community need, incorporating and fostering 4-H's essential elements with a focus on one or more of the following areas: Citizenship, Education, Environment, Healthy Lifestyles, Safety or Workforce Preparation in the out-of-school timeframe.

The 4-H Green Thumb Team will use their grant funds this summer for seeds and plants to help 300 youth and 35 volunteers participate in the 4-H Green Thumb Team program through a partnership with agencies that include the Manchester Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Girls Inc., YMCA, Latin American Center, Salvation Army and the Massabesic Audubon Center. The goal is to have over 1,000 pounds of produce directed to the Salvation Army's Kids Cafe and the NH Food Bank, with volunteer and staff help from the USDA Farm Service Agency.

Urban, underserved youth in Manchester and Nashua with limited access to outdoor education and nature experiences will be able to attend one of two days at Bear Hill 4-H Camp or Massabesic Audubon Center. Partnering with 4-H in this effort are the Appalachian Mountain Club, Massabesic Audubon Center and afterschool providers in Manchester and Nashua. This program, 4-H in Greater Manchester Explores the Outdoors, will be used as a springboard toward a full 4-H project. A follow-up project will take place using urban ecosystems and GIS investigations through 4-H club formation or as campers at Bear Hill 4-H Camp.

The NH 4-H Teen Council, who plans and runs the State Teen Conference, uses Bear Hill 4-H Camp for retreats and is aware it needs help to keep it a safe and affordable environment. This grant, State 4-H Teen Council Supports Bear Hill 4-H Camp, provides funding for the 2007 State Teen Conference group of at least 160 teens (ages 14-18) and 25 adults for about two hours of work for various projects at camp. Projects include painting buildings, cleaning and maintaining trails, cleaning and organizing buildings and supplies, and repairing/replacing screens.

4-H Get Up and Go responds to the need to combat childhood obesity by fostering healthy lifestyle choices through the 4-H Get Up and Go for WalkNH. It includes 1,500 youth, supported by a team of 50 teen/college and community mentors from all 10 New Hampshire counties. Dr. Susan Lynch, New Hampshire's First Lady, developed WalkNH - a walking program for schools coordinated by the NH Foundation for Healthy Communities. Youth are challenged to either walk 190 miles, the length of New Hampshire, or 70 miles, its width. This grant provides the out of school component for the initiative.

Souhegan High School 4-H Recyclers will involve Amherst and Mont Vernon in a community-wide recycling program in May, educating students about environmental benefits of recycling and their parents to its cost benefit. The kick-off activity, EarthCapades, a waste reduction production, will be presented to students from kindergarten through eighth grade, co-sponsored by Souhegan High School 4-H Recycling Team, Peabody Mill Environmental Center, Amherst PTA, Amherst Recycling and Waste Reduction Task Force, Boutelle Grant and this grant.

In 2006, the NH Fish and Game Department and its partners, including UNH Cooperative Extension, completed the NH Wildlife Action Plan - the most comprehensive assessment to date of wildlife and wildlife habitats that occur within our state. Its purpose is to identify the wildlife species and their habitats in the "greatest need of conservation."

The overall role of the plan is to serve as a blueprint to guide the Fish and Game Department in efforts to restore and maintain populations of threatened and endangered wildlife species, and just as importantly, to keep common species from becoming endangered. Additionally, the plan was designed as a tool for use by communities and private landowners to help identify, conserve and manage critical wildlife and their habitats throughout the state.

This year, Extension will play a key role in its implementation. Supported through a grant from NH Fish and Game, Frank Mitchell, Amanda Stone and Matt Tarr will host educational workshops for communities and landowners. These workshops will teach communities how to use maps, developed as part of the plan, to guide local efforts for identifying and conserving critical wildlife habitat.

Landowners and consulting natural resource professionals will learn how to identify critical wildlife habitats in their field, and how to maintain and enhance those habitats for the wildlife that use them. Below is a list of dates and locations for upcoming Wildlife Action Plan workshops offered by UNH Cooperative Extension:
Westmoreland: March 31 - Westmorland Town Hall
Gonic: May 5 - Waste Management of NH
Lancaster: June 2 - North Country Resource Center

There also will be an in-service training March 8 in the Merrimack County Cooperative Extension office for Extension staff and Natural Resource Conservation Service staff to learn how they can use the plan to guide communities and landowners in conserving and managing critical wildlife habitats in our state.

Contact Matt Tarr (matt.tarr@unh.edu) for more information about the workshops listed above or for more information about the New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan.

Have you ever tried fattoush, the bread salad from the Eastern Mediterranean made with tomatoes, cucumbers, scallions, parsley, bread and dressing? What about chapatis, Indian flatbreads similar to pita bread?

In classrooms and after-school settings, kids throughout New Hampshire are participating in a UNH Cooperative Extension Nutrition Connections program called Cultural Cuisine, where they prepare and try international foods and learn about the culture of the people from each country.

Antonia Demas developed the Cultural Cuisine program in New York as part of her Cornell University dissertation to introduce kids to new food. She wanted them to experience food with all their senses in hopes of motivating them to prepare food and eat more variety.

We've seen it work first-hand in New Hampshire in more than 50 classrooms over the past five years. Each class session focuses on a different country. Kids learn about the language, arts, foods, history, and location of the country. Then every child has a meaningful job as the class prepares a representative dish from that country. Overall about 98 percent of the kids try the recipe.

The comments say it all:
"I loved it. The mustard gave it a big zing. I went back for seconds." (Lentil salad from the Eastern Mediterranean)

"It was good, except the mango and parsley." (Mango Salsa from South America)

"It was fun. I liked cooking."

Listen to an interview with John Pike in Episode 1 of Profiles in Extension, a new podcast series that will feature periodic interviews with UNH Cooperative Extension staff. You can listen to the interviews directly from the site, download them to your MP3 player, or subscribe via iTunes.

In partnership with a diverse group of individuals, Extension educators in Carroll and Coos counties are reaching out to communities in response to juvenile justice concerns.

The Juvenile Justice Projects are one-year planning processes designed to build broad citizen support and understanding, foster unity and strengthen collaborative community-based responses to juvenile justice issues. Planning grants of $86,407 for Carroll County and $58,770 for Coos County are funded by the NH Advisory Group on Juvenile Justice in response to a 2005 report by Justiceworks, Status of Juvenile Justice in New Hampshire.

The report reviews available data from 2003, and concludes that at the time there were proportionately higher numbers of teens in Carroll County entering the court system for alcohol and drug related violations, while a higher number of child delinquents (under age 13) were court-involved in Coos County.

A variety of strategies, including forums, interviews, study circles and peer youth education and outreach, will help citizens understand juvenile justice, examine current delinquency trends and causes, define services and gaps, and identify solutions based on proven practices. Findings will guide the development of county-wide strategic plans.

In both counties, the processes are led by UNH Cooperative Extension, in partnership with the county district and family courts, prevention coalitions, community agencies and services, and concerned citizens. Extension staff leading the effort include Larry Barker and Sue Buteau in Coos County, Ann Hamilton and Dotty Burrows in Carroll County, and state staff Paula Gregory and Michele Gagne.

Sullivan County owns over 1,500 acres of land on the Sullivan County Farm in Unity. The land is primarily forestland with some fields. Most of it is classified as middle aged, 60 to 100 years old, with not a lot of old or young forests since much of the property was used for agricultural purposes from the 1800's to mid 1900's.

With the help of the Natural Resource Conservation Service, NH Fish and Game Department and UNH Cooperative Extension, Sullivan County received cost-share funds to create some young forest/brushy habitat on the Sullivan County Farm. Young sapling/brushy forested areas compliment areas of mature forest as they help sustain native wildlife.

To start the project, a three-acre field abandoned 15 years ago was reclaimed using a forestry mower. The forestry mower ground the 10-20 foot tall softwoods, gray birch, poplar and sumac into chips. A private contractor from Cornish was hired to mow the area with $4,500 from the NRCS Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program and NH Fish and Game Department Small Grants Program, covering the cost of the project.

The goal of completing wildlife habitat projects on county lands is twofold:
* Manage wildlife habitat on county lands to benefit as many native wildlife species as possible, and
* Serve as an educational area to demonstrate wildlife habitat management techniques for the residents of Sullivan County.

The young forest/brushy habitat will provide food and cover for many native wildlife species including grouse, deer and moose. After the mowing, turkeys were observed grazing insects in the freshly cut brush and monarch butterflies were laying eggs on new sprouts of milkweed.

To learn more about this project, contact Sullivan County Extension Educator Chuck Hersey.

More than 195 school food service managers, school nurses and UNH Cooperative Extension staff attended the August 16 Building Blocks for an Effective School Team conference at the Grappone Center in Concord.

Co-sponsored by the UNH Cooperative Extension Nutrition Connections program and the NH Dept. of Education Bureau of Nutrition Programs and Services, this conference was the kick-off for implementation of school wellness policies in New Hampshire.

Schools play a critical role in promoting student health, preventing childhood obesity, and combating problems associated with poor nutrition and physical inactivity. To formalize and encourage this role, Congress passed a law mandating that each local educational agency participating in a program authorized by the National School Lunch Act must establish a local school wellness policy by School Year 2006.

The legislation places the responsibility of developing a wellness policy at the local level, to address the individual needs of each district. School districts must set goals for nutrition education, physical activity, campus food provision, and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness. Additionally, districts must involve a broad group of individuals in policy development and have a plan for measuring policy implementation.

The Building Blocks plenary sessions and workshops were designed to help school personnel implement their school wellness policies. Featured speakers included Tracy Fox, National Food Service Management Institute, Dr. Joanne Burke, UNH Department of Agriculture and Nutritional Sciences, Dr. Colette Janson-Sand, UNH Department of Agriculture and Nutritional Sciences and Claudia Boozer-Blasco, UNH Cooperative Extension, Rockingham County.

This conference provided school personnel with a UNH/UNH Cooperative Extension/NH Department of Education link for resources to better help them implement these very important policies.

New Hampshire's Natural Resource Outreach Coalition (NROC) has been working with New Hampshire's coastal communities since the late 1990s to promote better land use decisions. NROC provides education, technical assistance and facilitation to community groups to help them better protect their natural resources while accommodating growth.

The NROC team is made up of representatives of various agencies and organizations who work on coastal environmental issues. UNH Cooperative Extension is currently the lead organization, with Amanda Stone as NROC coordinator. NROC works with up to three communities each year for at least a year in duration.

NROC helps communities improve their capacity to address issues by increasing their human, financial or technical resources. NROC has a strong record of improving community capacity. Over 50 percent of the communities NROC has worked with report:
* improvements in communication,
* formation of new committees,
* re-energized boards and committees, and
* an improved capacity to connect with other communities or organizations that can help them with their natural resource protection and growth management.

NROC also helps communities with outreach campaigns. Through these campaigns, community members learn more about various natural resource and growth issues which in some cases, result in passage of key regulations or warrant articles at town meetings. NROC offers communities small grants to fund activities related to natural resource protection. NROC helps communities apply for other grants as well for projects that exceed NROC implementation fund amounts.

Other communities improve background knowledge for future decision-making. These information-gathering activities help provide local data on which rational land use plans and decisions can be based. About half the NROC communities conduct community-wide surveys as part of their information-gathering efforts.

A number of communities also recognized a need to either initiate or update their Natural Resources Inventory (NRI), a first step to natural resource-based planning. NROC, often in collaboration with University of New Hampshire students, help communities complete their NRIs. A couple of communities initiated or revived volunteer water quality monitoring as a result, and one community used a small grant to support a scientific synthesis and analysis of their existing water quality data.

Some communities work with NROC to ensure the way they wish to grow is both articulated and publicly documented. Planning documents proved the vision, goals and priorities of the community. About half the NROC communities initiate conservation planning with NROC assistance. About one-third of NROC communities will update their master plan or develop a new chapter such as a water resources chapter. About one-third of NROC communities also develop open space plans.

Some communities focus their work with NROC on changing their policies and regulations - giving teeth to their plans. About one-third of NROC communities actually review and change zoning regulations.

Most communities work towards implementing some natural resource protection strategies. Over 50 percent of NROC communities will implement permanent land protection with NROC assistance. This protection usually comes in the form of conservation easements purchased by the community in conjunction with a local land trust. Millions of dollars have been bonded in NROC communities to make this permanent protection possible.

UNH Cooperative Extension is an approved financial management education provider for bankrupt debtors.

Anyone who has filed for bankruptcy needs to complete a financial education program for discharge of their bankruptcy case. The United States Trustee Program granted approval of the Starting Over: New Choices - New Direction program, written by Suzann Enzian Knight and Kathe Fredette, in early 2006. UNH Cooperative Extension educators are trained in the program, which focuses on:

* Developing a spending and savings plan
* Developing money management skills
* Using credit wisely
* Accessing consumer information

Most debtors are in poor financial shape at the time they file for bankruptcy. A study conducted in 2001 found that nearly 90 percent of all Chapter 7 debtors had a negative net worth at the time of bankruptcy.

Bankruptcy provides an opportunity to make a fresh start with finances. There are a number of causes for filing bankruptcy, most often:
* A loss or lack of adequate income from job loss, divorce, business failure, alimony or child-support problems,
* Uninsured medical expenses from an illness or injury,
* Overspending or credit card use to pay ever-increasing expenses,
* Birth of a child with special needs,
* Caring for a sick parent or relative, or any combination of causes.

Extension educators who teach Family Resource Management schedule the program monthly. To learn more, contact Suzann Enzian Knight or Kathe Fredette.

"The term permaculture was coined in the late 1970s by two Australian biologists, Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. It is a contraction of “permanent agriculture” and “permanent culture.” Permaculture is a set of ethics, principles and techniques for designing sustainable human communities that have the diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosystems." - Bog Frog

June, 2006 saw some unusual activity at Woodman Farm and elsewhere on the UNH campus. No, it wasn’t just the rain, although Woodman Farm received about seven inches in a one-week period. The UNH horticultural farm served as the main location for a two-week, permaculture design certification course, one of the first offered on a land grant university campus. Twenty-three participants from three states gathered on site with the trainers: Julia and Charles Yelton of Humastacia Permaculture Gardens in Whitefield, Maine. The Yeltons, who have taught and practiced permaculture design for 14 years, developed their expertise in Australia, most recently living in Crystal Waters, an ecovillage in Queensland, AU.

The course, which covered topics ranging from sustainable energy design to pond construction to sheet-mulching, employed a hands-on, practical approach. Despite the nearly nonstop rain, course participants built a hot frame at the Student Organic Gardening Club plot, designed and constructed an herb spiral at the UNH Child Development Center, layered wind-rows for composting, and finished with a team site design for one of two locations in the Durham area.

Two UNH Cooperative Extension staff joined other students in the class. In addition to the Yeltons’ instruction, participants learned about plant guilds and reading soil profiles from Dave Jacke, a guest lecturer from Keene. They also were able to discuss sustainability principles with Jim Merkel, author of Radical Simplicity and now director of sustainability at Dartmouth College. Ag Resources staff Dot Perkins and Juli Brussell found the opportunity to work with fellow students and the trainers to be the best part of the class.

“This experience was a great chance to integrate principles of sustainable design with the need to teach homeowners and others about practical topics like water catchment and soil-building techniques,” said Dot Perkins. “I’m incorporating a lot of this information into a short course for the Master Gardeners.” Perkins is also working with Lauren Chase-Rowell, a fellow permaculturist, on an outdoor classroom at the Hooksett Memorial School. Chase-Rowell, a professional landscapist, was hired to develop the outdoor classroom for the school’s new courtyard. This outdoor room will feature native plant species and be relatively maintenance-free, an important consideration for teachers.

Permaculture principles and practices can be applied across a wide variety of landscapes and scales, from small backyards to farms to whole communities. It is one more tool UNH Cooperative Extension might be able to offer New Hampshire citizens.

UNH Cooperative Extension’s Strengthening New Hampshire Communities Program is collaborating with state, regional and national partners to develop and implement a community certification course for community development practitioners in New Hampshire.

The program, called the Community Development Institute (CDI), will serve to build the capacity of community development professionals, planners, policy-makers, organizations and community leaders to initiate, manage and sustain successful community and economic development efforts. The faculty contracted to teach the course would include professional practitioners, Extension educators, town officials and university faculty.

CDI is a nationally recognized community and economic development training program that consists of three one-week long seminars over a three-year period. Professional certification can be obtained if participants complete levels I-III and pass a national certification exam. Although the program is run at the national level, the curriculum will have a distinct New Hampshire flair.

To capture the key topics facing New Hampshire communities, Charlie French, Michele Gagne, Deb Maes and Dan Reidy are working with UNH’s Dept. of Resource Economics and Development to develop the course curriculum. Other key partners include Plymouth State University’s Center for Rural Partnerships, the Northeastern Economic Developers Association, the Rockingham Planning Commission, and the National Community Development Council.

If all goes well, the first of three levels of the course will be taught in the summer of 2007. In subsequent years, two levels of the course will be taught each year to provide flexibility for those interested in taking the course. More information on the course will be provided to Extension staff in the next few months.

The New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan is an unprecedented effort to identify and conserve habitats for the state’s most vulnerable wildlife populations. The plan, created under the direction of the NH Fish and Game Department, requires the involvement of many different groups and individuals. Land trusts, municipal conservation commissions and other conservation groups will play an important role in turning the plan into action. They also will benefit from the plan in several ways.

Members of New Hampshire groups concerned with wildlife conservation will appreciate the plan’s goals. A top challenge in wildlife conservation today is how to maintain or expand populations of species of concern – those species most vulnerable to habitat loss or degradation from land fragmentation and other effects of rapid development. The plan focuses on these species and the habitats they need to survive.

In the coming year, NH Fish and Game and UNH Cooperative Extension will host a series of workshops and visits to explain the Wildlife Action Plan. During these workshops and visits, participants will learn about the plan’s underlying conservation biology principles, actions they can take to conserve critical habitats, and how they can inform landowners about Wildlife Action Plan opportunities.

The Landowner Incentive Program, linked to the Wildlife Action Plan, makes funds available to landowners who agree to manage or conserve their lands in a manner consistent with its goals and recommendations. The Landowner Incentive Program is a good way for conservationists to interest landowners in considering their land use practices in support of the Wildlife Action Plan, as well as the goals of local and regional conservation groups. To learn more, contact Frank Mitchell at frank.mitchell@unh.edu or Darrel Covell at darrel.covell@unh.edu

Collaboration and coalition building are essential for positive youth development programming. Ideally, this includes partnerships among community organizations, individual youth and parents, and the university community.

In Rockingham County, UNH Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Youth Development program is busy working with a number of youth coalition efforts to promote cooperation and resource development to benefit all partners. They include the Raymond Coalition for Youth, the Lower Seacoast Youth Coalition , and the Sanborn/Timberlane Safe and Drug Free Community Coalition.

These youth coalitions’ goals are to enhance and expand activities, services and supports for children, youth and families, involving both public and private organizations, as well as youth, parents and professionals in respective communities. As separate youth coalitions in distinct areas of Rockingham County, each effort has been successful in developing positive youth development programs, securing new funding and mobilizing effective youth and adult partnerships.

These local youth coalition efforts, however, continue to experience challenges to meet the need for comprehensive youth programming in their areas. Through conversations with Extension’s 4-H Youth Development staff, these youth coalitions decided to work together to expand their opportunities through larger coalition building with the establishment of the Rockingham County Youth Coalitions (RCYC) partnership.

The new partnership of the Rockingham County Youth Coalitions (RCYC) will connect and share resources among existing or emerging area youth coalitions. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was developed to establish RCFY and move forward with mutually beneficial activities. It outlines key areas for partnership and collaboration, including the following:
• Strengthen area youth coalition efforts and more effectively develop and provide activities, services and supports through cooperative program planning, implementation and evaluation.
• Increase the quantity and quality of available youth development resources, while reducing possible duplication of efforts among organizations involved
• Specifically express partnership and collaboration through:
o Board development, recruitment and enhancement
o Organizational development, training and sharing of strategies
o A resource library
o Training and technical assistance expertise
o Program development
o Joint funding efforts
o Evaluation design and implementation
o Networking and communication support
o Volunteer management, including, recruitment, orientation, and training
o County-wide celebrations and recognition events

While early in its development, RCYC holds great potential to expand the effectiveness of area youth coalitions and to foster partnerships with UNH. Opportunities abound for placement of undergraduate and graduate interns, research projects, training events and joint pursuit of funding opportunities. Any interested parties within the UNH community should contact Rick Alleva, 4-H Youth Development, Rockingham County at 679-5616 or rick.alleva@unh.edu

The Natural Resources Outreach Coalition (NROC) is a collaborative program involving 12 organizations, coordinated by UNH Cooperative Extension. Its purpose is to support communities facing rapid growth by helping them understand the status of their natural resources, the potential impacts of growth on those resources, and techniques for natural resources-based management and protection. NROC, which began in 1999, has served 15 communities through 2005.

The NROC team delivers a customized educational presentation to communities called Dealing with Growth, followed by long-term assistance developing and implementing an action plan for protecting natural resources. NROC also offers a choice of educational workshops and referral to sources of financial and other assistance. NROC tailors the program to communities’ specific needs and typically works with community members for 6-12 months.

In 2005, the New Hampshire Coastal Program, a financial sponsor of NROC, commissioned the Institute for New Hampshire Studies (INHS) at Plymouth State University to conduct an independent study of NROC’s effectiveness. The INHS used a literature review, program content analysis, interviews with NROC staff and a survey of NROC clientele to obtain its findings.

The conclusions indicate NROC is effective in:
• recruiting, mobilizing and maintaining involvement of citizens in their communities
• increasing the capacity of citizens to protect their communities’ natural resources
• providing assistance and education in a cost-effective manner.

The INHS study cited the following as strengths of NROC:
• NROC’s role as a facilitator: “It provides resources and support, and prods a community to meet and stay effective during meetings, while staying on schedule.”
• NROC’s function as an “umbrella organization providing one source shopping with customization of programs, bringing together disparate resources, with a unified message, and a coordinated effort.”
• NROC’s “considerable expertise and commitment that matches well with the structure of community-defined goals.”
• The NROC coordinating process, which “enhances communication within communities.”
• “Community and personal empowerment are outcomes” in NROC programs.

For more information on the Natural Resources Outreach Coalition or the INHS study, contact NROC Coordinator Amanda Stone at 364-5324 or Amanda.Stone@unh.edu

Foreign invaders have been relocating to the Gulf of Maine for decades, but now Extension Specialist Mark Wiley and other Sea Grant Extension educators from around New England are recruiting recreational divers to help keep them out.

Marine invasive species can wreak havoc on existing communities in the Gulf of Maine, but often they become firmly established before anyone knows they’ve arrived. “We would like to train recreational divers to recognize some of the more problematic species and let us know where they see them when they are out diving.” Mark says.

Mark and other Sea Grant Extension educators have a two-year grant from NOAA to develop the training program and share the results with agencies responsible for monitoring and controlling invasives.

“There is a hardy core of recreational divers who love New England’s cold waters that we would like to tap to help us,” he says. Divers would receive training in what some of the more problematic species look like, where to look for them, and how to differentiate them from native species.

Divers who spot invasives will need to document which species they found, and where, through an on-line data collection process. Divers interested in participating should contact Mark at (603) 749-156 or through email at mark.wiley@unh.edu.

How does UNH 4-H Camp change children? We asked parents of 849 campers from the 2005 summer camp program for help answering this question. Over 15 percent of the parents of our 2005 campers responded to a post-camp experience survey. Questions reflected the kinds of knowledge and skills we hope campers learn and practice in a typical UNH 4-H Camp experience. Over half the children (53%) in the survey had attended UNH 4-H Camp for the first time.

Over half the responding parents (60%) believe their child is more interested in learning new things since camp, and almost a third of parents (31%) think their child discovered something they might like as a career or vocation. Learning something new about the natural environment, and learning and practicing new skills were important camp outcomes reported by most parents (87%). One parent discovered her son “loved being in the woods, he loves being outdoors.” Many campers also learned the importance of eating well, exercise and rest.

An important life skill is learning how to relate to others and make new friends. Most parents (83%) felt their child made new friends that were a positive influence. These parents believe camp also helped their child learn how to get along with others, and some parents (42%) report their child is actually doing better in this skill since camp. A majority of parents (79%) believe their child learned something about people from another culture. Parents commented there was “nice camaraderie in the cabin” and, “he had a child with special needs in the cabin, this was a good positive experience for all.”

The survey suggests good news for busy parents. Over half the parents (54%) believe camp helped their child learn how to solve problems without their help, and one-third report their child helps more around the house or yard since being at camp.

Also good to know...overwhelmingly parents agree (99%) that children had fun at camp. A parent wrote, “Both kids had a great time and each wants to stay an extra week next year!” Another parent reported it was “my daughter’s fifth year at camp. She loves it and talks about it all year.” What makes camp such a special experience? Parents cite everything from “learning the silly new camp songs” to swimming, candle lighting, non-candy snacks in the camp store, kayaking, archery, and cooking makeshift bread. However, the overwhelming impact of camp may just come from “the counselors who come from many countries” and their sincere commitment to being “really fun, friendly and making campers feel safe.”

We are fast approaching the sweetest season in New England, the time of the year when sugarmakers tap their maple trees for the sap and boil it down to make pure maple syrup, maple candy and other products. Extension Educator Sumner Dole works with these producers from across the Northeast and Canada to ensure that tree health and consumer standards for maple syrup are in place and in practice. His objectives are to enhance the economic viability of the maple industry in the region while protecting both the maple resource and consumers.

Sumner worked with New Hampshire’s maple community to detect and reduce lead levels in maple syrup with great success. Working with the International Maple Syrup Institute, Sumner helped design a random sample purchase and testing program to detect adulterated syrup entering the market around the world. This protocol ensures that the products’ label reflects pure maple syrup.

UNH Cooperative Extension collaborated with the Vermont Department of Agriculture, Food and Markets and the University of Maine Extension to develop and conduct two annual New England Maple Grading Schools in Lancaster, NH. The International Maple Syrup Institute and maple industry provided some financial support for the grading school, attended by participants representing six states and three provinces. This school provides a strong scientific base combined with intensive hands-on exercises.

Lately, several insects have attacked our sugar maple trees. Extension’s Forest Resource Educators are available to advise maple producers on dealing with these incidents. The more conservative tapping guidelines outlined in the Sugarbush Management: A Guide to Maintaining Tree Health are sustainable and if followed, lessen the need to revise tapping practices with each insect outbreak.

UNH Cooperative Extension supports the maple industry, a multi-million dollar renewable resource rural industry, with assistance from educators and specialists in the Forestry and Wildlife Resources program and our partners in the NH Division of Forests and Lands.

New Hampshire’s first statewide grazing conference takes place Feb. 3 and 4 at the 2006 Farm and Forest Expo in Manchester.

Event sponsors are UNH Cooperative Extension and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Services Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative. “Grazing and the Bottom Line — Kick It in the Grass” will provide farmers and others interested in grazing and grass-based livestock production the opportunity to engage out-of-state and homegrown experts during the sessions.

Friday’s speaker, Dr. Ben Bartlett, a large-animal veterinarian who works for Michigan State University as a Dairy and Livestock Extension Educator, grazes cattle and sheep in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where winters are rougher than most parts of New Hampshire.

The morning session will address grazing opportunities for New Hampshire and the Northeast. A panel discussion follows on overcoming challenges in the Northeast that will include a discussion on climate and bedstraw issues.

Steve Taylor, NH Commissioner of Agriculture, will address the conference attendees at lunch. Participants can choose from two tracks during Friday’s afternoon session. Track 1 focuses on organic dairy production, including milk production, transitioning and herd health management. Track 2 will focus on grazing and forage production with topics that include forage storage and stockpiling, nutrient cycling and soil fertility, and forage biodiversity and pasture productivity. The afternoon session will address silvopasture, which integrates pasture and forest production, with a presentation by USDA’s Agricultural Resource Service experts.

The conference concludes with a Saturday morning workshop. The workshop sessions will focus primarily on equine owner needs, including pasture and nutrient management as well as equine health and pasturing. Speakers include Carey Williams from Rutgers University and UNH Cooperative Extension’s own Carl Majewski. Contact Program Leader Juli Brussell at juli.brussell@unh.edu for information.

Cooperative Extension family education and policy specialist Emily Douglas is collaborating in several projects both within and outside of the UNH campus. In one such project, Emily is part of an interdisciplinary evaluation team working with the Family Resource Center in Gorham. Along with Drs. Sally Ward (Department of Sociology) and Wendy Walsh (Department of Sociology and Crimes against Children Research Center,) Emily is evaluating the effectiveness of a job-readiness program called JOBPro.

JOBPro is a community-based program that offers participants both hard and soft job skills and is in part the result of a partnership program developed by the Androscoggin Valley Economic Recovery program, Community Technical College, Granite State College and area employers.

The program provides training in computer skills, on-the-job problem solving, workplace safety, time management, financial management, resume writing, and the importance of punctuality and dependability to maintain employment. Participants are surveyed before and after they complete the program; follow-up interviewing will be scheduled place in the coming months.

Jane’s Trust, which funds JOBPro, makes grants to address important issues in the Trust's fields of interest and areas of geographical focus described below. Trustees are interested particularly in organizations and projects that primarily benefit underserved populations and disadvantaged communities. Jane's Trust makes grant in the states of Florida and Massachusetts, and in the northern New England states of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. To learn more, contact Emily at emily.douglas@unh.edu

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded Mark Wiley, Extension Specialist, Marine Science Education, other UNH staff, and two other collaborating institutions a Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) grant. Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences will coordinate the grant, which also involves University of Maine staff. The new Center, COSEE-Ocean Systems (OS), will engage scientists and educators eager to deliver effective marine science education tools and techniques to existing COSEE's, helping them spread their efforts inland and to rural areas.

COSEE program goals are to:
• foster collaboration and communication between ocean science researchers and educators,
• facilitate integration of research into high-quality educational materials and develop linkages that foster development and dissemination of these materials,
• provide pedagogical expertise and guidance for research scientists involved in education and
• provide material that promotes a deeper understanding of the ocean and its influence on each person’s quality of life and our national prosperity.

This is the first COSEE funded to support a thematic approach to the goals of the program. All previously funded COSEE’s have a regional focus. COSEE-Ocean Systems will develop, implement and evaluate several different approaches to connecting rural and inland students and teachers to the marine environment. Successful approaches will then be shared with other COSEEs in the network. Wiley will work with Amy Cline of the UNH Center for Coastal Ocean Observation and Analysis to develop teacher professional development opportunities that share the successful strategies developed by the collaborators. The program is funded for five years. To learn more, contact Wiley at mark.wiley@unh.edu

New Hampshire’s state dairy and horse teams recently returned from national contests/events in Wisconsin and Kentucky. Four youth competed at the National 4- H Dairy Judging Contest held in conjunction with World Dairy Expo in Madison, WI. Youth get the opportunity to showcase their dairy selection, decision-making, teamwork and communication skills.

Two New Hampshire youth chosen as delegates to the national dairy conference, also held at World Dairy Expo, met other youth involved in dairy, toured state-of-the art farms, and learned more about future dairy industry opportunities.

New Hampshire 4-H sends four horse teams and one dairy team to the Eastern National 4-H Contest, part of the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, KY. Both Horse and Dairy Quiz Bowl team members compete in a college quiz bowl-type of competition that require months of studying and team practices.

The NH 4-H Hippology Team competed in an event designed to test horse knowledge and skills as well as teamwork. Youth take a written quiz, identify equipment and breeds of horses, judge horses and work through a problem-solving question – requiring teamwork, communication skills and creativity.

The Horse Communication’s Team delivers speeches and demonstrations – both as individuals and in teams on a variety of thought-provoking topics related to the equine industry. Youth involved in this contest must have poise, excellent communication skills and confidence to deliver a polished speech or presentation to national judges.

The 4-H Horse Judging Team also competed, practicing horse selection, oral communication and decision-making skills. All these events are culminations of local and state contests. In most cases, youth attending participate in fundraising efforts to help support their trip and the 4-H Foundation of New Hampshire supports travel and lodging.

Logging operations have for decades used Best Management Practices (BMPs) for erosion control. New Hampshire, like other states, has a BMP manual describing acceptable methods and techniques designed to prevent sedimentation of streams, ponds and wetlands during and after logging.

The prescribed methods, according to Sarah Smith, UNH Cooperative Extension’s Forest Industry Specialist, aren’t always effective. Sarah recently wrote a grant to the USDA Forest Service enabling the Extension forestry staff to participate in a USDA, Forest Service, regional study examining the effectiveness of BMP installation.

The process, called the BMP Monitoring Protocol, is a “whole new way of looking at things,” says Smith. “The goal is to begin to identify BMPs that are working well or those that have not been installed or maintained properly. Then, we can focus our educational efforts.”

The sample logging operations were chosen randomly from 2004 state intent-to-cut forms landowners must file with the NH Department of Revenue Administration prior to harvesting. Once permission to enter the property was granted, Extension went to work collecting data. The process should continue until snow flies. Results on individual sites will remain confidential and results reported in summary. It is important that landowners not view this process as regulatory. The focus is educational.

The grant also supported the purchase of pocket personal computers, helping the sample crews to record data electronically, which is downloaded directly to an Excel spreadsheet.

On Tuesday, October 25, Thomas Dorr, USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development, joined state dignitaries on a stage in Manchester’s Radisson Conference Center for a public listening session regarding the upcoming 2007 Farm Bill. What Dorr and others clearly heard from the more than 40 people who testified was good news for UNH Cooperative Extension.

From the state FFA representative to 4-H alumni to New Hampshire farm and forest owners, the message was clear: “We owe a lot to Cooperative Extension – please make sure that funds are there to keep the work of Extension out there for the people.”

Specific concerns ranged from allocating more funding to farm and forest preservation initiatives, increasing funds for 4-H youth efforts, ensuring that farmers have access to innovative marketing information to funding WIC coupon programs for farmers markets.

The unique characteristics of New Hampshire farm and forest owner needs were made clear to the Under Secretary in testimony from Program Leaders Juli Brussell and Bob Edmonds. Anna Boudreau, chair of the State Extension Advisory Council, spoke regarding the need for increased federal formula funding to provide stability for the work of Cooperative Extension.

Many people testifying, farm and forest owners, spoke eloquently of the impact Cooperative Extension has made in their lives, providing the Under Secretary with a clear picture of the important role Cooperative Extension plays in serving the citizens of New Hampshire.

You might be interested in reading the testimony I submitted on our behalf.

A research team made up of Extension Specialist Charlie French, Sally Ward, Professor/Department Chair, Sociology Department and Kelly Giraud, Associate Professor, Resource Economics Department, plan to evaluate the economic and social performance of resident-owned manufactured housing communities in New Hampshire.

The Ford Foundation, the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund and the Carsey Institute are supporting the research effort.

Currently, 71 resident-owned manufactured housing communities serve 3,300 New Hampshire families. Thanks to the assistance of the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, homeowners in each of these cooperatively-owned communities were able to form self-governing corporations that purchased the land beneath their homes, as opposed to renting their land.

In spite of the popularity of resident-owned communities in New Hampshire, one important question remains - do they outperform landowner-owned manufactured housing parks from a social and economic standpoint?

The research team set out to answer this question through a comprehensive study that engaged residents of manufactured housing cooperatives, residents of landowner-owned parks and local officials from seven New Hampshire towns.

The study is testing the following hypotheses:
1. The cost of home ownership is stabilized by resident ownership
2. Homeowners gain access market-rate financing products
3. Homeowners gain long-term security
4. Members of resident owned cooperatives gain legal, managerial, and financial control over their community.

The research findings could have profound implications on how organizations and institutions address affordable housing in an increasingly tight housing market. The findings will be published and released at "The Meredith Institute," a national event to be held in Manchester November 1-3, dedicated to sectoral strategies to address affordable housing.

Following the dramatic decline in Gulf of Maine and George’s Bank fish stocks during the early 1990’s, fishermen faced a multitude of regulations that dictate the gear used, the number of days that can be fished, and how much fish can be landed.

To combat industry limitations and preserve fishing as a means to make a living, fishing industry members partnered with the academic community to cooperatively develop conservation gear.

Since 2000, more than 190 cooperative research projects in the Northeast received over $25 million. Two regional programs, the Northeast Consortium (NEC) and the Cooperative Research Partnership Initiative (CRPI), support the majority of cooperative research projects. The NEC funds a broad scope of projects, ranging from oceanographic monitoring to fishing gear conservation engineering. The CRPI initiative enhances the data on which fishery management decisions are made.

Presently, conservation engineering has focused on reducing the bycatch of commercially important non-target species by making fishing gears more selective. Selectivity was increased by altering net mesh characteristics (size, shape or position) and by using fish behavior to develop gear that excludes fish or adds selectivity devices such as grates and separator panels.

The cooperative research process has been most successful with projects that are equal partnerships that rely not only on scientific and statistical verification but the insight and operational wisdom of the fishing industry.

For more information on cooperative research, visit the NEC and CRPI websites.

A Community Youth Mapping (CYM) orientation day held March 24 proved to be the stimulus for summer projects conducted in partnership with UNH Cooperative Extension. Of the 70 attending the orientation provided by the Academy for Educational Development (AED), Center for Youth Development and Policy Research, two county groups, the CoRe Group in Belknap County and the Transition Resource Network in Strafford County came forward with grant money to conduct a summer asset mapping project. Encouragement from the Workforce Opportunity Youth Council to apply for discretionary funds also proved successful for UNH Cooperative Extension with a $25,000 award.

The Community Youth Mapping (CYM) effort is a catalyst for motivating youth and adults to identify existing resources, places to go, things to do and special opportunities in the community, as well as create and expand new opportunities. CYM is a youth development approach to information collection that requires meaningful participation by youth and adults. Young people are the stakeholders in the planning, collection, data entry, analysis and dissemination of this information. Adults provide technical, political and personal support. The assets often mapped include existing resources for young people and families in such areas as art, food, counseling, health, education, housing, emergency services, employment and recreation. Ideally, CYM is coordinated by a local public, private and nonprofit partnership that engages youth and adults. The strength of this youth-adult partnership is key to the CYM process.

In trainings held this summer in both counties, youth mappers and their adult mentors were introduced to the process and the survey tool they would use to collect and record information. The training featured role-playing, canvassing safety, dealing with difficult people, professional protocols, interpersonal relations and daily expectations on the job.

Youth collecting the information were compensated with either a regular wage, stipend or school credit. As a result, important elements of commitment are learned, such as arriving at work on time, filling out a timesheet, following a code of conduct, working in individual and group settings, communicating with a supervisor and completing tasks.

Mapping took place through August 4. In Belknap County there were 21 youth mappers and 10 adult volunteer supervisors. They "mapped" the following towns: Center Harbor, Meredith, Weirs, Laconia, Gilford, Belmont, Gilmanton, Alton and Barnstead. In Strafford County there were 18 youth mappers and eight adult supervisors. They "mapped" Rochester and Dover.

The youth involved learned valuable workforce skills, such as how to conduct interviews, record information, work with databases, analyze, report, and present what they’ve learned. They also developed important job-readiness “soft” skills: teamwork, conflict resolution, communication and professional behavior. They took on leadership roles that help build confidence and self-esteem.

Over 75 people headed to UNH's Woodman Farm Aug. 16 to see first-hand some examples of the agricultural research taking place there. The horticultural research farm is part of the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station.

The program began with introductions of UNH and UNH Cooperative Extension faculty and staff who conduct research at the farm. A walking tour of the farm followed, covering research highlights. Cathy Neal, Extension Professor/Specialist, Ornamentals, showed New Hampshire growers several plantings of new varieties of cut flowers. She also demonstrated new varieties of fall garden mums that don't need to be hand-pinched. This laborious process is normally done one or more times to produce an attractive bushy plant.

In the apple orchard Alan Eaton, Extension Professor/Specialist, Entomology, and George Hamilton, Extension Tree Fruit Specialist, talked about the apple research done at Woodman Farm and how it measurably reduced the amount of pesticides applied by New Hampshire apple growers. In addition to future research plans, Alan also discussed a new and promising method of controlling apple maggot suitable for organic and conventional growers that should be commercially available on a limited basis next year.

Brent Loy, Professor of Plant Biology and plant breeder, displayed several of his new plants. Among them are a spineless summer squash, disease-resistant squashes, pumpkins and gourds, and yellow tomatoes. Brent also talked about his melon breeding work.

Becky Grube, Sustainable Horticulture Specialist and Extension Professor, grew and evaluated several varieties of edamame (also known as vegetable soybean). It is currently grown by a few New Hampshire farmers, but may become a more popular crop. Steamed in the pods and lightly salted, these beans make a tasty and nutritious snack food. Visitors were able to taste test the varieties side-by-side and choose their favorites.

Several other research projects were presented, including colored bell peppers, living mulches in tomatoes from UNH Dept. of Natural Resources graduate student Bill Errickson and strawberry genetic studies with Tom Davis, Professor of Plant Biology.

John McLean, Woodman Farm manager, wrapped up the evening’s program by dedicating the newly remodeled classroom at the Farm to Otho Wells, retired UNH Cooperative Extension Vegetable Specialist.

UNH Cooperative Extension works with four other New England states to implement a project funded by USDA/CSREES to bring Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to home gardeners.

Under the direction of URI Cooperative Extension Specialists, the grant activities include assessing the food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices of home gardeners, then developing and implementing a GAP train-the-trainer education program to address the needs of this target audience.

This grant builds on the New England Extension Food Safety Consortium's GAP grant for commercial fruit and vegetable growers implemented regionally from 2000-2004.

Good agricultural practices such as compost management, personal hygiene and following recommended handling and storage practices are important steps in maintaining the safety of food grown at home. To determine home gardeners' food safety knowledge and practices, Catherine Violette and Margaret Hagen are coordinating with other state specialists a two-stage needs assessment process.

In 2004, a mail survey went to 5,000 randomly selected home gardeners in five New England states. Of the 762 usable surveys returned, only 23 of 56 knowledge items completed met the 80 percent subject mastery standard. Low scoring topics included use of fresh manure/compost, safety of organically grown produce, cleaning produce, water safety and home canning. Higher knowledge levels were associated with higher income, years of gardening experience, and Master Gardener certification.

To gain greater insight into food safety knowledge and practices of particular concern, follow-up on-site interviews are taking place this summer. Eleven Master Gardeners recruited from six New Hampshire counties are participating in this phase of the project. They were trained in May to implement on-site, structured interviews. This summer, the volunteers successfully completed 15 interviews with home gardeners - well over the half-way mark of completing 20 interviews in New Hampshire.

Interview results will be analyzed this fall. Once results are available, project directors will plan and develop a GAP education curriculum to address the food safety issues identified. Once again, trained Master Gardener volunteers will implement the curriculum throughout the state. Once completed, an assessment of the effectiveness of the educational program in improving the food safety practices of home gardeners will take place before distribution of the program both regionally and nationally.

A series of informal outdoor conservation workshops by UNH Cooperative Extension’s Community Conservation Assistance Program attracted a diverse group of interested participants the past two summers.

Phil Auger and Frank Mitchell organized the workshops. This year, attendance is up from 2004, with participants traveling from throughout New Hampshire and in some cases, interest exceeding capacity for some workshops.

In addition to Auger and Mitchell, who also provide some of the workshops, the series relies on other Extension staff, including Darrell Covell, Matt Tarr and Alan Eaton, as well as representatives of partner groups, the Center for Land Conservation Assistance/Society for the Protection of NH Forests, Nature Conservancy, NH Division of Parks’ Trails Bureau, Rockingham Land Trust, NH Natural Heritage Bureau, NH Office of Energy and Planning and private natural resources professionals.

The 2005 series consists of six conservation workshops. Attendees learn about:
• conservation easement management,
• conducting biological inventories,
• identifying conservation values on properties,
• forest management on conservation lands,
• managing public use of conservation lands,
• forest ecology and,
• interpreting land use history.

A highlight of this summer’s workshop series is a session in the UNH College Woods by Tom Wessels, a professor at Antioch New England Graduate School in Keene and author of the popular book, Reading the Forested Landscape. The Adelard A. and Valeda Lea Roy Foundation provided financial support for the Conservation Workshop Series.

For more information on the Summer Conservation Workshop Series, contact Frank Mitchell at Frank.Mitchell@unh.edu or 862-1067, or Phil Auger at Phil.Auger@unh.edu or 679-5616.

Traditional animal science projects are the most familiar part of 4-H to most people. Even people raised in urban areas often seek out the 4-H barns at the local county fair to see the animals and ask questions of the youth who exhibit them. 4-H youth development has changed a lot over the years, but the interest in animal science remains strong and youth learn about responsibility, sportsmanship and teamwork while they gain important skills in agriculture and animal care including animal selection. Here are some of the animal science experiences open to 4-H youth in New Hampshire.

UNH Cooperative Extension’s 4-H program holds an annual dairy judging and horse judging contest. Youth participants view several “classes” (consisting of four animals) and judge the animals based on confirmation and breed standards. For horses, they also look at their performance in riding classes. In addition to a written critique of how they place the class, youth gain important communication skills because they speak from memory to the judge for two minutes about the decisions they made regarding the animals.

In March, 75 youth and volunteers attended a dairy judging clinic where they learned about dairy cattle selection from Drs. Tom Fairchild and Drew Conroy from UNH’s Animal and Nutritional Sciences Department. The clinic featured instruction and demonstration on anatomy, confirmation and breed character as well as the opportunity to practice oral reasons.

In April, 29 youth participated in a horse judging contest held in Carroll County. They visited two farms and judged six classes of horses. In addition to official adult judges, recent alumni of the horse judging program served as co-officials.

Forty youth took part in a two-day dairy judging contest in May at four farms in Connecticut and New York to judge some of the best dairy cattle in the region. Youth judged several breeds of dairy cattle and delivered oral reasons to an official judge.

At these events, youth work towards representing New Hampshire 4-H in national judging contests. This year four youth and a coach will participate in the National 4-H Dairy Judging Contest held in Madison, Wisconsin in September and four youth and a coach will attend the Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup in Louisville, Kentucky in November.

I had various early retirement packages dangled in front of me the last few years. Some of my colleagues across the state took advantage of the offers and seemed to survive at such a young age (61, I never thought I'd reach 31). The one offered last fall by UNH caused me to reach out, grab the ring and take advantage.

As a result, I will "retire" June 30, but return on a 50 percent non-benefit basis through the end of the year. I will provide assistance as in the past but will wean some of my duties and pass some to others.

What happens after December 31? There will be limited program coverage without the presence of a full time Extension Educator in forest resources in Cheshire County. Given the resource (84 percent of Cheshire County is forested and owned by an estimated 6,500 private non-industrial landowners) and the expressed needs of those involved, I hope a full time educator will be funded.

I've been tromping around New Hampshire's forests as a professional forester for about 34 years and I've seen a lot. I virtually spent my whole professional career with UNH Cooperative Extension assisting landowners, decision makers and the general public helping them make informed decisions about the forest resource, first in Coos County and then in Cheshire starting in 1981.

I estimate that through the years I walked over more than 150,000 acres of forest land and provided help to about 20,000 individuals. I generated more than 500 electronic and written media items (news articles, radio, TV, publications and other stuff) and given more than 300 public presentations. How do I know all this? Reports! Our partners require some fairly detailed reports.

It's been a great run and still is with the only disappointment being the days I didn’t learn something. The questions, concerns and issues confronting owners and managers of the forest resource, the homeowners and general public are challenging. I hope I had a positive impact on them all.

How can I possibly thank the landowners, decision makers, co-workers, fellow resource professionals including foresters, school kids, the general public, all the others and the support of my family that have made this go so quick and be so enjoyable? I'll just say thanks.

How can you beat the surrealism of brilliant colors while walking through the forest on a crisp fall morning, the crunch of undisturbed fresh snow under your feet while traversing a northern hardwood forest, observing the youthful excitement of discovering that black birch twigs taste like wintergreen, the positive forest response of past management recommendations, the discovery of back country abandoned cellar holes and stone walls, the soulful cry of a loon in the solitude of a pond off in the woods?

The forest resource is in reasonably good shape, it is resilient yet fragile and its health so terribly important for the quality of life, pure water, forest products, clean air and our wildlife. For the most part it's in good hands as long as folks stick with a stewardship ethic to see it through. We all do things to touch the lives of the next generation, I hope I did my share. I hope I was able to contribute to an increased natural resource knowledge and ethic over the years. I certainly appreciate the opportunity to have given it a try. Thanks.

Charlie French received a UNH Faculty Technology Development Grant to institute a cross-disciplinary course within UNH's Resource Economics Department. The course will expose students to the theory and practice of Cooperative Extension and outreach: the conversion of University research and knowledge into programs that benefit the public. Picture Tel, a two-way, interactive video/internet system, will connect 15 campus-based students with Extension Educators from County offices who work in natural resources and other fields.

The Extension Educator featured in each class session will discuss their community outreach work, their experiences fulfilling the Land Grant University’s outreach mission, and the lessons they have learned. Students will ask questions and engage in dialogue with the speakers. The course focuses on exposing students to professionals they would not normally have a chance to interact with through the use of Picture Tel technology. A second goal of the course includes involving the students and guest speakers in evaluating the effectiveness of using Picture Tel as a learning/teaching tool so future Picture Tel classes can benefit from the lessons learned.

The course will be offered in the Spring of 2006. Extension staff willing to participate in a session are needed and would be appreciated. $100 will be given to the presenter's Extension office budget to compensate for staff time and use of equipment.

One UNHCE Aquaculture Program funded by the Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center focuses on developing a business feasibility study for baitfish aquaculture. Project objectives include: 1)determining suitable size and operating characteristics of an aquaculture enterprise readily replicated throughout the Northeast, 2)obtaining market, economic and technical information to determine the feasibility of operating this type of business and 3)compiling enterprise budgets and other financial records to demonstrate business feasibility to potential investors and/or new entrants into commercial aquaculture.

The bait market in this region is notable. In 1996, over two million people in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts held fishing licenses, and approximately two-thirds of them used live bait. The retail value of bait sold in just these four states in 1996 was estimated at over $31 million.

Though the market is large, the majority of baitfish used by Northeastern anglers comes from outside the region. Long transportation distances cause bait quality to suffer, and many Northeast state natural resource agencies are concerned about exotic and/or invasive species being imported with baitfish.

Baitfish culture is often considered an ideal start-up aquaculture enterprise. When existing ponds are used, startup costs for a baitfish aquaculture operation can be quite low, helping even small, part-time farmers participate. In addition, relative to food fish, bait are sold at a very young age and have a much shorter time to market, resulting in lower production costs. Selling prices, however, are quite high, with most species selling by the dozen or even individually. All these factors combine to provide a unique marketing opportunity for local bait producers.

The war in Iraq and the global war on terrorism changed the face of our military and those who serve our country. These families need support. To help this coming summer, UNH Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Camps will offer a free week of summer camp to children of deployed parents.

Operation Purple Camp takes place at the University of New Hampshire’s 4-H Bear Hill Camp from August 14 to August 19. UNH 4-H Bear Hill Camp is located in Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown. UNH Cooperative Extension and the NH National Guard collaborated with the National Military Family Association and Sears, Roebuck and Co. to provide this summer camp experience for children of military families. Funding comes from the Sears American Dream Campaign, the company’s multi-year, $100 million commitment to strengthen families, homes and communities.

The National Military Family Association developed the camps, 22 this year, as a way to bring children from across the military services together to learn from one another and share their experiences in dealing with deployment-related stress. They will learn about different cultures, share talents, gain new skills and most importantly, enjoy much-deserved carefree fun and treasured lifetime memories.

Operation Purple Camp is available to children of military personnel, targeting kids 8-16 years of age. All are encouraged to apply. Its goal is to have all branches of service represented, with emphasis on those service branches from New Hampshire and the New England region. First priority is youth who have a deployed or recently deployed parent (or other family member residing in the same house as camper). Deployment must occur from June 2004 to September 2006.

Registration runs through May 15. Families can call 603-862-2184 for an application for Operation Purple at UNH 4-H Bear Hill Camp or visit the website and click on the Register for Operation Purple.

Strafford County staff found a unique way to expand valuable Extension work. In particular, one volunteer, a former employee, works to increase and enhance Extension’s visibility through her natural resources efforts.

Former Strafford County Office Administrator Cal Schroeder implemented this volunteer concept. The volunteer, Lorie Chase, embarked on a mission to protect the natural character of the Seacoast area. While Cal provided office space to Lorie, she provided the talent and drive. Since then, her efforts include numerous partnership collaborations, ideas and leadership to tackle environmental issues. Lorie is well-known for her work and brings credibility and visibility to UNH Cooperative Extension. She previously worked for Extension’s Forestry and Wildlife Program, was a Tree Farmer and volunteer.

Lorie partners with Don Black, Strafford County’s Extension Educator, Forest Resources, on her volunteer efforts. She works in a variety of venues, from the banks of the Cocheco River helping people learn about the importance of riparian restoration and protection to appearing on cable television, talking about river corridor conservation. Lorie and Don received Conservation License Plate Grants and secured a $100,000 grant for the Strafford County Commissioners to develop a trail for the disabled from the county nursing home to the Cocheco River. The trail will include a tree house for the disabled. Lorie and the Cocheco River Watershed have been asked to apply for the New Hampshire entry into the EPA competitive grant round for a $600,000-900,000 Targeted Watershed Grant.

To learn about Lorie’s work, contact her at lorie.chase@unh.edu or 749-4445.

Question - What do ‘wannabe’ farmers, organic tomatoes, computer business software and grass-based livestock have in common?

Answer - They are all components of a vision for innovative agriculture, supported by UNH Cooperative Extension Agricultural Resources staff in their efforts to make New Hampshire farmers more profitable. Now that vision moves closer to reality.

UNH Cooperative Extension Agricultural Resources program staff are partnering with North Country Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D), NH Department of Agriculture, Marketing and Foods, NH Farm Bureau and others on a two-year, $156,000 USDA Rural Development grant. The grant, coordinated through North Country RC&D, provides funds to offer technical and business assistance for up to 20 New Hampshire farm families who want to develop and grow their businesses.

Farmers’ enterprise ideas can translate into innovative new farm businesses, which in turn support local economies as well as New Hampshire’s agritourism opportunities. This means that a farmer’s dream of a farm-based commercial kitchen turning out fruit pies and jams will now have the chance to become reality with the help of a personal BAT (Business Assistance Team.)

Experts in different areas of production, marketing and business management will comprise the BATs. Not surprisingly, Extension’s agricultural resources staff will play a large role. Several Extension staff, particularly John Porter and Mike Sciabarrasi, already have shared significant time and expertise by serving on the grant project’s steering committee. They will continue to do so as well as being part of the individual BATs working with selected farmers. Participating farmers, chosen through a competitive application process this spring, will have the opportunity to share their experiences with each other and other farmers through workshops and case studies during the next two years. The hope is this sharing leads to a ripple effect, multiplying the impact of the new and expanding agricultural businesses far beyond their local communities.

Like most other states, opportunities to let agricultural entrepreneurship shine often lag behind other business concepts in New Hampshire. This grant project provides an infrastructure to grow those innovative ideas into solid businesses. By showcasing these farm-based enterprises, UNH Cooperative Extension can demonstrate the importance of innovative agriculture to New Hampshire’s economic development. So keep your eye on the sky! That next flying pie may be coming home to roost in your own community.

For more information about the New Hampshire Ag Innovations Program, contact the project coordinator, Charlene Andersen of Kamigo Marketing, at 942-7160 or email her at info@kamigomarketing.com

Parents are under more stress than ever. Mary Pipher, author of Reviving Ophelia, writes in her book, The Shelter of Us, about one of the biggest changes in parenting over the past decades. In the past, it was the parents’ job to socialize children so they were prepared to join the mainstream culture. Today, parents must protect children from the world, and help young people hold on to values that too often conflict with those they encounter in the world. Parenting education changed to reflect this important difference.

In Rockingham County, Karen Blass teaches families how to deal with the influence of marketing and the media on children. The media targets children in many ways, from television characters in their fast food boxes to children’s books produced by for-profit companies. Karen helps parents and kids become more media smart. Through media literacy classes, parents and kids learn to spot commercials and the ways advertisers try to sell them products. Through this work, families learn to define values important to them and reject the media messages that conflict with those values.

In Sullivan County, Gail Kennedy collaborates with Nancy Berry to deliver drug and alcohol prevention education to teens who need this information the most. A grant from the NH Department of Health and Human Services brings Strengthening Families, a model program with proven effectiveness, to Sullivan County youth. Parents learn to recognize signs of drug use and how to communicate with youth. While parents meet, teens meet separately to develop skills to resist drug and alcohol use.

Statewide, UNH Cooperative Extension continues its popular and effective age-paced newsletter series, Cradle Crier and Toddler Tales. Annually, about 5,000 parents receive these newsletters geared to the age of the child (birth through two). Parents consistently report they learn about child development, safety, nutrition and other important parenting skills. The newsletters help parents feel more confident, setting the stage for strong parents throughout childhood.

The Northeast Consortium, created in 1999, consists of four research institutions (UNH, UMaine, MIT and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.) The consortium encourages and funds cooperative research and monitoring projects in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank that create effective, equal partnerships among fishermen, scientists, educators and marine resource managers. It administers nearly $5 million annually for cooperative research on a broad range of topics including gear selectivity, fish habitat, stock assessments, and socioeconomics.

Rollie Barnaby, Extension Educator, Marine Resources, was a member of the team that created the consortium. He continues to serve as the project’s outreach coordinator. Every project funded by the consortium needs at least one researcher and one commercial fisherman. One of Rollie’s tasks is to help match fishermen with researchers. He also helps fishermen develop research ideas.

From 1999-2004, the Northeast Consortium funded more than 130 projects, involved over 260 paid and volunteer fishermen and 95 scientists, and ensured completion of over 30 funded projects. Commercial fishermen received more than $7 million in direct payments, which according to a regional economic impact model, produced over $12 million in economic benefits for the fishing and shore side support industries sustaining 140 fishing jobs and more than 55 jobs in onshore support industries.

Of 411 commercial fishermen surveyed in 2003, 88 percent believe cooperative research leads to better fisheries management, 86 percent believe cooperative research improves relationships between fishermen and scientists, and 77 percent believe cooperative research provides economic benefits to fishing communities.

The 4-H Youth Development program of UNH Cooperative Extension supports development of important life skills. Emphasis over the past five years focused on fostering skills in setting goals and making decisions, communicating effectively and accepting differences in others.

Although today’s youth access 4-H through a variety of different programs, including camps and after-school programs, the classic 4-H Club remains a strong influence on young people. In the classic 4-H Club program, a variety of components contribute to the development of these skills, including volunteer training, club leadership, communication events, animal shows, recordkeeping, competitive events, community service and other educational activities.

Results of a recent study of New Hampshire 4-H club members, ages 12 and over, provide evidence of the positive impact of 4-H clubs. In this study, approximately 100 4-H youth and their parents from five counties responded to written surveys. Volunteer leaders and judges at county-wide events also took part in the study. More than half of all respondents believe participation in 4-H helped youth increase their skills in setting and reaching goals.

In an age of easy access to information, the ability to gather useful and reliable data is critical. Over two-thirds of parents and half the 4-H members believe their 4-H Club experiences increased their skill in gathering and organizing information for clearly presenting thoughts and making effective presentations. A majority of parents and youth also believe 4-H provides opportunities to gain confidence speaking in front of others, and persuading others with the creative use of words and actions.

With increasing diversity in our nation and communities, youth benefit from learning positive interpersonal skills. At least a third of 4-H members and their parents found the 4-H Club a place where youth can make new friends who are a positive influence on them. Through the 4-H Club experience, youth also learn how to solve conflicts in ways that aren’t hurtful to others. 4-H helps them practice being respectful of others, regardless of their differences.

A renewed effort to conserve open space lands in Rockingham County for future generations began a few years ago when the County Advisory Council and county officials supported a new Extension educator position. Phil Auger filled that position, working with land conservation partners, communities and private landowners, sharing his expertise to meet major environmental and economic problems facing the area today – loss of open space and protection of water resources.

Research shows people prioritize water as a critical reason to purchase and protect land. Those polled see it as “very important” to buy land to protect lakes, rivers, streams and watersheds, the quality of the water they drink, and improve water quality in lakes, streams and rivers. Land conservation provides a long-term approach in the protection of many threatened natural resources, including water resources.

The Land and Water Educator offers direct support to virtually all conservation organizations, with particular emphasis on small regional groups. Phil’s objectives include creating awareness of the need for protection of lands for drinking water, working forests, agricultural lands and lands that define “quality of life” for New Hampshire residents, helping communities and regional land conservation organizations identify, develop skills, implement practices and ultimately conserve key parcels and natural resource features, and develop a strong core of private non-profit organizations and private consulting firms that carry out land conservation work.

Phil’s accomplishments include:
• “Does Open Space Pay” programs and other work within communities demonstrated the economic link between open space losses and escalating property taxes. As a result, New Hampshire communities allocated $20 million in 2002, $30 million in 2003 and $36 million in 2004 for land conservation – over $100 million in four years.
• Presentations on the economics of open space remain in demand statewide. This year’s presentations included the Rochester City Council, local cable television, and communities in the Green Mountain Conservation Group region.
• The work of Phil and other educators sparked a major cultural change in how municipalities interact. Where Extension staff encourage a watershed approach rather than only working within political boundaries, multi-community conservation groups formed for land conservation purposes.

Three years ago, the Professional Development component of the Northeast Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) got a nice surprise when Stephen Herbert of the University of Massachusetts developed a 16-page color booklet profiling some of the SARE Farmer Grant recipients in that state, their projects and the results.

This booklet showed, by example, how the Farmer Grant program works, in a format that was appealing, easy to read, and compact. It spurred the Professional Development Committee to offer incentive funds to all states in the region to develop similar publications.

Now, New Hampshire has developed a web-based publication, “Creative Ideas, Practical Solutions: SARE Farmer Grants in New Hampshire,” up and running on the UNH Cooperative Extension web site. The booklet is brought to you by Lorraine Merrill, Caroline Robinson, Linda Brushett and from UNH Cooperative Extension, Seth Wilner and Faye Cragin.

Highlighted in the publication is a solar vehicle for farm use, a farm-based sustainable agriculture education program, an orchard management project, the development of a community-supported agriculture cooperative, and a new resource on selling dairy products at farmers’ markets. There also is a listing of sample grants from around the state and a section offering helpful hints on developing a SARE grant proposal. The publication is fresh, specific and useful.

This article is reprinted, with permission, from Innovations in Sustainable Agriculture, Winter 2004-2005, the newsletter of the Northeast Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program.

Last year, New Hampshire residents qualified for $16.5 million in unclaimed Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). National research studies reveal between 15-20 percent of eligible workers earning less than $35,458 don’t claim their EITC. By filing a tax return, working individuals and families can receive as much as $4,300.

In December 2003, the Annie E. Casey and the NH Charitable Foundations provided grant funding for “Linking Workers with the Earned IncomeTax Credit.” It focuses on developing marketing strategies to increase the visibility of EITC benefits to low and moderate-income New Hampshire residents. It also helps conduct research to increase the population’s understanding of EITC and availability of free tax preparation sites. The grant efforts included forming a statewide EITC Alliance to share best practices and information, and provide financial management education.

Many families applying for EITC pay someone to complete their tax forms. This can cost $55 to $200 or higher. Low-income workers can get free tax preparation help with offices located throughout New Hampshire. You can find the nearest free tax preparation location at the AARP web site.

Many EITC-eligible families participated in UNH Cooperative Extension’s “Making Money Work for You” series. At its conclusion, results show 64 percent set up a system for storing financial records and 36 percent planned to, 34 percent prepared a household inventory and 56 percent planned to, while 37 percent reviewed their insurance coverage and 40 percent planned to do so. Sixty-seven percent now follow a spending plan, 45 percent now have an emergency fund, 51 percent now save, 61 percent reduced their money leaks, and 56 percent obtained a copy of their credit report.

Two free publications are available to EITC-eligible individuals and families, “Need More Money to Pay Your Bills?” and “2005 Advance Earned Income Tax Credit.” By the end of January, you can order them from UNH Cooperative Extension Publications Center. For more information, contact Val Long or Suzann Enzian Knight.

Teams of high school students from across northern New England gather at the University of New Hampshire Saturday, Feb. 5, 2005, to compete in the annual National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB). The team that wins the event, also known as the Nor’easter Bowl, goes on to compete in the nationals, held in Mississippi in April, with all expenses paid.

The event is open to high school teams from Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Each team consists of four members plus an alternate and coach. There is no cost to schools and breakfast and lunch are provided, as is lodging for teams traveling a long distance.

One of 24 regional competitions, the UNH NOSB is an exciting opportunity for both students and teachers to broaden their knowledge and interact with other schools in a timed, round-robin competition. Teams face off against one another to answer multiple-choice, short-answer and team challenge questions. Categories include physics, chemistry, biology, geology and geography of the oceans, the social sciences, ocean-related technology and current events.

The Nor’easter Bowl is a collaboration of the UNH Marine Program, UNH Cooperative Extension, NH Sea Grant, the University of Maine, the University of New England, Bigelow Laboratory and the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE).

Bullying prevention is one focus of UNH Cooperative Extension's Family and Youth Development current programming efforts.

In the past year, UNH Cooperative Extension partnered with the UNH Resource Center on Adolescence, the UNH Family Research Laboratory/Crimes Against Children Research Center, the NH Department of Education and the NH Bureau of Maternal and Child Health to conduct educational sessions on bullying and discuss collaboration.

In addition, the New Hampshire legislature demonstrated its concern by enacting New Hampshire's Pupil Safety and Violence Prevention law, requiring each school board adopt a pupil safety and violence prevention policy that addresses pupil harassment. House Bill 1162, passed in the 2004 session, "requires school districts to notify the parents or legal guardians of the district’s policies on bullying and requires that a report of any bullying incidents be made by telephone and by a written report sent by mail to the parent or legal guardian of the pupils involved."

This past April, UNH Cooperative Extension conducted the National Bullying Prevention Campaign satellite conference, Take A Stand, Lend a Hand, Stop Bullying Now! Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau provided support for this conference nationally and in several parts of the state.

A new two-part Bullies & Victims: What’s A Parent to Do? series takes place in eleven locations around the state. The first one took place November 30 and the second is set for December 7, 6:30–9:30 pm. This national satellite series is sponsored by several Cooperative Extensions, with the broadcast originating from Iowa.

The program focus is to help families deal with bullying and kids who are out of control. It helps participants understand the fundamental strengths children acquire to manage fear and resist predatory peer behavior such as bullying and other forms of intimidation. Participants also will examine how parents, teachers and community members can help support healthy social and emotional development in children and youth.

These educational programs lay the groundwork for collaborations with local and statewide partners to address this very important issue in a comprehensive manner. Our hope is to stimulate attention to these issues at the youth, family, school and community level.

Just how do you make sure wildlife continue to thrive when they live in the fastest growing state in the Northeast? The answer is good planning. New Hampshire, like all other states, received new federal funding in 2003 to create a “Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan.” The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department has two years to create this new plan to ensure a bright future for all wildlife in the state.

In the spirit of New Hampshire partnerships, the state’s Fish & Game Department looked to its partners to help them write the plan. These partners include researchers from UNH, biologists from the Audubon Society of New Hampshire, and ecologists from The Nature Conservancy, among many others. Additionally, Fish & Game asked UNH Cooperative Extension Wildlife Specialist Darrel Covell to co-coordinate the plan’s development.

Now into its second year, the Comprehensive Wildlife Plan has come a long way. While biologists work on the wildlife and habitat end of things, Covell is busy gathering input from the public – one of the eight required elements of the plan. Covell and colleagues formed the “Communications and Outreach Team” and conducted a Wildlife Summit meeting of individuals and groups interested in wildlife. Facilitated by professionals (including UNH Cooperative Extension’s Phil Auger, Charlie French and Frank Mitchell), the Wildlife Summit helped define and prioritize issues affecting wildlife.

The team also gathered additional input from a broader public through a Wildlife Plan Web Survey. It is open until November 15. To date, more than 1,200 people responded to the web survey. Please feel free to complete the survey yourself. For more details on the Comprehensive Wildlife Plan, visit the Fish and Game web site, and find out more about critical wildlife habitats and wildlife species.

UNH Cooperative Extension's Family, Home & Garden Education Center Info Line answered 35,000 calls in the last five years! The Education Center volunteers, highly trained Master Gardeners, provide research-based information on a wide variety of questions from homeowners. In those five years, 221 Education Center Master Gardeners volunteered a total of 13,418 hours.

Categories range from annuals to wildlife and include questions about child development, food safety, backyard livestock, ponds, vegetables and weeds, to name a few. There are 24 categories of questions, and the top five remain constant. The most frequently asked questions focus on trees and shrubs, household insects, annuals and perennials, lawns and wildlife.

This past year, the top category was "trees and shrubs," an indication that home landscaping interests are growing, generating lots of questions, and lawn concerns made up the third biggest category. For this reason, the Center coordinator and entomologist, Rachel Maccini, expanded the Info Line training to include more information.

This fall a presentation about Urban Pest Control updated Master Gardener trainees about new control methods for termites, ants and household pests. IPM, pond maintenance, water quality, mold and mildew, new insects to New Hampshire, and forest entomology are other topics covered in the expanded training schedule.

Peg Boyles continues to work with center staff to update fact sheets. More and more fact sheets are available on our web site, providing instant information to callers who are on-line. The center can also provide information to callers without web connections through their home fax machines.

Education Center Director Margaret Hagan’s topical shows on WMUR-TV generated 445 calls this year for further information, indicating the public’s interest. The center also provides classroom space for unique and interesting evening workshops taught by Master Gardeners. In the last two years, Master Gardeners conducted 32 evening and weekend workshops for 291 participants.

Anne Krantz, involved since the Center opened, says, “The Center opened just five years ago and undergoes constant tuning to provide even faster and more efficient answers to ever tougher questions. From our humble start with a class of 30 recruits, we have become a state-of-the-art operation, respected by other states. We who were in the first class remember our anxiety about our ability to do such sophisticated work - to simultaneously use the computers to quickly enter information and to do searches while talking to the callers.

In class we worried about the Y-2K scare and anticipated questions about disasters – how long could water be kept in plastic jugs? When we graduated and began to staff the Ed Center we were swamped! I remember having six or seven pending questions, and fearing that I would get the answer to the wrong client. But it was so exciting – it seems like another century now! We expected calls about gardening topics that we were comfortable with – what flowers to plant where. But as Ed Center volunteers now know, that hardly ever happens, the questions are usually very difficult."

As more and more people become aware of the resources offered by the Family, Home & Garden Education Center, its outreach efforts grow. It’s a winner for all involved, including the volunteers who gain knowledge, satisfaction and self-esteem, the staff, who can now focus on program impacts elsewhere, New Hampshire residents, who gain valuable education, and UNH Cooperative Extension, which gains as a whole through increased visibility.

If you're interested in finding out specifics, tailor your own report at the Family, Home and Garden Education Center site.

UNH Cooperative Extension is launching a new initiative called GIS Mapping of Social Assets. The program’s first goal is to determine how communities and socially oriented organizations/agencies around the state could effectively access and use information about community and regional social assets. These could include meeting places, educational institutions, local and regional associations, cultural and historic resources and available human services. The initiative’s ultimate goal is to determine how to develop a GIS-based website that more easily identifies and locates statewide social resources on a map.

For many years, New Hampshire’s conservation community, consisting primarily of non-profit and public agencies, used GIS data and software to accelerate conservation activities within the state and across the region. An increasing availability of natural resource GIS data, coupled with advanced training opportunities, helped conservation organizations analyze the relationships between resources and land uses. In turn, this helped conservation groups educate communities about the importance of integrating natural resource data when making important land use decisions.

UNH Cooperative Extension was instrumental in spreading GIS technology to the conservation community by providing GIS training and assistance. As an example, programs such as GIS for Community Decision-Makers helped communities identify conservation areas to help advocate effectively for their protection.

Despite advances in mapping and analyzing natural resource data using GIS, other fields haven’t used GIS technology in their decision-making processes. In particular, social/health service providers, community development organizations, youth/elderly advocates, and others had limited access to GIS-enabled data that pertains directly to their specialties.

Extension’s initiative will help develop a comprehensive, web-based system that helps communities and organizations feed information on community-level and/or regional-level social assets to a statewide database. They will then be able to locate various social assets categories on a map through this web-based database. With the new GIS-based website, users will zoom in to the appropriate geographic scale with regard to a particular asset(s).

To implement the initiative, the first step is to study the technology opportunities, barriers and issues related to creation of a social assets database. Such assets might include the location of teen centers, safe houses and public meeting spaces. To gather this information, a series of focus groups will take place around the state to determine what social asset data groups maintain, what data they would find useful, and how their data is stored.

Once a range of social assets is identified and the data structure maintained by various stakeholders analyzed, the next step is to determine how to deliver the information through the Internet using GIS. The information provided by stakeholders will help frame development of a web-based repository that readily provides access to information on statewide assets and displays the information in map form. Each social asset will link to information about that asset, such as the physical address/location, the nature of the asset and accessibility.

The database will also help communities understand the important interrelationships between the various social assets they maintain and spawn a better understanding and use of existing assets. Extension staff involved in the initiative are Charlie French, Charlotte Cross, Michele Gagne and Brad Anderson, who works on contract with Extension on GIS education.

A recent congressional briefing summary titled The Public Health Effects of Sprawl describes what might seem like a no-brainer to many Extension staff across program areas: sprawling communities contribute to the chronic diseases of the 21st century - high blood pressure, obesity and asthma. It seems our vehicle (rather than pedestrian)-friendly development patterns contribute to an increase in automobile use, a reduction in physical activity and therefore, an increase in obesity rates and respiratory illnesses.

The briefing mentions studies that help establish the connection between the built environment and health concerns, such as studies connecting motor vehicle pollution and respiratory diseases, increasing rates of vehicle travel and increasing rates of obesity, BMIs of people living in sprawling communities versus more compact communities and links between urban form, physical activity and obesity.

Obesity is a serious health concern in both effects and costs. According to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity may soon overtake tobacco as the leading preventable cause of death. It already exceeds smoking in health care costs, but there is relatively little public policy designed to combat obesity compared to reducing tobacco smoking.

Dr. Reid Ewing of the National Center for Smart Growth, who published a study in the American Journal of Health Promotion (Sept./Oct. 2003) demonstrating a clear relationship between urban form, physical activity and obesity in the United States, suggests the following ways to reduce sprawling land use patterns and get people more active in daily life.
The suggestions include:
* Increasing community densities
* Connecting streets and shortening blocks
* Mixing land uses (i.e. residential, commercial and institutional)
* Strengthening city centers, and
* Building complete streets that provide safe and convenient travel for people on foot and bicycles.

The briefing points to the need for planning professionals, transportation experts and public health officials to work together to help communities improve their health through better community planning. In Extension, we might be wise to look carefully as this data and keep it in mind as we work with communities on their visions, their land use and their health. It may be the ultimate interdisciplinary project!

Read the full briefing for more information.

New Hampshire received over $130,000 in new federal funding under the Children, Youth and Families At-Risk project of CSREES. The “N.H. Promise with CLASS” project will demonstrate that two very different models for building communities of support can significantly enhance the healthy development of youth. Each project will use strategies designed to encourage the development of citizenship, leadership, life skills, achievement, aspirations and service to community. A critical program component is the creation of safe environments where youth in need of extra support can thrive.

One project funded under this grant is the 4-H Afterschool Program, located in the Hillsboro-Deering elementary and middle schools. The program is designed to provide a safe, inclusive and developmentally appropriate educational and recreational afterschool environment for rural youth. Community partners include the Hillsboro-Deering Area After School Program (grades 1-5), the Hillsboro-Deering Middle School 21st Century Community Learning Center & After School Program (grades 6-8), the Even Start Family Literacy program, and Hillsboro's Police Department, Office of Youth Services, and Parks and Recreation Department.

The second project, the Seacoast Youth Leadership, will reach youth from the Seacoast communities of Seabrook, Hampton, North Hampton and Hampton Falls. Middle school youth (ages 12-14), referred to the Seacoast Diversion Programs, will participate in an alternative leadership and life-skill development program. Desired outcomes include improvement in school attendance and behavior, reduction of involvement in court, a drug free lifestyle, an increase in positive decision making and resistance to negative peer pressure. Other aspects of the program include parent education and training, and community service by court involved youth.

The UNH Cooperative Extension Forestry and Wildlife Program prides itself on its close working relationships within the New Hampshire natural resources community. The New Hampshire conservation license plate program (with its “moose plate”) illustrates how working together with others toward a common goal brings good results.

UNH Cooperative Extension serves as a permanent representative to the NH Conservation Committee (SCC), an organization of state conservation agencies. When Jody Pellerin chaired the SCC, she envisioned a New Hampshire conservation license plate. Bob Edmonds and Wendy Scribner volunteered to work with Jody and others on the idea.

Extension encouraged the SCC to join with the NH Fish and Game Department, in need of external funding for its non-game program, as well as the Natural Heritage representative at the NH Division of Forests and Lands. People interested in cultural resource preservation joined in, bringing the political horsepower to get a bill into the legislature and through some tough committees.

Prior to one of the meetings, Bob outlined an idea for distribution of funds if a conservation license plate program were in place. Bob’s idea included UNH Cooperative Extension in the counties as one of the recipients. Specific conservation agencies, conservation districts and local groups also were included. The committee accepted the proposal and it is now the basic structure for the SCC component of the conservation license plate law. By working with conservation colleagues, UNH Cooperative Extension became a component of the law.

As a result, UNH Cooperative Extension receives conservation license plate funds. Grants so far were awarded to Phil Auger, Matt Tarr, Marshall Patmos, Mary Tebo and Don Black.

When you register your vehicle and buy a "moose" plate, you pay an additional $30 each year to support conservation and cultural heritage in New Hampshire. A portion of the fee comes back to UNH Cooperative Extension. It’s great to drive into a parking lot with Extension staff cars and note all the moose plates.

The Communications Work Team gathers September 9 in Boscawen. Team members include Holly Young and Peg Boyles as co-chairs, Paul Bonaparte-Krogh, Steve Judd, Faye Cragin, Gail Kennedy, Gillian Hodges, Mary Tebo, Kathy Jablonski, Sharon Cowen and Tina Savage.

The overall goal of this work team is to develop ideas, policies and direction for UNH Cooperative Extension’s internal and external communications. At this first meeting of the group, the team will review the vision/logic model for the Communications Unit of UNH Cooperative Extension, and team members will look at marketing and other essential communications work.

Other discussion topics include the possibilities of developing marketing campaigns for selected publications, social marketing programs for innovative Web features and benchmarks for assessing quality improvements in written communications and Web content.

As well, the team may focus on developing protocols and training for pre-testing communications products on real-world users and for periodically retesting important communications products.

Staff input is always welcome. Contact either Holly Young or Peg Boyles with your ideas and suggestions for this important work team.

Responding to grower requests for education in pasture management, Sullivan County Extension Educator Seth Wilner teamed up with Bruce Clement and Heidi Smith (NRCS) to develop and implement a pasture management program in the spring of 2001. Cheshire County Extension Educator Carl Majewski joined the effort in 2002.

The program evolved over time, responding to the needs and suggestions of the participants. In the first year, a daylong workshop focused on the basics of pasture management, including the principals of Management Intensive Grazing (MIG), soil fertility and fencing layouts. This workshop was followed by a single pasture walk at a local farm. Subsequent workshops focused on advanced topics such as animal nutrition, integrating pastures in whole-farm planning, and pasture plant growth patterns. Typical programs include Extension staff, regional specialists, and panels that allow fellow producers to exchange ideas.

Evaluations and needs assessments shaped the growth of the program. In each of the last three years, participants received information packets that complemented speakers' presentations. This past year, packets featured a new set of UNH Cooperative Extension fact sheets developed by Majewski.

For the past two years, five pasture walks at area farms using MIG followed the annual workshop. The walks adapted science to a specific farmscape and demonstrated how producers adapt grazing principles to their operations. During the pasture walks, farmers exchanged ideas and learned how others implement technology and creativity to set up a grazing system for their livestock.

Program evaluations over the past two years demonstrated an increase in knowledge and skills. These include the ability of participants to:

* identify weeds and grasses in their pastures,
* augment their pasture's soil fertility,
* obtain higher grass productivity in the pastures and higher stocking rates of livestock in pastures,
* direct market grass-fed meats,
* design pasture layouts and fencing schemes, and
* have a greater understanding of the principals of Management Intensive Grazing.

A number of participants also enrolled in USDA Farm Bill programs to upgrade their grazing infrastructure.

UNH Cooperative Extension’s Community Conservation Assistance Program (UNHCE-CCAP) teamed up with the Center for Land Conservation Assistance (CLCA) and the Society for the Protection of NH Forests (SPNHF) to create a new program that presents economic aspects of open space and developed land uses, and describes funding options for voluntary land conservation efforts.

The new program, The Dollars and Sense of Saving Special Places, will update, combine, repackage and expand information from several sources. These sources include The Dollars and Sense of Open Space slide show created in 1996 by the Society for the Protection of NH Forests (SPNHF) and the NH Wildlife Federation (NHWF), the 2000 NHWF publication, Open Space for New Hampshire, A Toolbook of Techniques for the New Millennium, and Saving Special Places: Community Funding for Land Conservation (CLCA & SPNHF, 2002).

To bring The Dollars and Sense of Saving Special Places to interested audiences around the state, UNHCE-CCAP is recruiting staff for training as well as presenting this program to community leaders, conservation groups and citizens. An inservice set October 20th in Boscawen will allow staff to experience the presentation and how to deliver it. We also will solicit interested staff from other natural resource organizations. In addition to the The Dollars and Sense of Saving Special Places presentation, UNHCE-CCAP and the CLCA will offer follow-up education and technical assistance to communities.

For more information about The Dollars and Sense of Saving Special Places, contact Extension Specialist Frank Mitchell (862-1067, Frank.Mitchell@unh.edu) or CCAP Coordinator Amanda Stone (364-5324, Amanda.Stone@unh.edu).

Over the past 10 years, the USDA/Army Youth Development Project developed 4-H clubs on all United States army bases in the states and overseas. With the recent high level of deployment of National Guard and reserve members, 15 states, including New Hampshire , received grants of $30,000, to implement a program called Operation Military Kids (OMK). OMK is an Army/4-H initiative to support military families in our own backyard. When National Guard, Army Reserve and other military parents living in civilian communities are mobilized, their children’s needs suddenly change. While youth still “look the same” to their teachers, friends and the rest of the community, they are now "military kids" and their lives are turned upside down.

In the next few weeks, the New Hampshire program kicks off its activities in cooperation with the National Guard Counter Drug Day Camp held at the Tracking Station in New Boston. The project will focus on developing communication links between family members in New Hampshire and those deployed. Over 100 young people will participate in UNH Cooperative Extension activities around food and fitness, and use of digital photography, while others are involved in activities coordinated by the guard.

In the next month, an OMK advisory group will be formed with Extension staff, guard and reserve staff, community members and youth to help design and implement the program for the coming year. We will meet with the "family assistance/readiness coordinators" from Concord , Manchester , Somersworth, Hillsboro and Littleton to introduce Cooperative Extension and learn about the needs of families of those deployed from their areas. The focus of the New Hampshire project will include teaching photography and technology transfer to youth as a form of communication, hosting a family camp in the fall, and integrating youth and other members of deployed families into ongoing 4-H and other Extension activities.

New Hampshire will assemble a team of 10 members to attend a national train-the-trainer workshop presented by the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) on “Understanding Military Culture.” When they return, they will present trainings to schools, the faith community and others involved as community support members to youth. Commitments to become members of this training team have already come from the NH Dept. of Education, Army and Air National Guard, the faith community and youth of military families.

What does organizing canoe trips down local rivers have to do with the job responsibilities of an Extension Educator of Forest Resources working for UNH Cooperative Extension?

Water resources education is an important component of our Forestry and Wildlife Program. The results increase knowledge and appreciation for rivers by those who influence their future. The results also include great public visibility for the value of Extension, and enhanced relationships with public officials.

Don Black, Extension Educator of Forest Resources brings the public, the media, conservation leaders and elected officials down rivers for a educational experience. Recently, a Foster’s Daily Democrat headline cited a Rochester official calling the Cocheco River a “cesspool.” An outcry resulted because many people felt differently due to the attention Don Black and others brought to the public and elected officials. People in Rochester learned the river is the cleanest it has been in years. People now value the river, pick up trash, use the river more frequently, and support conservation efforts to protect and manage this important natural resource.

A recent trip down the Branch River highlighted the value of conservation easements for saving important places. Eighty participants learned how one family protected forever hundreds of acres that border the Branch and Salmon Rivers. Among those participants were elected officials and the media, multiplying the effect of the program.

A trip down a local river provides an opportunity for participants to see and hear about natural resources from a variety of professionals from UNH Cooperative Extension and collaborating organizations. The river trip also brings important audiences to Cooperative Extension including people who make decisions on our funding and those who shape our public image. Canoe-kayak trips are media friendly, because they provide media people with interesting stories to report, photograph, and video tape. The participating decision-makers and cooperating agencies experience what UNH Cooperative Extension does and a positive ripple effect results from the media stories.

Participating agencies like the NH Departments of Fish and Game and Environmental Services, private companies, watershed protection groups and decision-makers not only gain knowledge about our work, but for at least for a few moments in time, they are part of our team. It is a win-win situation.

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The Forestry and Wildlife Program staff are riding a roller coaster of fiscal and programmatic expectations about a new USDA Forest Service landowner assistance program called the Forest Land Enhancement Program (FLEP). A cost-sharing incentive program, FLEP encourages forest owners around the country to manage their woodlands in a responsible way. With an end to previous programs, FLEP originated as a five-year program, funded at $100 million nationally.

FLEP also provides funds to UNH Cooperative Extension for education and technical assistance. Unlike most Extension units around the country, UNH Cooperative Extension for decades has engaged in cost sharing programs through the Forest Service.

The devastating fires in the West, however, forced the federal government to cut money in several budgeted programs. FLEP, one of these programs was reduced by half or $50 million. Undaunted, UNH Cooperative Extension and its partners, the NH Division of Forests and Lands and the NH USDA Farm Service Agency, began the FLEP program January 15. Plans call for distributing $80,000 this year to landowners approved in conservation programs. Landowners receive a 75 percent reimbursement to pay for a licensed professional forester who develops a forest management plan. For other practices, such as forestland improvement practices, FLEP reimburses half the costs. Privately held forestlands make up 70 percent of New Hampshire land area. Good stewardship of these lands affects everyone in the state

The loss of FLEP funding not only means a loss of a landowner incentive program, it means a revenue loss for the Forestry and Wildlife Program. There is discussion of fund restoration. Much depends on the economy and the Western fire season this spring and summer.

FLEP brings Extension together with partnering organizations with a common goal of serving New Hampshire 's landowners. They include the NH Division of Forests and Lands, the NH USDA Farm Service Agency, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the NH Department of Fish and Game and the NH Forest Stewardship Committee. The program provides financial incentives and increased interest in good conservation practices on private forestland in the state.

FLEP in NH already enhanced Forestry and Wildlife revenues by $94,000. This helped Extension with a needs assessment for applying the program, engaging partners through the NH Stewardship Committee and supporting Extension's implementation of educational and technical help. The New Hampshire FLEP Priority Plan, tailored to Granite State needs and written by Karen Bennett, was the first in the nation praised and approved by the USDA Forest Service.

Twenty-six years ago, UNH Cooperative Extension initiated a new program called Integrated Pest Management or IPM. Things were different then. Mailing a letter cost 13 cents. “ Dallas ” was a favorite TV show. No one had a “personal computer.” IPM funds came from Washington , and the idea was to change the way farmers used pesticides. It was clear there was an over-use of chemical pesticides. Application was automatic, as a means of chemical insurance. Research showed there were better ways to handle pest problems, using a combination of tactics, monitoring pest levels in the field or greenhouse. However, the challenge was getting growers to change their behavior. A common farmer’s perception was that moving away from a calendar schedule would prove risky. Why should I risk my $10,000 apple crop, just to save a few hundred dollars in sprays? was a common question of the day.

Alan Eaton, Bill MacHardy, Bill Lord and other Extension staff involved in the project knew reducing the use of sprays would reduce costs, the risks of creating pesticide resistance, toxicity and contamination risks. It also might increase some costs, including insect traps and the labor to count scab lesions. There also was that risk perception.

For the first few years, Extension staff guided growers individually, training each one in skills such as hanging apple maggot traps, identifying European corn borer damage, and reading hygrothermographs. For apple growers, Extension set up the IPM program as a side-by-side demonstration. Staff helped monitor and control pests on 10 acres, and the grower did what he or she wanted on the other 100 acres on the farm. The first year’s data showed $100 per acre savings. Growers quickly adopted IPM on the rest of their acreage. To instill confidence in the farmers’ new skills, Extension improved its publications, offered winter training sessions, provided a weekly newsletter of pest happenings, and a 24 hour/day telephone line that covered pest problems. The phoneline continues today (862-3763) and the newsletter is now available through the internet. Today IPM work involves tree fruit, small fruit, vegetables, greenhouse and field crops.

A recent analysis of the apple work showed New Hampshire apple growers saved $7.7 million, improving fruit quality on 1.16 million bushels of fruit, while reducing their pesticide use by roughly 40 percent. Beyond the numbers is the fact growers permanently changed their behavior. Instead of automatically spraying by the calendar, most New Hampshire growers now look first, and often use a combination of chemical and non-chemical methods.

UNH Cooperative Extension has kept many farms in business during times of falling prices and foreign competition. Benefits include fresh produce, locally grown, rather than sitting at the very end of the food pipeline. Strawberry season is about to begin. Wouldn’t you prefer sweet, ripe locally grown fruit, rather than cardboard flavored things shipped hundreds of miles? Get out there and enjoy.

How often do you eat in a restaurant or order take-out in a typical week? Demographic and lifestyle changes since the 1980’s have increasingly shifted the responsibility for the safety of food from the consumer to other sectors of the food system. The National Restaurant Association reports that:

Consumers spend 46.4 percent of their food dollar in restaurants
58 percent of restaurant business is off-premise traffic (take-out, catering)
The average annual household expenditure for food away from home was $2,276 or $910 per person.
As one component of New Hampshire ’s tourism industry, the food service sector is thriving. In March of 2004, an estimated 3,256 eating and drinking establishments employed approximately 41,100 workers. Food workers need food safety and sanitation education and practical skills to implement at their worksite to ensure food prepared and served in food service establishments is safe.

For over 10 years, Family and Consumer Resources Educators have implemented the Safe Awareness in the Food Environment (SAFE) program in all 10 New Hampshire counties. Although SAFE is a two-hour, one-session program, the program’s “high reach” – 27 to 36 programs reaching 544 to 648 food workers each year – and yields impressive evaluation results for this type of program.

Educators’ exemplary teaching resulted in high post-workshop evaluation scores. For example, in FY 2003, 627 SAFE participants scored greater than 94 percent correct on all but three of the 12 knowledge questions. Follow-up phone surveys with food managers in the participants’ facilities showed food workers wash their hands more often, wash and sanitize work areas and cutting boards more often, and take temperatures more frequently after attending a SAFE program.

Long-term impacts of the SAFE program include our partnerships with the NH Bureau of Food Protection, Health Officers in Self-Inspecting Cities and Towns and the NH Lodging and Restaurant Association to help implement SAFE and ServSafe® programs throughout New Hampshire. Lastly, SAFE is one of many factors leading to an increased awareness among food managers and workers of the importance of food safety and sanitation.

New Hampshire residents appear to have an insatiable desire for information about ponds, and people with ponds love to talk about them. From early spring through fall, UNH Cooperative Extension telephones ring off the hook with questions about pond vegetation, fish stocking, water color, unusual insects and more.
In an effort to help address these calls, and tackle at least a little of this voracious appetite for knowledge, Cooperative Extension staff work with the county Conservation Districts and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to offer pond clinics in each of New Hampshire’s 10 counties every other summer.

A pond “clinic” is an evening meeting held at a pond site. Sometimes the ponds are new, sometimes they are well established and lovely, and sometimes they are old and overgrown with aquatic plants and/or algae. Each type of pond provides opportunity for varied discussions.

In most of the counties, the UNH Cooperative Extension Agricultural Resources or Forestry & Wildlife Resources Educator works with the county Conservation District to locate a suitable pond, organize the program and advertise the event. At the pond clinic itself, the NRCS conservationist discusses pond site evaluation, construction and permitting. Extension Specialist J-J Newman then talks about pond biology, fish stocking and weed/algae control. It is common to have 50 or more people attend one of these events.

The summer of 2004 will again be a summer of pond clinics. If you, or someone you know, has a pond or is interested in building one, contact your county Extension or Conservation District office. Working together, we hope we will one day fill the need for this kind of information. People will always like talking about their ponds, though!

Each county has established an individual assigned to place orders with our Publications Center. We thank them for combining orders in recent weeks to help the center become more efficient during reduced hours and with the use of work-study students to staff it. Please place all publications orders through: ce.pubs@unh.edu

County contacts are:
Belknap - Barbara Brink
Carroll - Cheryl Whiting
Cheshire - Diana Fiorey
Coos - Carolyn McQuiston
Grafton - Sharon Youngman
Hillsborough – Susan Bell
Merrimack - Lynn Thurber
Rockingham - Gail Ramsey
Strafford - Lisa Kennedy
Sullivan - Karna Williams
UNH FH&G Center - Pam Doherty
The Program Leaders recently reviewed all publications for their program area. Many publications were removed, archived and distributed directly to county educators. The work study students are now conducting the physical inventory required by UNH at the end of each fiscal year.

Summer work-study help for the center is being advertised. There may be a reduction in hours at the publications center this summer, from June through August, depending on the availability of summer help. Holly Young will communicate summer hours, ordering requirements and contact information as it becomes available. If you have any questions, please contact Holly.

“When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.” (Helen Keller).
This quote resounds during this “pre-season” to New Hampshire 4-H camp’s official opening June 27. It speaks to that miracle known as summer camp, a place designed for the benefit of youth. Summer camp is an environment where children play, learn skills and develop socially, emotionally and physically.

The summer camp experience provides children with a community of caring adults who develop an intentional, inclusive endeavor that results in self-awareness and an appreciation for others and the natural world. All outcomes of camp build personal competencies. The nature of camp with its youth development structures and sense of place allow children to experience the building blocks that foster community.

At NH 4-H Camps, the community icon, the emblem with an “H” in each leaf, standing for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health, serves to focus our process of youth development. For a camper, Head means thinking about the environment and understanding differences, Heart means to be empathetic and cooperate, and Hands means trying new skills, giving and working. Health means a healthy environment to build self-esteem, and play in a supported setting.

Camp staff create programs with the eight critical elements of youth development. As a result, children grow at camp. Relationships develop where campers are encouraged to try again, where friendships flourish between peers. For a brief moment, time and everything else, stands still. We collectively listen and watch while we see the miracle of a better future.

What happens to the miracle when these children go home from summer camp? What are the benefits to the child’s family, school, community and world? Researchers Connell, Gambone and Smith (2000) found that for these youth development miracles to occur, they must exist in a larger framework. This framework allows us to see the whole process of youth development as the sum of many interconnected, almost ecological factors, to be in place for youth development to occur. For years, campers' parents reported when their child returns from camp, they are more caring, they understand the importance of giving, and are better equipped to stand up for what they know is right. These qualities help build successful communities and a civil society (American Camping Association).

For more information about camps and youth development check out:
http://www.acacamps.org/
http://nhcamps.org/
http://www.ydsi.org/
To be a part of the miracle of summer camp contact Chris Conlon and see where your experience can influence the lives of New Hampshire youth.

UNH Cooperative Extension’s Strengthening New Hampshire Communities Program collaborates with the University of Vermont Cooperative Extension, the Vermont Center for Rural Studies, and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension to develop a web-based tool that helps northern New England communities measure their capacity for self-development in the following community functions:
Economic Vitality
Sustainable Environment
Cultural and Historic Preservation
Health and Well Being
Services for Youth, Families and Seniors
Social Networks and Civic Engagement
Not only does the interactive, web-based survey enable communities to determine their capacity for self-development in these areas, it directs them to resources that help them address existing or emerging needs or deficiencies. Foremost in importance, the survey design helps Cooperative Extension in northern New England enhance outreach programming to meet community needs and help communities benchmark progress in building their capacity.

The survey works in this way: Steering committee members planning a Community Profiles or other Extension program receive a password to enter the “Community Capacity Assessment” website. Members divide into groups of two or three based on their knowledge, skills and/or interests since the survey comes in six sections. Each group fills out one section of the survey. The questions for each section vary from community to community, based on the demographics of the community selected from lists available within the survey.

After each group completes their survey section, they receive a score that provides a rough indicator of their community’s capacity to address issues for that particular section heading. In addition, the steering committee receives a summary of the community’s strengths and opportunities, based on survey responses. Each Extension system provides a directory of resources. Group then come together and discuss their findings at a steering committee meeting.

The goal of the Community Capacity Assessment Survey is for communities to think critically about resources and assets the community maintains and to identify opportunities to build the community’s capacity to address issues or needs.

The UNH Coastal Floating Lab is taking reservations for the 26th season. From May 12 to May 28, youth ages 10-18 will board the Lady Merrilee-Ann in Seabrook Harbor for a three-hour, hands-on learning adventure into the Gulf of Maine. They will collect critters from the bottom of the estuary, drag plankton nets to discover the microscopic ocean world, use hand-held bearing compasses and charts to navigate the harbor and trawl for fish. Participants sample estuary and ocean water to compare dissolved oxygen levels, temperature and salinity at different locations. They also use a current meter to determine the rate of water flow.

UNH Marine Docent volunteers and UNH students receive detailed training for the cruises and assist groups of students learn about the marine environment through onboard stations using simple equipment. A New Hampshire science framework-based Floating Lab curriculum is available for educators to prepare students for the cruise.

The Great Bay Living Lab is also offered for the same age group in the fall at the Jackson Estuarine Lab on Adams Point in Durham. The three to four hour program includes sampling aboard the University's research vessel, the Gulf Challenger, an inter-tidal investigation, an uplands trail hike and tours of the Jackson Lab.

Each program costs $370 for 25 students, their teachers and chaperones. The program is open to schools, home-school groups, scout troops and 4-H clubs. Contact Sharon Meeker or Barbara Pinto at 749-1565 to make reservations.

Many New Hampshire communities lack safe places for youth when they are not in school, especially in rural areas. Children who spend time in quality out-of-school programs have better work habits, school attendance, interpersonal skills and non-aggressive responses to peer conflict.

Three teams of Extension staff from the Family and 4-H Youth Development programs spent the past five years gaining valuable lessons in creating sustainable after-school programs in rural New Hampshire. They worked in partnership with Boscawen, Claremont and Haverhill, through a grant from the CSREES Children, Youth, and Families at Risk (CYFAR) initiative from 1998 through 2003. The projects developed included two middle school sites (grades 4-8) in Claremont and Haverhill, and an elementary school site (grades 1-5) in Boscawen.

Two-thirds of the 506 participating youth qualify for free/reduced school lunch, meeting federal program requirements. Each program site offers two to three hours each afternoon of homework assistance, enrichment, community service learning, computer labs and activities to build life skills (social skills, teamwork, goal setting, decision-making and conflict resolution). University faculty and students evaluate the program’s effectiveness and its impacts. Community advisory committees, comprised of parents, youth, school personnel, program staff and community leaders help with program design and development, evaluation and sustainability.

While none of these programs existed five years ago, they now continue and grow. In Boscawen, the Concord YMCA assumed program management, expanding the program from three to five days each week. In Claremont, the program grew from serving 28 middle school youth in 1998 to 1,380 students in five schools (K-12th grade) in the 2002-2003 school year. In Haverhill, the program expanded school-wide and the advisory committee worked to sustain its budget through diversified funding.

Mary Banach, D.S.W., UNH Associate Professor of Social Work, provided the initial project evaluation. Scott Meyer, Ph.D., Professor of Social Work, Plymouth State University, and UNH graduate student Stephanie Halter facilitated final project evaluation. Over three-fourths of children and parents believe these programs help improve the child’s ability to complete homework assignments, and improve overall school performance. Nearly half the school staff felt participating students improved their class participation and one-third perceived improvement in academic performance. A majority of school staff felt participating students improved in leadership development. They also cited improvements in other critical areas of behavior/emotions.

UNH Cooperative Extension initiated a 4-H After-school Team, in partnership with the National 4-H Council, J.C. Penney, and PlusTime NH. Building on lessons learned, Extension staff provide training and support to after-school programs throughout the state. In the past year, training reached 332 after-school providers who serve 3,876 children and youth. Working with community coalitions, Extension staff helped after-school programs secure over $1.1 million in new funds and in-kind services to support after-school programs.

This past year, Stan Swier, Faye Cragin and Rachel Maccini, with help from John Roberts, carried out a School Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program for educators in northern New England. Beginning in September 2002, many of these educators participated in three planning and training sessions held in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.

Following these sessions, Stan developed a pilot training program for public schools. Keith Lessard, Grounds and Maintenance Supervisor for the Hampton School District, expressed interest in becoming the test school for the program. Stan and John worked with Lessard to evaluate the Hampton School District IPM program. They provided specific school and turf IPM recommendations and advice to help the school district serve as a demonstration school IPM program for New Hampshire.

Faye Cragin developed a regional (New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine) web site for the School IPM program. She and Rachel also developed a power point presentation accessed at: http://www.ceinfo.unh.edu/Agric/SchoolIPM.htm. This small project also successfully garnered a $6,000 grant for UNH Cooperative Extension.

UNH Cooperative Extension’s educational efforts increase the financial literacy of New Hampshire residents. Program participants establish financial goals, reorganize their spending to start or increase saving, decrease their debt load, and follow a spending plan that leads toward achieving financial security now and in later life.
This past year, through the NH Saves social marketing campaign, New Hampshire participants committed to saving or reducing debt at a rate of $5,509 a month or $66,108 the first year. They earmarked their savings for home buying, emergency funds, education, retirement and business development.

Throughout New Hampshire, UNH Cooperative Extension sponsored 38 workshop series for 344 adults in either the curricula “Taking Charge of Your Finances” or “Making Money Work for You.” As a result of this education, 59 percent decreased debt and paid-off bills, 63 percent are saving money and 34 percent plan to start, 71 percent now follow a spending plan, and 67 percent reported they felt more confident making money decisions. Furthermore, fewer participants indicated at the end of the workshops that they were paying bills late. From beginning to end of the five-week series, 39 participants saved $11,948 and reduced their debt by $8,705.
In total this past year, 257,358 youth and adults were reached with family resource management education through a variety of delivery methods. UNH Cooperative Extension’s financial management education makes a difference in people’s lives.

Maps have an extraordinary capacity to facilitate land protection and improved management by communicating information about current conditions, modeling the effects of future change, and inspiring action. The Geospatial Technologies Training and Resource Center offers a number of workshops in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS), but they are all introductory classes, geared toward students with little or no background in these technologies. Thanks to a grant from CICEET (the NOAA/UNH Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology), we will soon develop a course in more advanced techniques for watershed analyses.

To help determine the needs of potential participants, we are conducting an on-line survey (built with ITDE’s web form builder tool) of “power users” in the coastal region, and will follow that up with a meeting of planners, scientists, and municipal and regional decision makers. The specific topics covered in the workshop will grow out of this assessment process, but may include:

* Creating enhanced co-occurrence analyses for watershed studies
* Developing pollutant loading models that coordinate land cover data, digital elevation models, and soils data
* Using the impervious surface analysis tool developed by the NOAA Coastal Services Center

We expect to offer the course for the first time in August 2004.

The Teen Assessment Project provided a vehicle for community-wide mobilization, education and action based on the identification of and collaborative research about adolescent issues. TAP reached over 25,000 New Hampshire youth (89 communities), 20,000 parents and 10,000 others with educational efforts since its inception in 1993. In addition to the grant dollars and program fees TAP generated over the years, (over $250,000 in just the past few years,) well over $8 million received by communities in the form of grants and awards funded TAP follow-up efforts. These efforts included comprehensive strategic planning and implementation, paid community coalition coordinators, after-school programs, teen centers, substance abuse and teen pregnancy prevention efforts, teen health centers and suicide prevention work.

Parents gained knowledge about teen issues, parent/teen communication and parental monitoring. Statewide, TAP efforts contributed greatly to the understanding of the importance of connecting theory, research and practice/program by using an ecological model of youth development, demonstrating the relationship of risk and protective factors to adolescent development and behaviors. Strong partnerships at UNH and with state agencies allowed for creation of an Adolescent Resource Center this past year at UNH.

The future direction of Community Youth Development (CYD,) headed by Extension Associate Professor and Specialist Charlotte Cross, includes an initial “think tank” to conceptualize and document goals in the area of Community Youth Development. The group explored potential resources at its initial meeting this week and begins selecting goals and developing a logic model to guide program development, implementation and evaluation. Participation in developing this plan for CYD is welcome. To learn more about CYD, please view the power point slides at the following link http://ceinfo.unh.edu/Intranet/UNHCEPOW/GAP1117.pdf -Trends for Family, Youth and Community Development.

A number of projects are in the works:

* Disseminating TAP survey results and follow-up work in Plymouth, Newfound and Lin-Wood
* Follow-up support TAP efforts in Raymond
* Work with a Maine community in dissemination of its Maine Youth Drug and Alcohol Use (MYDAUS) survey results. Knowledge gained from doing this project will provide information relevant to our work in New Hampshire.
* Conducting additional gender-related data analysis of the 2000-2001 Multi-Community data set.
* Continued progress in creation of an online newsletter designed to link people working on adolescent issues.
* Collaborating with the Adolescent Resource Center to create a fact sheet on adolescent suicide with plans to develop more fact sheets on other adolescent issues.
* Partnering on the new CYFAR “New Communities Project.”
* Participation in the satellite downlink series “Cultural Perspectives on Parenting.”
* Partnering with the Adolescent Resource Center on the April 14, 2004 inservice “Creating Successful Adolescent Community Programs.”

Marking trees for timber on private woodlots or dealing with timber buyers for landowners were two jobs forest resource educators once provided in New Hampshire. This work was tied to the Extension philosophy of getting educational efforts started, up and running, and then turning them over to others, while we moved on to other important new issues.

Extension education for natural resource professionals, landowners, communities, forest industry people and others covers a broader range of issues. Research brings new information and a better understanding of ecosystems. Through Extension's leadership in education for natural resource professionals and forester licensing, New Hampshire's private sector foresters are among the most up-to-date trained group of foresters in the country.

Steve Wood is witness to 30 years of advancement in the forestry field. Following a stint in the Air Force and as a cowboy on horseback in Arizona, he followed his dad's advice and entered the forestry program at the University of Maine. He gained practical experience with the Claremont Lumber Company in New Hampshire before joining Extension. Retired Program Leader Roger Leighton hired Steve as a watershed forester, a job that lasted as long as the associated federal funding. With federal dollars running low, Roger suggested Steve enter the developing field of urban forestry. Steve has since become a pioneer in the urban forestry field in this state. He assisted Extension in reacting to the oil crisis by helping New Hampshireites use renewable forests to meet energy needs. He also worked with clientele as the gypsy moth and other pests invaded the state. When the 1998 ice storm attacked forests and communities in New Hampshire, Steve joined a team that helped the state recover from the devastation. Steve helps people move beyond viewing their woodlot as an income source or to put in isolation and not touch. He helps landowners and land managers understand long-range planning benefits, inspiring a stewardship ethic.

After three decades of dedicated service to the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, Steve will retire to meet the expanding demand for his portrayal as Abraham Lincoln. We wish Steve the very best in his retirement, sharing history with his and Abe's wisdom.

Farm business succession is critical to the future of farming. A smooth transition to the next generation of farmers is essential but challenging, given the financial risks of high start-up costs, tight profit margins, and escalating values of farm assets, as well as increasing development pressures facing agriculture in the region. Recent changes in estate tax law further complicate farm transfer issues and the impact of estate taxes on farm operations.

Many New England farm families grapple with these succession issues while trying to sustain a viable farm business for the incoming generation and adequate retirement for the exiting generation. How we serve these clients attempting to make the transition from one generation to the next will shape agriculture for decades to come.

In 2002 and 2003, UNH Cooperative Extension teamed with the University of Vermont Extension, Land Link Vermont, Connecticut Department of Agriculture, New England Small Farm Institute and Maine Farm Link to offer one-day workshops called Transferring the Farm. These workshops took place throughout New England, with funding from the Northeast Center for Risk Management Education.

The workshops blended traditional information delivery methods (one speaker, formal presentation) with innovative approaches such as small group discussion and farmer testimonials. In addition, workshop packets provided participants with take-home resources to use in planning farm estates and other uses. Topics presented gave participants an introductory yet comprehensive look at farm business succession concepts. The success of the workshops resulted in additional funding support with cooperative efforts planned through 2004. Up to five additional one-day seminars will take place this coming spring.

Obesity continues to be an important issue for Family and Youth Development to pursue. Several obesity projects aimed at both youth and adults have been in the planning stages for several months. For Example, in September, Valerie Long, Martha Judson (a former school nurse) and Colette Janson-Sand held an educational session for school nurses to introduce them to "Changing the Scene". This program, designed as part of the USDA Team Nutrition initiative provides information and tools necessary to begin implementation of good nutrition and activity practices within schools. The initiative brings together school personnel, parents and the community to make changes to create a school environment conducive to fitness and wellness among youth. This program will be offered again for a new group of school nurses in November. The first cadre of nurses will return to review progress, help problem solve and provide further assistance for projects.

Adults have not been forgotten in this issue, especially since news reports show the average weight of adult Americans continues to increase. A group of Family and Youth Development educators have been meeting to brainstorm an initiative to tackle this problem. The title of this initiative is "Lighten up New Hampshire: Healthy Weight Makes a Healthy State". We will continue to meet to determine the specifics of the project. At present the group plans to develop a web based strategy to provide information as well as collect data. They also are considering the development of an alliance of agencies and organizations with an interest and commitment in both nutrition and physical activity. All Cooperative Extension staff and units interested in other aspects of the project (such as in evaluating communities for walkability) are invited to participate. The group welcomes ideas from everyone within UNHCE as they continue to develop the framework for this important initiative. For more information contact Colette Janson-Sand.

Obesity continues to be an important issue for Family and Youth Development to pursue. Several obesity projects aimed at both youth and adults have been in the planning stages for several months. For Example, in September, Valerie Long, Martha Judson (a former school nurse) and Colette Janson-Sand held an educational session for school nurses to introduce them to "Changing the Scene". This program, designed as part of the USDA Team Nutrition initiative provides information and tools necessary to begin implementation of good nutrition and activity practices within schools. The initiative brings together school personnel, parents and the community to make changes to create a school environment conducive to fitness and wellness among youth. This program will be offered again for a new group of school nurses in November. The first cadre of nurses will return to review progress, help problem solve and provide further assistance for projects.

Adults have not been forgotten in this issue, especially since news reports show the average weight of adult Americans continues to increase. A group of Family and Youth Development educators have been meeting to brainstorm an initiative to tackle this problem. The title of this initiative is "Lighten up New Hampshire: Healthy Weight Makes a Healthy State". We will continue to meet to determine the specifics of the project. At present the group plans to develop a web based strategy to provide information as well as collect data. They also are considering the development of an alliance of agencies and organizations with an interest and commitment in both nutrition and physical activity. All Cooperative Extension staff and units interested in other aspects of the project (such as in evaluating communities for walkability) are invited to participate. The group welcomes ideas from everyone within UNHCE as they continue to develop the framework for this important initiative. For more information contact Colette Janson-Sand.

What good can a group of youngsters armed with spray paint in downtown neighborhoods be up to? Lots! Over the last two years, close to 400 youngsters learned about the number one source of water pollution in the nation and did something about it. These youth, with over 220 adult volunteer helpers, painted the message “Don’t Dump Drains to River” next to 1,330 storm grates in coastal New Hampshire towns.

The storm grates lead to a system of underground pipes that carry storm water away from our streets and neighborhoods and into local water bodies to prevent flooding. They also carry potential contaminants like automotive fluids, sediment, pet waste and pesticides from our streets, lawns and gardens into these local water bodies. The Environmental Protection Agency considers polluted runoff or nonpoint source pollution the primary source of water pollution in the country.

Storm drain stenciling as a community stewardship activity provides youngsters and adults a reason to learn about polluted runoff and to inform others about it. A common misconception exists that storm water entering the grates flows to a wastewater treatment plant. In the vast majority of instances, it doesn’t. Local media, further spreading the message about where storm water goes and how it carries pollutants, often cover storm drain stenciling projects.

In the past couple years, 12 different storm drain-stenciling projects were supported by a grant from the NH Estuaries Project to UNH Cooperative Extension’s Sea Grant program. The grant covered staff time, printing, travel and supply expenses. Groups of volunteers from within the community provide the labor. Local Departments of Public Works provide maps of the storm drain system, safety cones, paint and personnel to make the project possible. As towns in the region attempt to comply with new EPA regulations about reducing storm water pollution, youngsters armed with spray paint in downtown neighborhoods can be a welcome sight!

Therapeutic Recreation (TR) is defined as the use of treatment, education and recreation services to help people with illnesses, disabilities and other conditions develop and use their leisure in ways that enhance their health, functional abilities, independence and quality of life. This past summer, NH 4-H Camps had seven (five from UNH, one from SUNY-Cortland and one from Green Mountain College) therapeutic recreation undergraduate and graduate students working at its camps. There are no other 4-H Camps in the country that had seven TR students working at camp! In addition to the TR students, Bear Hill 4-H Camp had two UNH occupational therapy students.

This unique opportunity was made possible by the affiliation of NH 4-H Camps with the Dept. of Recreation Management and Policy (RMP) in the School of Health and Human Studies. Most students had taken RMP 501 with Ann Dolloff, CTRS (certified therapeutic recreation specialist), Extension Associate Professor and Specialist. If they hadn’t taken the class, they heard about employment opportunities through other faculty in the department, including staff who work with Northeast Passage. The TR students worked in a variety of positions. Three provided one-to-one support for campers with specific disabilities who required additional support for inclusion into the daily camp program. Two were general counselors, one was a supervisor and one an activity leader. Regardless of their position, all students were exposed to many children of different abilities and gained valuable experiences relevant to their course of study and future career goals. All were advocates for youth with disabilities and witnessed first hand the challenges and benefits of inclusion.

Student comments include:

T

I can not relate to what is being presented in class to reality and the world outside. I have some work related substance to TR to put on my resume and now have the long-term goal (one of many) of running a camp similar to Bear Hill some day.

T

First-hand experience! Can't read it, (can't) listen to someone else's story...do it!

T

I learned more about mental illness and children with disabilities in general than I have in any class or textbook.

T

I learned how to use verbal de-escalation and how to develop the skills of a therapist.

T

I truly believe that inclusion works because I witnessed it.
T It has helped me to form my ideas and philosophy about the benefits and drawbacks of inclusion, the joy of working with children of all ability levels and the importance that camps and recreation have on the growth and development of children and adults

As NH 4-H Camps continues to welcome all youth, regardless of ability, into its programs, such support from UNH faculty and students is invaluable. Campers who have cerebral palsy, bi-polar disorder, anxiety disorder, attention deficit with hyperactivity disorder, Down’s syndrome, William’s syndrome, Asperger’s syndrome, autism, language and cognitive delays, depression and pervasive developmental delays, come to camp and fully participate in all activities.

2003 Camper Statistics:

849 individual campers (92% from NH)
1,262 camper weeks (total of all weekly enrollments)
54% male - 46% female
3% were 4-H members before coming to camp
13% were 4-H members before coming to camp
100% are 4-H members after attending camp!
41% were campers in 2002
75% just finished grades 3-7

A decade ago, the word "biodiversity" often brought chuckles among natural resource professionals. Many thought it was another up-and-coming government buzzword. Today, biodiversity is recognized as a serious component of natural resource studies. Biological diversity, or biodiversity, is the variety and variability of all living organisms. This variety includes the diversity of plants, animals, fungi, algae, bacteria and other microorganisms, their genetic variability, the natural communities in which they live, and the processes and interactions that weave the biological and physical elements of the planet into a complex web.

Ellen Snyder, Extension Specialist and Associate Professor, Biodiversity, is a leader in New Hampshire's natural resource community for bringing the concepts of biodiversity to the forefront. UNH Cooperative Extension is probably the only Extension system around the country to have a biodiversity specialist.

In her biodiversity work, Ellen led an effort of New Hampshire public and private conservation organizations to maintain and protect important ecosystems. Originally called the "New Hampshire Ecosystem Reserve Project," it is now called "New Hampshire's Living Legacy Project." The mission is to establish and support a well-coordinated, comprehensive system of public and private lands voluntarily dedicated to protecting the full spectrum of biological diversity in New Hampshire.

Ellen is known and respected throughout the state and country for her technical excellence, her ability to convey complex ideas and her tenacity in bringing people together to address biodiversity issues. Ellen is leaving UNH Cooperative Extension Sept. 16. She will continue in her quest to preserve and protect New Hampshire's natural word, including her own community in Newmarket. She leaves a legacy of natural resource professionals, conservation groups, communities, volunteers and other individuals who now have a greater understanding and appreciation of biodiversity, ecosystems and what a great Extension educator can do for New Hampshire's future. That is her "living legacy."

Everyone knows the benefits of eating fresh vegetables, but for some, fresh vegetables are a costly extravagance. Carroll County Master Gardener Jory Sivin and Extension Agricultural Resources Educator Tina Savage came up with a plan to supply surplus seasonal vegetables to people who may not otherwise have access to them.

The Veggie Volunteer Program (VVP) began after a visit to the Sherman Farm in East Conway. The Sherman's' operate a large, year-round farm stand, where they market milk from their 80 cow dairy, home-raised beef and pork, and 50 acres of vegetables. With 50 acres, there's bound to be some extra, more lettuce than the farm stand can sell, summer squash a bit beyond its prime, and tomatoes that would spoil on the vine unless picked.

Sherman Farm generously offered this nutritious surplus to food pantries, senior centers and other organizations in the past, but the people who run these organizations had no way to harvest, transport or store the produce. That's where UNH Master Gardener Jory Sivin comes in.

Sivin has organized a system where volunteers from youth groups, schools, church groups and the private sector get together at the Sherman farm, harvest, wash, package and transport the vegetables to food pantries, senior centers and a local hospital. The goal of the VVP is "to create and sustain a community based program whereby surplus garden produce is picked and collected directly from the farm and then distributed to local food pantries and kitchens."

Everybody wins with VVP. The farmers finally realized their long-time goal of getting excess produce from their land to people who couldn't afford it otherwise. The VVP volunteers get to serve their community, learn about agriculture with a hands-on approach, meet new people, make new friends, have fun outdoors and earn credit toward club badges and community service requirements. Because organizations receive the farm-fresh vegetables free, they can redirect scarce funds to other needs. In one week, organizations that received the free produce reported serving fresh, local vegetables to more than 1,300 people!

Planning for this season's Veggie Volunteer Program began late last fall, when Sivin and Savage, with help from Extension Program Associate, Food and Nutrition, Joanne Knowlton, contacted food pantries to see if they could accept fresh produce and developed a plan for recruiting volunteers. Depending on the success of this year's program, the project may expand next year to include other farms.

Have Community Profiles reached their saturation point? Is there a need for a new initiative that helps communities address emerging needs and issues? The answer is both yes and no. While the demand for traditional Community Profiles has declined somewhat, it remains a high-impact program with widespread support. Communities, however, are increasingly seeking help with public dialogues around specific issues. To accommodate these requests, the Strengthening New Hampshire Communities Initiative (SNHC) is launching a new wave of community facilitations called Thematic Profiles.

Over the past few years, the mainstay of the Strengthening New Hampshire Communities Initiative (SNHC) was the Community Profiles program. The Community Profile is a process that helps communities take stock of where they are today and develop an action plan for how they want to operate in the future. The two-day process draws on the collective wisdom of community participants to affirm strengths, meet challenges through collaboration, and manage change. To date, nearly one-third of New Hampshire communities have undergone the Community Profiles process. Though there are still requests from new communities, there is an increasing demand for community-level public dialogues around focused issues, such as recreation, land use, tourism development, natural resources, youth-at-risk, economic development, health and well-being, and arts and culture

To address these demands, Thematic Profiles is a new initiative of SNHC to assist communities and organizations to develop, organize, and facilitate public dialogues around a variety of topic areas. These public dialogues are tailored to the specific needs of the community or organization. So far, Thematic Profiles' requests are coming directly from community leaders or from Extension County staff working with particular organizations or communities.

Examples of Thematic Profiles the SNHC staff and other Extension staff helped to organize and facilitate include:

* Public forums for the Office of State Planning to collect input for the State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP)
* Londonderry Recreation Plan Forum
* Community forums for the Belknap County Council on Youth and Families
* Community Forest Planning Forum
* Londonderry Master Plan Public Input Forum
* Healthy Kids Forum, Carroll County (upcoming)
* Community Planning Forums around Homeland Security (upcoming)
* Center for Integrative Regional Problem Solving Symposium (upcoming)

The Natural Resources Outreach Coalition (NROC) is a collaborative among 10 state, regional and non-profit organizations. NROC provides natural resources planning assistance to communities in coastal watersheds. Support comes from participating organizations and funding from the NH Estuaries Project and NH Office of State Planning's Coastal Program. UNH Cooperative Extension's Amanda Stone is the NROC Coordinator. Other UNH Cooperative Extension staff directly involved in NROC are Phil Auger, Frank Mitchell, Julia Peterson and Jeff Schloss. Charlie French also has been involved.

The NROC team provides guidance and technical assistance to help communities deal with the impacts of growth. This includes technical support, educational workshops, help developing action plans, and directing the community to sources of financial and other assistance. NROC support is tailored to each community's specific needs. Community participation in the NROC program is by application. There is no fee for participating communities. The cornerstone of the NROC program is an educational presentation called Dealing with Growth. All municipal board members and staff, and interested residents are invited to the Dealing with Growth presentation. Dealing with Growth reviews the status of a community's natural resources and introduces various techniques for managing them. Within two weeks of the presentation, the NROC team meets with interested community members to help focus their natural resource protection goals, develop an implementation strategy, and locate the technical and financial assistance they need to accomplish them.

NROC has assisted 10 communities during the past few years. Client groups conducted educational outreach campaigns, developed open space plans, created natural resources inventories, developed criteria for their conservation priorities, raised funds for conservation and protected land. See the UNHCE web site, http://ceinfo.unh.edu/cragin/common/documents/CCAPhome.htm, for additional information and a link to the NROC web site.

UNH Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development received a grant this spring from the Office of State Planning's Coastal Program to develop and pilot a 4-H marine education program. Work has begun on the development of curriculum and supporting activities.

4-H Youth Development staff is working with Sea Grant and Water Resources staff to develop a hands-on, experiential-based curriculum to educate youth and volunteers about the richness and diversity of New Hampshire's coastal resources. Zach Powers, a recent UNH graduate in environmental education, serves as program coordinator for the project. Working from the Kingman Farm, he will develop activities, write curriculum and create resource kits for volunteers.

The program focuses on developing curriculum that "immerses" youth in coastal and estuarine environments, illustrating the connections the sea has to freshwater ecosystems. While not all 4-H members live near the ocean, the project allows them to explore the wonders of the sea and to appreciate their local watershed. Interested volunteers and staff are needed to review materials at a meeting on July 30 and participate in a "training cruise" to the Isle of Shoals Aug. 22. Future activities include tide pooling, a coastal cleanup day, and volunteer training opportunities in marine science.

The curriculum should be finished by the spring of 2004 with the intent of submitting it for a juried peer review by the National Cooperative Curriculum System for potential national distribution.

UNH Cooperative Extension just completed a successful international exchange program. New Hampshire natural resource professionals traveled to Costa Rican forests, and in turn, Costa Rican natural resource professionals visited our forests. New Hampshire participants included Extension staff Frank Mitchell, Charlie French, Karen Bennett, Nancy Lambert, Peter Pohl and Phil Auger, as well as partners from the NH Fish and Game Dept. and The Nature Conservancy.

A private foundation provided a gift of $ 25,000 for this program. Nancy Smith, representing the foundation, joined the group at the Isles of Shoals and atop Mount Washington, and was pleased with the results. NH Fish and Game, The Nature Conservancy of New Hampshire, UNH professional development grants and personal contributions from participants rounded out financial support for the program.

This pilot program supports the UNH Cooperative Extension Strategic Plan by involving faculty across multi-disciplines. This program also addressed multi-cultures and important emerging issues such as habitat management and loss of habitat. Tropical forests function differently than do temperate forests. The exchange of science-based information gave participants from both countries an increased understanding of ecosystems and the impact of forest management practices. UNH Natural Resources Dept. Prof. Dr. Mimi Becker helped locate Costa Rican candidates for the program.

UNH Natural Resources Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tom Lee also joined the group to provide the opportunity for an in-depth exchange of technical information and perspective relative to ecology in New Hampshire and Costa Rica. Other departments and Extension staff also participated in the program.

Participants developed career-long and life-long relationships through the exchange program. The lessons learned in this pilot will serve UNH Cooperative Extension well as we look to Costa Rica and other international programs to address complex natural resource issues and problems.

On an individual level, one University of Costa Rica wildlife biologist researcher was immediately struck by new possibilities for integrating global positioning system technology into his research about bird populations in his home country. Techniques used in the White Mountains to gain data about a rare thrush, shared by UNH's Steve Hale, will likely be incorporated into landmark studies in Central America.

In New Hampshire, UNH Cooperative Extension helps communities look beyond their borders as they address natural resource issues since water, weather and migrating species know no political boundaries. We need to look globally to address conservation issues. This Costa Rican exchange, developed through the vision and tenacity of Phil Auger and Extension colleagues, is leading the way.

New Hampshire dairy farmers get paid $1.00 for a gallon of milk it costs them $1.40 to produce. Since January of this year, the number of dairy farms in the state has dropped from 165 to 155. Industry observers expect New Hampshire will lose another six to 10 farms before the end of the year.

To help media, policymakers and farm agencies better understand the current dairy crisis, the New Hampshire Coalition for Sustaining Agriculture held a Dairy Crisis Briefing in Concord on May 16. The coalition, an informal organization of Extension educators and interested citizens, deals with pertinent and emerging agricultural issues.

Sixty participants heard presentations from a variety of industry experts:

* Extension Farm Management Specialist Mike Sciabarassi described how depressed milk prices affect farm family income.

* Dairy Specialist Michal Lunak talked about consolidations in the dairy industry and how they have impacted milk marketing.

* Bob Wellington, economist with Agri-Mark, Inc., New England's largest milk cooperative, described an innovative proposal called Cooperatives Working Together, a dairy farmer self-assessment program for buying up surplus milk and reducing herd numbers.

* Steve Taylor, NH Commissioner of Agriculture, Markets & Food, and a dairy farmer himself, spoke about the history of milk pricing and efforts among the New England commissioners of agriculture to establish a New England milk branding program that would return a portion of the premiums from sales of the milk to farmers.

* Ron Cotterill, a professor of agricultural and resource economics at the University of Connecticut, discussed an innovative milk pricing plan he's proposed in his home state that would require milk processors to share profits with farmers.

The crisis briefing generated a flurry of state and region-wide media attention and prompted formation of two legislative subcommittees: one to study milk pricing, another to look at providing property tax relief for dairy farm buildings

The New England Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) project is a collaborative regional effort to test the effectiveness of three food safety educational methods. With funding from USDA/CSREES, the grant targets fruit and vegetable growers with information and practical tips on how to enhance food safety at each step of their operation - from production and harvesting to processing and retail sale directly to consumers.

The food safety educational methods being tested include workshops, on-farm audits, and audits verified by a third party. In New Hampshire, voluntary on-farm audits are conducted by interdisciplinary teams of Agricultural Resources and Family Development Educators and Specialists. To date, eight on-farm audits have been completed. During a recent joint Agricultural Resources and Family Development staff meeting, GAP teams developed plans for on-farm audits this summer.

To test the effectiveness of the food safety educational approaches, produce samples of three commodities (strawberries, lettuce, apples) from six different farms participating in the project will be tested pre and post on-farm audit educational program. Before the on-farm audits were conducted, all produce samples tested negative for three potential pathogens implicated in other foodborne illness outbreaks related to fresh fruit and vegetables. Post education produce samples from three of these farms were analyzed last year and similarly to the pre-education samples, no pathogens were found.

In addition to the on-farm audits, GAP presentations at the Farm & Forest Expo and twilight meetings helped expand awareness of the program. Nada Haddad and Catherine Violette discussed the GAP audit and the importance of hand washing stations with approximately 50 growers attending a twilight meeting at J & F Farm in Derry on May 27.

A series of GAP fact sheets addressing food safety concerns of manure use, water sources, worker health and hygiene, and sanitation is now available at the following link: http://www.hort.uconn.edu/ipm/foodsafety/index.htm . The GAP project, implemented by the New England Extension Food Safety Consortium, continues until October 2004. For more information, contact Catherine Violette.

Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, while commonly used for navigation, can also be used to accurately map features on the earth. The location information generated by a GPS can be combined with other mapped data by using Geographic Information System (GIS) software. UNH Cooperative Extension offers workshops in GIS and GPS. The GPS workshops include instruction on using both low-cost GPS receivers and higher end mapping-quality receivers. In addition, Extension loans out mapping-quality receivers free for non-profit projects to workshop participants. Participants have used Extension's GPS receivers to map a wide variety of features including:

* Natural resources in Canterbury, New Boston and Barrington
* Sewers in Plaistow o Facilities at NH Army National Guard sites and at the UNH-Durham campus
* Potential non-point sources of pollution on the Merrimack and Piscataquog Rivers
* Utilities and storm water management facilities in Somersworth
* Home ranges of spotted turtles in Durham, Newmarket and Barrington
* NH Fish and Game wildlife management areas
* Milfoil in Northwood Lake and Lake Wentworth
* NH Audubon sanctuary trails in Antrim, Marlborough and Moultonborough and Tern Restoration sites on the Isles of Shoals
* Trails in Conway, Belmont, Amherst, Lebanon and the Moose Mountains Region

Additionally, the receivers were used by students at UNH, New England College, Colby-Sawyer College, McKelvie Middle School in Bedford, Souhegan High School in Amherst and the Gilmanton School. More information about the Sea Grant and Water Resources Program's GIS and GPS workshops is available at http://ceinfo.unh.edu/water/documents/GISGPS.htm or by contacting Nancy Lambert. Information about the Forestry and Wildlife program's GPS workshops is available from Sam Stoddard or Karen Bennett.

We're pleased to report NH 4-H Camps is partnering this summer with Dr. Cameron Wake from NH's Climate Change Research Center, and Dr. Jeff Salloway, UNH Dept. of Health Management and Policy. Their research project, The Effect of Air Quality and Weather on Human Health in New England: Assessing Vulnerability and Generating Decision Relevant Information, will have a component at Bear Hill 4-H Camp in Allenstown. Youth with asthma and other breathing disorders and youth in a control group will have their respiratory health measured twice daily by trained camp staff, hired through the research grant.

This data will be communicated to Drs. Martin and Salloway, who will study how the impact of air quality and weather influences the pulmonary health of youth. High risk days (heat, humidity, ozone levels) will be carefully studied, and recommendations made to camp staff to plan activities and programs appropriately. Understanding the link between air quality, weather and pulmonary functioning is critical to the health of youth with asthma, severe allergies and other respiratory problems. After the camp season, this data will be available for camps and youth service organizations to use in their health care planning.

A second research adventure will be in collaboration with the Dept. of Recreation Management and Policy (RMP) and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). Katherine de Castro is a junior in RMP, majoring in Program Administration. Under the guidance of Dr. Jason Bocarro, Kat is studying Staff Retention in Residential Summer Camps: Understanding Organizational Culture and Place Attachment within Two New Hampshire Programs. The purpose of this study is to understand the key factors that cultivate the camp community, influence staff loyalty to particular sites and guide their decision-making process to return to the same program each year. Bear Hill 4-H Camp and Merrowvista Education Center will support Kat's interview and observation processes during the summer's camp season. This research is greatly needed to help camp directors and administrators understand how their unique camp culture contributes to the yearly retention of staff. NH 4-H Camps are honored to be part of these projects! For more detailed descriptions or copies of the proposals, contact Ann Dolloff, Extension Associate Professor and Specialist, at 862-2198 or ann.dolloff@unh.edu

Belknap, Carroll and Strafford counties have agricultural educators with expertise in three different subject areas. Amy Ouellette, a UNH graduate, specializes in fruit and vegetable production; Tina Savage, former assistant manager of the UNH Dairy Teaching and Research Center, concentrates on livestock; and Geoffrey Njue, originally from Kenya, has years of experience in ornamental horticulture. This combined talent forms a very well-rounded agricultural educator team working together in the three counties. Planning joint programs and traveling to commercial produce, livestock and greenhouse operations together have made efficient use of their time and resources.

A recent program entitled "Tri-County Vegetable and Cut Flower Seminar" drew 119 people to the Kingswood Regional High School in Wolfeboro, a location central to all three counties. The main objective was to provide answers to the three counties' most common questions regarding annual row crops. The second objective was to make the program affordable, even to the smallest commercial vegetable and cut flower growers. These two goals were met by using UNH Cooperative Extension specialists Alan Eaton and Cheryl Smith, and Dean Kopsell, Associate Prof. of Plant Biology at UNH. Concord Crop Center covered travel expenses for Lois Stack, Ornamentals Specialist for U-Maine Extension and Eric Sideman, technical director for Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. A few comments from the seminar's evaluations were "a wonderful change of pace," "this was a very good and informative seminar, the number of attendees was impressive," "do it again," "great seminar! I learned a lot" and "thank you so much." Future joint programming includes the second in a series of goat workshops and a cover crop/crop rotation seminar, to be held in May and August, respectively.

Many small family farms in New Hampshire, like those in other Northeastern states, are interested in aquaculture to supplement farm income. As with any potential business endeavor, technical information isn't all that's needed. Making intelligent decisions requires information on inputs, associated costs, risk, the resulting product value, and marketing. Unfortunately, the majority of aquaculture businesses in this region are quite new and the necessary economic data not yet available.

One type of aquaculture business which appears to hold promise is rearing bait fish. Bait species are in high demand and most sell for quite a high price, relative to other markets for farm-raised fish. To answer some of the burning questions asked by both potential and existing bait farmers, the Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center recently funded a study to gather information on the bait market throughout the 12-state Northeast region. UNH Cooperative Extension's Aquaculture Specialist, J-J Newman, is working with faculty in the Dept. of Food and Resource Economics at the University of Delaware to plan and coordinate the study.

Just last week, the first meeting was held of the study's Advisory Committee. Bait dealers, bait farmers and Extension personnel from across the region met to discuss the project's goals and how best to achieve them. Information needed by bait farmers, the nature of the Northeast bait industry, and possible survey designs were included in the discussion. It was a terrifically successful meeting, with the principal investigators learning a great deal about bait dealers, farmers and the industry, which will help enormously with putting together a survey that will obtain meaningful results.

Over 60 volunteers attended the fall 4-H Youth Development Leader Conference. The event featured training in positive youth development and centered on ages and stages of youth enrolled in 4-H. Participants also attended workshops on a variety of topics and projects. Each workshop included a component on how to appropriately use the Experiential Learning Model. A well-received addition to the conference was the sharing of the 4-H National Juried Curriculum. Participating volunteers received copies.

Volunteers who attended will be mailed a follow-up evaluation focusing on what they are doing differently as a result of the training. Volunteers will also be asked for input in planning this year's conference on November 15. All Cooperative Extension staff are invited to provide training for our youth development volunteers. Contact Jolee Chase, conference chair, at (603) 673-2510 if you are interested in sharing your expertise.

View the Experiential Learning Model at : http://www.agls.uidaho.edu/4-h/kidspace/learning_by_doing.htm

Important Bird Areas
UNH Cooperative Extension (Ellen Snyder, Extension Faculty and Specialist, Biodiversity), NH Audubon, and Fish and Game Dept., are working in partnership with the state's avian researchersand birders to identify and conserve "Important Bird Areas." New Hampshire joins 103 countries and 45 other states in launching an Important Bird Area (IBA) program. The IBA program is an international bird and habitat conservation initiative. Program goals are to identify and conserve areas critical to one or more bird species for breeding, feeding, wintering or migration and to avert population declines of common and uncommon birds.

Potential IBAs include areas that support threatened or endangered bird species, bird species of high conservation priority, significant concentrations of birds, or representative, rare, threatened, or unique habitats. The program creates an opportunity for avid birders, landowners and conservation organizations to join together to conserve and manage habitats to protect rare species from further decline, to keep common species common, and to restore populations where possible. A copy of the NH IBA criteria and a preliminary nomination form are available at the UNH Cooperative Extension website: http://ceinfo.unh.edu, go to Forestry and Wildlife Resources, then Bird Areas)

NH Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan
The NH Fish and Game Dept. (NHFG) is embarking on a three-year Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Planning initiative using new federal funding. Congress appropriated money to each state to develop a conservation strategy for wildlife species in greatest need of conservation. A set of principles guides each state in development of its plan. The principles stress broad public-private partnerships, shared responsibility, efficiency and effectiveness, dynamic strategies, and effective communication. Fortunately NHFG is already engaged in a comprehensive approach to conservation with the Living Legacy Project (LLP). The LLP endorses a well-coordinated, comprehensive system of lands dedicated to protecting the full spectrum of biological diversity. Snyder coordinates the LLP in partnership with state agencies and private conservation organizations and will work closely with Fish and Game to guide development of the Comprehensive Wildlife Plan.

The Comprehensive Wildlife Plan will instruct land trusts, communities, and agencies on the location of New Hampshire's most critical habitats and on strategies for conservation. The plan will help focus the efforts of the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP), Forest Legacy Committee, Town Open Space Committees, and landowners toward critical habitat areas in need of permanent conservation. In addition, the plan will enable NHFG to establish a baseline for tracking progress in conserving wildlife and their habitats over time, and to evaluate the impacts of development, road projects and other land uses on wildlife. For more information on the Living Legacy Project visit: http://ceinfo.unh.edu/cragin/forestry/documents/nhlivleg.htm

Accompanying urbanization and population growth is a rapid increase in the demand for recreational turf areas throughout New Hampshire. Youth participation, both boys and girls, continues to increase in various sports.

In Nashua for example, there are over 4,000 participants in soccer alone. Nationally there are more than 2.2 million children participating in 7,000 Little League Baseball programs. UNH Cooperative Extension is recognized as being a valuable resource in assisting communities with their recreational turf needs.

Nashua's Holman Stadium, host of the Nashua Pride semi-professional baseball team, is one of the finest ballparks in New England thanks in part to the assistance provided by UNH Cooperative Extension. The Mayor (Bernard Streeter), Director of Public Works (George Crombie), and the Manager of Parks Maintenance (Nick Caggiano) decided to use the expertise available through Cooperative Extension to completely renovate the old ballpark.

Over $500,000 was invested in improving the drainage and overall turf quality. Results have been outstanding. As a small token of appreciation, UNH Cooperative Extension is recognized in the Prides program guide in the section Nashua's Field of Dreams.

A National Initiative "Financial Security in Later Life" has been approved by ECOP until 2006. Its mission is to implement and evaluate effective, research-based financial management programs that lead to a citizenry financially literate and empowered to practice effective and successful financial management strategies that insure financial security in later life. Increasing personal financial literacy has direct applicability to the USDA's emphases on developing prosperous, sustainable communities and enhancing small farms and rural areas. More than 90% of the states plan to implement the Financial Security in Later Life Initiative. The initiative will position Cooperative Extension as a major player in the effort to focus attention on the retirement issue and raise citizen awareness.

Americans in 2002 are saving less than 4 cents of every dollar while 16-21 cents of every dollar goes toward debt. Households are saving less and spending more, putting their financial security at risk. The 2002 Employee Benefits Research Institute's Retirement Confidence Survey found fewer working individuals are engaging in retirement planning and savings activities than in previous years (67% have saved for retirement in 2002, down from 74% in 2000). For those between the ages of 40-59, it found 27% are impulsive and believe a comfortable retirement is possible but they aren't disciplined savers. People may find themselves vulnerable to an unplanned early retirement due to health problems, disability, downsizing, etc

Its goals are to

* engage in activities which increase an individual's financial literacy,
* successfully manage the use of credit,
* regularly participate in savings plans,
* determine retirement and/or future income needs,
* establish investment goals,
* prepare to manage the risk of changes in health and independence including the need for long term health care,
* and prepare an estate distribution plan.

Family Development educators are in the initial stages of leading a social marketing campaign titled NH Saves. This initiative provides the opportunity for collaborations within Extension, the University as well as statewide and county-based organizations and agencies. In April, plan on attending an inservice planned by Karen Bennett, Mike Sciabarrasi and Suzann Knight to kick off the collaboration within UNH Cooperative Extension on the topics of retirement planning and estate planning. To learn more about the Financial Security in Later Life National Initiative, check out the website at http://www.reeusda.gov/financialsecurity.

The Northeast Consortium, based at UNH, is a collaboration between UNH, the University of Maine, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Consortium was created to encourage and fund effective, co-equal partnerships between commercial fishermen and researchers in fisheries and oceanographic research. Rollie Barnaby, Extension Educator, Cooperative Extension/Sea Grant, is the Outreach Coordinator for the project.

The Consortium's goals are to develop partnerships between commercial fishermen, researchers, educators, and fisheries managers, to help bring fishermens' information, experience, and expertise into the scientific framework needed for fisheries management, and to equip and utilize fishing vessels as research and monitoring platforms.

New England fishermen have had their fishing effort greatly reduced because of reduced fish stocks and fisheries regulations. It is hoped that marine research will become a permanent part of their activities, augmenting their income and providing much-needed scientific information.

This three-year-old project has funded 75 projects worth more than $9 million, with $6.7 million of that going directly to New England fishermen. Fourteen UNH faculty and graduate students, eight New Hampshire fishermen, NH Fish and Game, the Portsmouth Fishermen's Cooperative, and the Yankee Fishermen's Cooperative (Seabrook, NH) are principle investigators on one or more of these 75 projects.

Next Monday (12/9), the Teen Assessment Project will host a conference entitled "Making Effective Use of NH Youth and Family Data." It begins with a press conference to officially release the 2000-2001 Multi-Community Report and research findings. UNH faculty will join Charlotte Cross and Fran Chickering to discuss the research findings and applications of TAP data as well as share information about other comparable adolescent data sources.

Dr. Rebecca Warner will discuss parental influences and other predictors of risky behavior, and Dr. Carolyn Mebert will share risk and protective factors associated with students' plans to attend college. Variables examined include demographic factors, substance use, sexuality and extracurricular activities. Dr. Vicki Banyard will address the use of TAP data to understand the educational and mental health impact of physical and sexual dating violence on victims and risk factors for perpetrators. Dr. Kristine Baber will give an overview of the new Adolescence Resource Center, a state/university collaboration to provide research capacity, education and state-of-the-art information about adolescent health and well-being.

A few highlights...
In May, the Conway project was featured on a NH Outlook program, and Raymond received media attention from WMUR News 9 when they shared their survey data in September. Anyone wishing to view TV coverage of TAP projects is welcome to borrow tapes.

TAP was a lead partner with other state agencies to host the Adolescent Health Institute conference at the Margate on Lake Winnipesaukee in June. The conference was a great success with 257 participants and tremendous positive feedback.

Pemi-Baker school district in Plymouth re-surveyed in November and plans are in the making for re-surveys at both Lin-Wood and Bristol school districts. TAP has reached 23,634 youth in 21 school districts/regions representing 88 communities. There are currently 95,703 youth in grades 7-12 NH public schools and academies.

In collaboration with other UNH faculty, TAP was the cornerstone of a $1.5 million Centers for Disease Control Grant "Collaborative Research to Support Communities for Youth." The application was among the top 40 approved for funding but only the first 25 were funded at this time. Of the 40 proposals approved, our score was 1.88, compared to 1.39-1.82 for those 25 projects funded. The CDC will keep our request on file for 1 year, and it's anticipated more funds may be available in March. Since our score was only .06 from the cut-off point, we are hopeful we will receive funding at that time.
For more information about the Teen Assessment Project, and to view the 2000-2001 Multi-Community Report (available online after 12/9/02) visit our web site: http://ceinfo.unh.edu/cragin/4HYouth/Documents/TAP.htm.

The Forestry and Wildlife Program has had a long and positive relationship with the UNH Department of Natural Resources. The efforts to enhance the interaction between Extension staff and department faculty and students are currently in high gear. Brian Doyle and Bob Edmonds have been working on a memorandum of understanding with Chair Bill McDowell. Faculty in the department are supportive of this agreement and have recently approved Extension specialists as Extension faculty in the department. Sarah Smith, Ellen Snyder, Karen Bennett and Frank Mitchell will be Associate Extension Professors. Darrel Covell and Julia Peterson will be Assistant Extension Professors.

Starting with spring semester 2003, Sarah Smith will teach the Wood Products course of the department. She will have a split appointment, with 20% in the department. Sarah views this as a wonderful opportunity to connect the department with New Hampshire's forest industries. In return, Dr. Robert Eckert will work in the UNH Cooperative Extension Community Conservation Assistance Program. Forestry and Wildlife staff members have a long history of being on graduate committees. Sarah Smith engaged a graduate student in the evaluation of the Professional Loggers Program. Bob Edmonds and Darrel Covell have been working with student organizations in the Natural Resources Department.

A mutual long-term goal for both Extension Forestry and Wildlife staff and Department of Natural Resources faculty has been to be co-located. Extension staff have been working closely with department faculty and others regarding UNH lands. Extension Forestry and Wildlife staff are looking forward to a new era of close work with the faculty and students of the Department of Natural Resources.

New Hampshire has lacked agricultural engineering expertise since Francis Gilman, former Extension Agricultural Engineer, retired in 1990. No time in history has technology adoption been so rapid on New Hampshire farms as now, and producers are looking for research-based, unbiased information to help them make good decisions.

In January 2001, John Porter received a grant from the Andrew C. and Margaret R. Sigler Foundation of Norwich, Vermont, to fund ten days per year of a consultant agricultural engineer's services to work with New Hampshire producers.

Since then, more than 70 producers have taken advantage of these services at no cost to them. Most of the visits have been to dairy farms, but greenhouse, equine and sheep producers have also received consultations. Geographically, the visits covered ground from "Coos to the Sea," with nearly every NH county receiving at least four or five visits.

The consultant, Dr. Stanley Weeks, was formerly a Cornell professor, and more recently Director of Research Farm Operations at the Agway Research Center in Fabius, N.Y., before becoming an independent consultant five years ago.

Weeks comes to New Hampshire for 2-3 days at a time every few months. Porter maintains a running list of those producers desiring visits, then schedules appointments. He and Weeks maintain a hectic pace during Weeks' visits, driving 150-200 miles and visiting 5-6 farms per day. Typical visits involve consulting on new barn designs, retrofitting old barns, improving ventilation and manure storage systems and avoiding costly construction mistakes. After the visit, Weeks mails each farm a written summary of his recommendations.

The project has helped many farmers and generated a lot of good feedback. Agricultural producers in the state have already saved more than $145,000, with many projects still in the design phase.

The project's qualitative impacts include improving farm sustainability, preserving historic structures and decreasing manual labor requirements, leaving farmers with more time to spend on outside interests and family activities.

Colette Janson-Sand recently returned from the American Dietetic Association's annual meeting in Philadelphia where the 2002 Public Opinion Survey: Nutrition and You, trends for the year 2002 were released. This survey tracks the attitudes, knowledge, beliefs and behaviors of Americans and should be of interest to all who are involved in nutrition education.

Report highlights:

* There was a 10% increase in the number of people who say they have made major adjustments in their eating behaviors and a 10 % decrease in those individuals who say they know what healthy behaviors are and that they should make changes but for one reason or another have not done so as of yet.

* The survey also showed that women were more likely then men to be aware of the health benefits of certain nutrients but men were more likely to have increased their consumption of some foods or nutrients, especially energy drinks. Women however significantly increased their consumption of folic acid and antioxidant containing foods.

* Obesity topped the list of consumer's awareness of nutrition issues although concern was least likely among those aged 25-34.

* Sixty percent of consumers say they have heard little or nothing about genetically altered or modified foods even though recent controversies concerning many GM foods received extensive media coverage.

* Sixty -three percent of respondents felt that they hear more information about what NOT to eat rather than what they should eat and 57% believed that there are some foods they never should eat if they are to be healthy.

* Fifty eight percent identified magazines as their primary source of nutrition information (up 11%), thirty three percent (up 15%) relied on newspapers and 18% (up 15%) obtained their information from radio. Internet information increased from 6 to 13 percent.

* The survey showed that Americans can definitely use help in sizing up their meals: 68% overestimated the size of cooked vegetables.

* 55% overestimated the serving size of cooked pasta.

* 54% overestimated the serving size of meat poultry and fish.

* Very few individuals underestimated food portions except for the size of a serving of leafy green vegetables.

It appears our work is cut out for us, but the fact that most people either have already started to change their habits or are considering doing so indicates the time is right for us to provide nutrition information people need to make informed choices.

With support from the Northeast Consortium - a joint initiative of UNH, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Maine, the Sea Grant and Water Resources Program has recently expanded its capability in research, development and training in commercial marine fisheries in the Gulf of Maine to meet challenges in fisheries resource conservation and sustainable utilization off the coast of New Hampshire and in the Gulf of Maine.

In April 2001, the program recruited Dr. Pingguo He, formerly a senior researcher in fish behavior and fishing gear at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. He, with help from Rollie Barnaby, has successfully teamed up fishing industry participants in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts, and obtained research funds from the Northeast Consortium and the National Marine Fisheries Services. Several projects aimed at conservation and sustainable use of fisheries resources in the Gulf of Maine have been initiated. Projects range from reducing bycatch and discard in northeast groundfish trawl and gillnet fisheries, evaluating and reducing seabed impact of trawling in the Gulf of Maine, developing alternative fishing gear and methods for traditional fish species, to organizing training workshops on conservation and responsible fishing for fishermen in New Hampshire and other adjacent states.

Cod discard in Gulf of Maine multispecies fisheries is the major concern in recent years. He teamed up with fishermen from New Hampshire and Maine and has designed devices to release cod while keeping flounders during trawling. The project team uses flume tank testing techniques and sea trials on board fishing vessels, supplemented with underwater observations involving video cameras and acoustic monitoring equipment. A workshop on selectivity and conservation during trawling was successfully organized last December when eight New Hampshire fishermen and three extension and consortium staff from UNH attended the workshop at the world class flume tank facility in St. John's, Newfoundland. Another workshop involving fishermen from New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine, plus state extension and fishery department staff and fishery management council members, will be organized this coming winter. It is our goal to design and test fishing gears and operation methods which are conservation-oriented, economically feasible and contribute to the sustainable use of the fisheries resource in the Gulf of Maine and beyond.

Mary Tebo, Extension Educator, Community Forestry, Hillsborough County, is a leader in making good things happen in the urban corridor which fills the Merrimack River Valley in southern New Hampshire. Leading the Community Tree Stewards Volunteer Program, Mary is a Pied Piper with an enthusiastic following. She's a spark plug who brings community groups, municipal agencies, police, volunteers and inner city residents together to accomplish great things one wouldn't expect from a forestry program. Environmental enhancement and documented crime reduction are the results of helping inner city families recapture their neighborhood.

Several years ago, Mary headed up the Conservation Camp for the Society for the Protection of NH Forests, in a joint program with Extension. These teens discovered the brook floater, an endangered species of mussels. Community Tree Stewards working with Mary, based on recommendations from these campers, discovered another endangered species, wild lupines. All this in the "Manchester ecosystem."

In Manchester's historic millyard, Mary chairs the Millyard Landscape Revitalization Committee, a grassroots effort whose goal is creating a sustainable landscape model for the historic Millyard. The group includes Millyard business and building owners and mangers, UNH Manchester, several city departments, and the Business Improvement District. The committee received $145,000 in grant funding for a master plan and long-term maintenance. At a recent meeting hosted by this group, architects, engineers and landscape designers worked with stakeholders to develop a vision which includes increased green space, innovative storm water filtration designs, watershed sensitive management practices, "trip over art" and public gathering spaces.

Mary's connections with UNH-M strengthened Extension's integration with the University as a whole. Joint grant writing with Karol LaCroix, UNH-M dean, and other Extension staff and students in a for-credit participation in the Community Tree Stewards training are among the ways Mary has integrated Extension and University accomplishments.

Mary, working with the City of Manchester, secured a $44,000 grant, which landed on top of the US Forest Service list for funding for Urban and Community Forestry Projects. The Western Fires consumed funding for such projects. The latest word is the Forest Service wants to fund the Manchester project, which will help us work with minority populations to plant and care for trees in their neighborhood and in their own language.

Another summer has come and gone, and NH 4-H Camps staff enjoyed every minute of it (well, almost every minute)! Special thanks to Jeff Schloss, who helped investigate a flu epidemic when the cause was unknown. He and his students made a special trip to Bear Hill 4-H Camp to analyze the lake water to be sure it wasn't the cause of the illnesses.

Barry Conservation Camp, under the direction of Rick Glatz, Health Fischer and Abby Losee, was filled in April of this year! Early registration allowed staff to better plan for a great summer! The first week of the season was operated collaboratively with the NH Dept. of Fish and Game, offering Hunter Education and Safety, and the Let's Go Fishing programs. We look forward to next summer with great excitement - after years of planning and pitfalls, Barry Conservation Camp will have its new dining hall, bathrooms, offices and health center! Many thanks are extended to Judy Silverberg at Fish & Game for making this dream a reality. The old building is gone and construction has begun. Staff and campers, as well as the staff at the Berlin Fish Hatchery, are looking forward to enjoying the new facilities. On Aug. 9 in Manchester, the local chapter of the Ted Nugent United Sportsmen of America, through the efforts of John Michno, hosted a fund-raising dinner, and contributed $775 to the building fund!

Bear Hill 4-H Camp, under the direction of Sheila Fabrizio, assisted by Kim Carter and Steve Coppin, experienced one of its best programs in years! Through the extensive staff recruitment, training and supervising efforts of Sheila and her key staff, Bear Hill 4-H Camp offered campers some of the best activities, instruction and leadership in recent years! The daily schedule was overflowing with swimming instruction, nature education, group cooperative games, drama activities, crafts, canoeing, and environmental studies. Outreach to UNH students, faculty, and staff continues to grow. Nine university students and staff were employed at NH 4-H Camps in 2002! Kristi Reardon, undergraduate in the Dept. of Recreation Management and Policy, received the School of Health and Human Services Steelman Award to work at Bear Hill 4-H Camps this summer. Kristi interned with Cathy Apfel, behavior specialist and Institute on Disability staff person. Kristi served as a support person for counselors working with youth at-risk and with disabilities. Kristi also spent two weeks as a one-to-one camper aide, helping a teen with down's syndrome and a young boy with bi-polar disorder successfully integrate into the summer camp program. Special thanks are extended to Dr. Janet Sable, chair of RMP, for her support in guidance in this effort.

.As we look forward to summer 2003, we invite every Extension staff person to become involved with camps - send your child, help others become aware of the programs, offer your skills and expertise to our campers, or just come and visit for the day. Come enjoy your camps!

Last August, Seth Wilner was offered a slot in a two-year training program on whole farm planning using the Holistic Management©Decision-Making Process. Eighteen people were selected from around the Northeast and provided with a $12,500 N.E. SARE Grant to cover their expenses. Participants came from MA, VT, ME, CT, WV, PA, IA, MN, NH and NY and include Extension educators, NRCS staff, RC&D directors and other agricultural professionals.

Holistic Management is a decision-making process that can be implemented on farms, in families, corporations, organizations, and just about anywhere people make decisions. The process affords practitioners the ability to simultaneously consider the economic, social and environmental impacts of a potential decision prior to implementing it. Once a decision is implemented, there is a feedback loop that helps the decision-maker(s) monitor the impact(s) of their decision(s) to guard against any unintended consequences that might arise.

Components to this decision-making framework include identifying who the decision-makers are, what resources are available to them, what quality of life they would like to have on their farm and in their family, what must be produced to achieve this quality of life, and what their land and community must be like in the future to sustain the life they seek. To help achieve this, there are several processes included within this framework. These include a financial planning process, a planned grazing process, and a land planning process. Some processes have familiar elements such as gross profit analysis and record keeping protocols. Other aspects of this framework are quite unique.

Wilner has been working with a number of farms and farm families throughout Sullivan County, using Holistic Management to develop whole farm plans. These plans will then be used to apply the appropriate expert advice the farmers receive from UNH Cooperative Extension, their vendors, and the other agricultural professionals they turn to for input. Only the farmers are capable of knowing their current situation and the direction they would like to move toward. As a result, expert advice can only offer potential remedies and opportunities, but is limited, as the person making suggestions and providing the input usually doesn't see the whole picture, especially many social and economic issues.

Anyone who has any questions or an interest in this process is welcome to contact Seth for further information.

Looking for new and innovative ways to reach clientele with nutrition education, the Nutrition Connections Program has turned to community-based social marketing to enhance programming efforts. Community-based social marketing involves four steps: 1) identifying the barriers and benefits to an activity, 2) developing a strategy that uses "tools" shown to be effective in changing behavior, 3) piloting the strategy, and 4) evaluating the strategy once it's been implemented across a community.

Now in its second year of implementation, the Nutrition Connections Program social marketing campaign is in full "swing." To date, this social marketing campaign has reached all 19,100 food stamp households in New Hampshire with five newsletters (titled "Smart Choices") specifically designed for food stamp participants. Starting in August, three 30-second commercials, designed specifically for this campaign, will air throughout New Hampshire on cable and commercial television stations. The commercials feature "Miss Smarty," who writes a column for the "Smart Choices" newsletter. The next step is the development of print materials including posters and pamphlets. Following a community-based social marketing model developed by Nutrition Connections, the initial step was to conduct a needs assessment. It consisted of a 78-question telephone survey of 407 randomly selected food stamp recipients which formed the basis for the social marketing campaign. The first campaign element was designed, tested and implemented. As the campaign has unfolded, preliminary evaluations show positive results, and in September, we will conduct more rigorous evaluations to determine increased awareness and changed behavior.

Social marketing appears to be an effective way for Cooperative Extension to reach clients with important information. Although challenging at times, it has many rewards and the advantage of a broad reach to audiences with specific subject matter information along with increasing awareness about UNH Cooperative Extension in general.

The Watchers are off and running – partnering with the NH Coastal Program (NHCP), Dept. of Environmental Services (DES), the NH Estuaries Program (NHEP)and others to protect the health of New Hampshire's coastal and estuarine waters. Projects include "rainfall running" with DES to gather water samples during periods of dry and wet weather to examine for nutrients, bacteria and potentially toxic substances. It's a dry run today, but the "runners" also don boots and foul weather gear to get out during rains to get their samples.

In addition to gathering data for various agencies, Great Bay Coast Watch also continues to conduct its basic water quality monitoring program at 21 sites establishing a now-12-year data base. Toxic phytoplankton monitoring is in its 3rd year, also. There are reports and brochures for the program available from Extension's Sea Grant office at 749-1565, with more information on the web site, http://www.gbcw.unh.edu./.

The Great Bay Coast Watchers come from a variety of backgrounds, ages 8 to 80! UNH Marine Docents, students and teachers from area schools, retired persons, those who have the typical work week – we are always looking for volunteers. Specific training sessions plus more general education monthly sessions prepare this diverse group to apply what they learn through the dozen or more projects the Watch is currently engaged in. Members report a sense of accomplishment, actively participating in an effort to conserve our precious coast.

4-H Youth Development programs in New Hampshire continue to expand in the area of Science and Technology. In addition to training staff and youth about effective use of technology within the traditional club program and at several after school programs through the State Strengthening project for Youth at Risk, 4-H staff have partnered with faculty and staff at the UNH Space Science Center to offer educational programs to 4-H youth and their families.

More than seventy youth and adults visited the UNH Space Science Center on March 9, 2002 to learn about space and see, first hand, some of the fascinating research projects that are going on at UNH.

Dr. Toni Galvin shared some spectacular video footage of the sun's surface and she talked about some of the UNH research projects that have traveled on Space Shuttle missions. Dr. Mike Routhier and his students lead a tour of the Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing Laboratory. Participants studied maps and posters and were surprised at how detailed the maps were. Dr. John Macri explained what Gamma Rays are and how studying them can tell us a lot about the conditions of space and the earth.

All youth participants were involved in a simulated Space Shuttle mission that required team work, effective communication and knowledge about space to complete, while the adult participants were introduced to 4-H's Aerospace Project curriculum.

All participants said they learned something new about space and about what it means for the University of New Hampshire to be a Space Grant University. The success of this program has strengthened UNH Cooperative Extension's relationship with the Space Science Center and future collaborations are already being planned.

At 9:30 p.m. one night recently, Seth Wilner received a panicked phone call from a grower at a local commercial greenhouse and farmstand operation. His tomatoes were dying and whatever the cause, it was spreading. He asked if Wilner could come as soon as possible to help him figure out what was going on. Wilner arrived first thing in the morning, but explained he was no expert on tomato diseases. If he couldn't identify it, a sample would need to go to the diagnostic laboratory.

Traditionally, if a problem can't be diagnosed in the field, a sample is sent to the plant diagnostic lab, the grower waits for the diagnosis, and then applies the recommended treatment. This could take anywhere from three days to a week depending on how the sample was mailed, what day it arrived at the lab and how busy the lab was. Thanks to technology, the sequence of events in this case was very different.

Wilner, equipped with a digital camera, a cell phone, and staff phone directory, looked through the greenhouse to identify the disease and the conditions that may have lead to it. Condensation was falling from the plastic covering onto the plants. The humidity was extremely high, so much so, that the lens on the camera fogged up between focusing and trying to snap a photograph. Wilner used the farm's computer to email the images and plant descriptions to Bill Lord and George Hamilton.

Hamilton directed Wilner back into the greenhouse to look for some specific disease indicators of "tomato leaf mold." Indeed, his estimate was correct, and the indicators were present. Cheryl Smith, our plant health specialist, also looked at the digital images and plant descriptions, asked several additional questions, and agreed with Hamilton's diagnosis. She provided an in-depth description of the treatment procedures which were passed on to the growers.

As a result of both technology and teamwork, we were able to help these growers diagnose their problem within two hours of arrival and they treated their tomatoes that same day. With 450 plants in their greenhouse, every day that went by would have resulted in greater financial losses as a result of this contagious mold. As an additional note to this case study, Cheryl Smith has been working to promote ‘distance diagnostic capabilities' in NH and recently received a grant from the NH Dept. of Agriculture to fund the first phase of the program in NH. She is currently collaborating with other personnel from the six New England states and Long Island to develop a regional network.

The Stafford County Commissioners recently presented a plan for a conservation easement on Strafford County lands to the Strafford County Delegation. This UNH Cooperative Extension inspired proposal was passed unanimously by the delegation. This is an historic, precedent-setting conservation moment in the state. This wouldn't have taken place without the aggressive action of UNH Cooperative Extension Forestry and Wildlife Program staff, volunteers trained in the program, and close relationships built and nurtured over many years. Anna Boudreau, Community Tree Steward and Coverts graduate, was assisted by Extension Educators Don Black and Phil Auger, Extension Specialist Frank Mitchell and Lorie Chase, Grant Project Coordinator of the Cocheco River Watershed Coalition.

Don Black worked closely with the County Administrator and other officials in a tireless effort to bring this about. Phil Auger was involved at a critical moment early in the process, letting county officials know this was a real possibility, even though it isn't being done elsewhere at the county level in the state. Don provided maps. Lori Chase provided compelling words describing the value of the lands to the people of Strafford County. Lori, who worked for the Forestry and Wildlife Program while a non-traditional Master's degree student, is using the Strafford County Extension office, bringing great partnerships to Extension.

Anna Boudreau was the "lightning rod" for the effort. She is the one who made the presentations and assembled others to support the effort. She included her work as a UNH Cooperative Extension volunteer in her answer to why this wasn't done before with these lands. She told people that because elected officials have to do so many things concerning many issues, this issue needed to be brought to their attention and that volunteers through Extension help accomplish this.

Anna received training as an Extension Community Tree Steward. She also is a Coverts volunteer, Strafford County Extension Advisory Council member and vice chair of our State Extension Council. She is on the Dover Open Lands Committee, a driving force for getting the City of Dover to have a conservation easement on its lands close to the County lands and the Cocheco River. After the vote, the Delegation received a standing ovation. They said that they never get a standing ovation.

With the academic year coming to an end, it seems appropriate to highlight ways in which undergraduate and graduate students have contributed to a variety of UNH Cooperative Extension programs.

During the fall semester, UNH students Vicky Bouchard and Carley Smith introduced students at the New Franklin School in Portsmouth to American-Indian and Italian ethnic foods along with a nutrition education program. During the spring semester, UNH students Gail Kelley and Holly Williams continued the program with African and Egyptian foods. Other students such as Michelline Baillargeon worked on updating food safety fact sheets, while Lisa Nystrom provided assistance to Extension Specialist Colette Janson-Sand in preparations for her obesity in-service. Graduate student Victoria Viera presented a very informative talk at the obesity inservice on the effect of high glycemic index foods on the etiology of obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Several students have also signed on to work this summer with Nutrition Connections in the gardening projects.

When September rolls around, a new crop of students will eagerly await the opportunity to participate in some "hands on," real life nutrition education opportunities. Although students may not be able to spend time with you in your county offices, they can help develop supporting materials for your program and work on special projects. It isn't too early to start thinking about ways in which they can be of assistance to you.

The "Timco Discovery Forest and Sawmill: Where Nature and Industry Meet" is a collaborative project involving UNH Cooperative Extension, the NH Division of Forests and Lands, the TIMCO sawmill, NH Project Learning Tree, the Center Barnstead Schools, and the USDA Forest Service. (Click on photos for full size image).

This project is designed to help forest industries communicate positively with their communities, and builds upon previous USDA Forest Service Rural Development Through Forestry Grant Projects. An advisory group is developing an interpretive plan for the TIMCO site, which will be used as a demonstration site for youth and school groups, local church and civic groups, woodland owner groups, community members and others.

Over the past year, a 20 acre parcel of forest land adjacent to the TIMCO sawmill has been developed as an outdoor classroom with input from the local community and teachers. This past fall, TIMCO held a dedication ceremony to celebrate the outdoor classroom's designation as a Tree Farm. The ceremony featured tours of the Tree Farm as well as the mill. Several school groups have toured the forest, and plans are underway to bring students through sections of the mill. Programming at the site is ongoing, with a goal of introducing children from the Barnstead Schools (there are over 500 students in grades K-8) to the forest, and as appropriate, to the mill and manufacturing process.

Karen Bennett and Sumner Dole are Extension's representatives to the project.

It's hard to believe the Family, Home & Garden Education Center has been in operation for over two years. Last fall a committee was formed to review those first two years of operation and make recommendations for the future. Some of you may remember responding to an online survey as part of that process. The team met from October 2001, through January 2002, reviewing all facets of the Education Center.

UNH Cooperative Extension's Family, Home & Garden Education Center was opened to meet the needs of the general public. Staffed by highly trained Master Gardener volunteers, the Education Center provides education and information over the breadth of Extension's programs. At this time, the Center is used by all 10 counties, although demand is greatest in the southern counties. (Click here for calls by county)

Most of the 72 Master Gardeners staff the toll-free Info Line (Monday-Friday, 9 am to 2 pm). Volunteers answer questions about gardens, lawns and landscapes, household food safety and food preservation, integrated pest management, water quality, tree planting and care, backyard wildlife and more. Volunteers also provide written information, programs or referrals on questions about family finances, nutrition, parenting and child development and 4-H youth development. In the first 24 months of operation, volunteers answered over 15,000 information requests. (Click here for calls by topic)

In addition to the Info Line, the Center has a web page with over 100 fact sheets, ran a diagnostic clinic in 2001 during the growing season for callers to bring in samples, provides access to public speakers, has volunteers who work on many community projects and distributes information advertised on Extension's weekly "Grow It Green" TV spot on WMUR. In the first 2 years of operation, volunteers donated over 4,700 hours to Education Center efforts.

One tool used during the review was surveys. Surveys were developed for four separate groups. Surveys for support staff and for Extension Educators and Specialists were sent via email. Education Center volunteers were sent a survey by mail, and 115 customers were randomly surveyed by phone. Surveys and their results are included as attachments at the end of this summary. Based on fact-finding, surveys and discussion, the team made the following recommendations:

1. Continue support for the Family, Home & Garden Education Center, including the full-time permanent position of Educational Program Coordinator.
2. Develop a permanent advisory committee.
3. Charge each program area with looking at ways the Center can help in carrying out its program priorities.
4. Address physical space issues raised by volunteers.
5. Address the issue of operational hours: possibly extend them to 4 pm two days a week (at least initially).
6. Encourage regular communication with all Extension staff and institute a program of vigorous internal promotion.
7. Devote more effort and funds to marketing the Education Center externally.

After two years of operation, the Center has a needed and dynamic program doing an excellent job of addressing the needs of the general public. This review has helped point to those areas that are running smoothly, to those that need improvement and to areas where further development would benefit the program as a whole. Many thanks go to all the members of the review committee for their thoughtful and comprehensive work. They are Karen Bennett, Claudia Boozer-Blasco, Peg Boyles, Margaret Hagen, Bruce Marriott, Alice Mullen, Cheryl Smith, Amanda Stone, Mary Tebo, and Catherine Violette.

* Customer Survey
* Volunteer Survey
* Educator and Specialist Survey
* Support Staff Survey

NH Jump$tart Coalition, a member of the national Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, was formed in August, 2000. Its mission is to improve the personal financial literacy of young adults. Ann Hamilton and Suzann Enzian Knight are representatives for UNH Cooperative Extension. In a 2000 survey conducted by Jump$tart, it was found the average score on a nationwide survey of high school seniors of their financial literacy level was only 52%, by school standards a failing grade. Young people are unprepared financially to enter the "real world." The NH Jump$tart Coalition endorsed the High School Financial Planning Program and highlighted it during the Coalition's 2001 Money Smarts Conference for teachers.

The High School Financial Planning Program developed by the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) educates high school students about sound money management skills and the financial planning process. The program uses a four-phase process for each lesson that engages students by incorporating different learning styles and multiple intelligences. NH Jump$tart Coalition and Cooperative Extension successfully cosponsored Fall, 2001 teacher trainings in the revised NEFE High School Financial Planning Program. At each training session, representatives from NH Jump$tart Coalition spoke to the teachers, and Extension educators trained the teachers in how to effectively teach the High School Financial Planning Program. All 10 counties were connected with this effort involving both 4-H Youth Development and Family Development educators.

Enrollments from August to December, 2001 totaled 2,609 students involving 37 teachers from 30 New Hampshire schools! These numbers can be compared to enrollments for the first half of the August to December, 2000 school year which totaled 1,237 from 21 schools. For the remainder of the school year, Extension Educators are offering on-site training opportunities to teachers and promoting the May 2 Money Smarts conference sponsored by the NH Jump$tart Coalition.

The National Ocean Science "Nor'easter" Bowl blew in with the worst storm of the season Feb. 1, the night preceding the event. We had 20 high school teams of five students each, their coaches and parents, and 10 judging teams made up of researchers and faculty from the University of New England, UNH and Bigelow Lab who braved the storm to participate in the contest. Opening ceremonies were highlighted by a welcome from Dr. Andy Rosenberg, COLSA Dean, and Senator Bob Smith. A demonstration of UNH's Consortium for Coastal and Ocean Science Mapping wowed the audience with views of the bottom of the Piscataqua River, zooming us all into creeks and behind ship wrecks that lie on the bottom of the river. Researchers from CCOM kept the scores for the contest and projected them for the participants as each round was completed.

The day ended with Congressman John Sununu awarding first place to Biddeford Regional Center of Technology, second place to Gray-Gloucester High School, Maine, and third place to ConVal High school, Peterborough. Prizes included $1,000 scholarships to the University of Maine and the University of New England, bonds from banks in Maine and New Hampshire, and the Atlas of the Oceans, newly published by the National Geographic Society. The Biddeford team will be going to the national contest in Providence on April 27 - 29.

The Marine Docent program and staff coordinated the contest, served on the judging teams, raised funds, and provided breakfast and snacks throughout the day. They also provided the publicity for the contest. The Consortium for Ocean Science Research and Education (CORE) was the major sponsor. COLSA, Admissions and UNH Hospitality Services contributed the luncheon for all the participants. There was also support from the University's facilities department, as well as from several local companies and banks. The contest will be held at the University of Maine next year.

As 4-H starts its celebration of 100 years of youth education, the decision was made to give back to the country with the gift of a national agenda for positive youth development. Unlike any previous efforts to develop a national youth development strategy, the goal is to build a national consensus, engaging as many voices across the United States as possible.

The National Conversation recognizes the importance of positive youth development and the growing youth development movement. Positive youth development promotes experiences, primarily during non-school hours, and emphasizes the value of relationships with caring adults. As a result of positive youth development, children and teens meet the challenges of adolescence and adulthood.

Throughout the fall, each of New Hampshire's 10 counties conducted a County Conversation to discuss what actions need to be taken to make a difference in the lives of youth and their communities. The results of these conversations fed into a statewide conversation. The purpose of the State Conversation was to recommend actions and policy options that can be initiated at the state level to complement efforts at the local level. It was also an opportunity to gain high visibility for the youth development movement.

Eighty-five young people, parents, volunteers, community members, political and business leaders, and key leaders in the field of youth development participated in the State Conversation, January 12, 2002 at Plymouth State College. Their recommendations are based on a synthesis of the priorities that have emerged from the common themes, issues, and trends results produced during the county conversations. The following recommendations for state attention are organized based on the national categories:

Extraordinary Places to Live and Learn

1. Open minds build bridges towards appreciating diversity, both locally and globally.
2. Create a cohesive environment within all aspects of a community.
3. To have youth created businesses that would provide "on the job" learning opportunities, i.e. life skills, work ethics, self-discipline, budgeting etc.
4. Develop Creative outlets for youth.

Effective Organizational Systems

1. Foster collaboration of different organizations in the community to expand programs rather than compete for participants
2. Encourage, create and expand intergenerational programs with the community.
3. Develop mentor opportunities.

Power of Youth

1. Youth need to step up to the plate and communicate, and youth need to support and recognize the efforts of others.
2. Change systems so youth are equal partners at all levels. This includes community boards, school committees, youth organization boards and all places where decisions are made about youth issues.
3. Provide training to develop leadership skills in youth. After learning to be a leader, adults step back and provide opportunities for youth to use the skills.

Access, Equity and Opportunity

1. Promote and communicate opportunities to get more kids involved in existing activities, program and organizations.
2. Create more out-of-school opportunities to broaden youth horizons through reading, arts, music, drama and international cultural events.
3. Create and build safe teen-run places (coffee shops) – a place where teens can hang out, learn about business, have a job, learn workforce skills and ethics, and showcase their talents.
4. Transportation (affordable, safe and accessible) to all available programs is critical to success.

Exceptional People, Innovative Practices

1. Mentoring – one-on-one relationships at all age levels (intergenerational) to teach job and life skills, expand family, foster communication and enable the pursuit of interests, to develop a sense of community through caring meaningful relationships.
2. Foster communication and enable the pursuit of interests, to develop a sense of community through caring, meaningful relationships.
3. Include youth in meaningful roles by providing opportunities for youth to serve as equal partners or in leadership roles at all levels of the community – schools, town boards and committees. (Leadership development).
4. Communicate ongoing positive recognition for all youth and youth serving programs involved in the community through the media.

Eleven delegates will represent New Hampshire in Washington DC later this month to help integrate the state priorities with those from other states to create the national agenda. Youth representatives are: Nathan Brune, Pittsfield; Duncan Fletcher, Jefferson; Scott Kesney, Swanzey; Steven Nerenburg, Newport; Glen Putnam, Piermont and Orly White, Jackson. Adult delegates – Maria Callahan, Keene; Kim Labe, Gilford; Stephen Pruyne, Dover; Lynn Haskill, Concord, and staff member Wendy Brock.

The results of the State Conversation will be made available to all county extension offices later this month. Results will be presented to the governor's Kid's Cabinet and other state agencies, decision-makers and organizations for further action.

Forestry and Wildlife staff are targeting forest landowners beyond the husband or father who was traditionally the person responsible for the family forest lands. Families are included in Extension efforts more often, as we now look closer at issues such as long-term, inter-generational land stewardship, conservation easements and estate planning.

Karen Bennett, Extension Specialist, Forest Resources, successfully wrote a grant to address the need to help women woodlot owners. "Women and the Woods" is a collaborative project of the Dept. of Conservation Maine Forest Service and UNH Cooperative Extension. It's designed to educate women woodlot owners on all aspects of woodlot ownership.

A goal of the project is to develop relationships with groups that aren't traditional to forestry. They will be asked to be a program cosponsor and convene meetings in familiar settings. The curriculum will be packaged such that trained facilitators can use it one on one, with small groups, or in formal presentations. Funded by the USDA-Forest Service, the project is currently in initial stages of development, which includes curriculum development, cosponsor development, and facilitator training. Program delivery will begin this summer.

The curriculum is modular and designed to be used in part or whole. It includes setting objectives, the stewardship concept, long term planning, estate planning including land protection techniques, federal income taxes, state income and property taxes, selling timber, working with professionals, liability issues, laws and other legal aspects of owning land, and where to go for help, including a glossary. Curriculum is state specific for certain topics.

Teacher facilitators will be recruited from the ranks of Maine and New Hampshire forestry programs, as well as among private forestry and other natural resource professionals. Special emphasis will be placed on recruiting women facilitators. The curriculum for facilitators includes instruction on the adult learner with emphasis on women as learners. As well as being multi-state, this project draws upon multi-disciplines. Others already involved include Suzann Knight, Sarah Smith, and Tim Fleury. Beth McGuinn, formerly with the Society for the Protection of NH Forests, has been hired to write the curriculum. Additional Extension staff are expected to be involved in implementation. To learn more about the project contact Karen Bennett at karen.bennett@unh.edu

Risk management education for agricultural producers has evolved into a broad based educational effort addressing six key themes. Production risk management examines ways to reduce the variability associated with farm yield or output. Marketing risk management deals with minimizing the impact of fluctuating prices and shifting markets on business income. Financial risk management addresses securing the business investment while meeting cash flow commitments. Human resource risk management focuses on the role of people in the farming operation. Legal risk management considers family and business agreements and contracts. Environmental risk management centers on maintaining and improving the quality of agriculture's natural resource base.

Risk management education accounts for the interdependency between family, business and community. A key concept of risk management education is based on matching goals of family members and expectations of business success with the farm family's ability and willingness to accept risk This isn't a new concept to agricultural producers. However, the process has evolved into a more comprehensive procedure to help insure success of family farms in our local communities.

A collaborative agreement between the USDA Risk Management Agency, NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets and Food, and UNH Cooperative Extension has provided more than $120,000 in support for risk management workshops directed at both producers and agricultural professionals. These educational workshops involve a comprehensive procedure that will help insure success of family farms in our local communities.

Family Focus is Cooperative Extension's parenting education program delivered through workshop series, seminars and one-on-one contacts with parents. The program began in 1989 and in 1993, Extension began to train professionals already working with children and/or families, such as counselors, childcare providers, and home visitors, to deliver Family Focus in their communities or work sites.

From 1997-2001, approximately 10,820 parents have attended the Family Focus program. Of those completing workshop series evaluations (n=1,020), 99% indicated they gained knowledge in areas such as child development (80%), positive discipline techniques (87%), and parent-child communication (87%). In addition, 86% of parents reported their behavior had changed. For example, they were more patient with their children (71%) and used more positive discipline (70%) and communication (65%) techniques. Sixty percent of parents said their children's behavior had improved and 70% had better relationships with their children. Although the program is targeted to all New Hampshire families, emphasis is placed on meeting the needs of under-served families. Data indicate 47% of parents were single, 44% had a high school education or less, 31% had an annual household income of less than $20,000, and 25% were male.

Evaluation data shows professionals trained by Extension to deliver parenting education increase their feelings of competency and confidence in program delivery and skill in planning for and implementing parenting education programs. When asked how well Extension's training prepared them for conducting parenting workshops, 95% of professionals responded "more than adequate" or "excellent."

New Hampshire organizations, communities and citizens need access to geospatial technologies to expand their capacity to address issues and concerns facing the state. UNH Cooperative Extension and Complex Systems Research Center are planning the development of a geospatial technology applications training and resource center to address this need. The NH Charitable Foundation and the NH Space Grant Consortium have awarded funding to support the strategic planning process and to hire an additional full time Extension Educator to develop and implement training programs. Geospatial technologies include Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and remote sensing. These technologies provide valuable information and analytical tools increasingly critical for decision making, planning and management. A GIS is a computer-based tool for mapping, managing, analyzing and displaying data that has a spatial or geographic dimension. It serves as the foundation of geospatial technologies, allowing you to integrate and map information from various sources. GPS is a source of GIS data and can be used to determine the locations of roads, trails, historic structures, or any other features found on the landscape. Remote sensing is the process of measuring and observing phenomena on the earth using remote instruments such as airborne cameras and satellite-based sensors. Results of this processing give us a "bird's eye" view of the earth which can be integrated into a GIS and is very useful for land cover and land use assessments.

There are many beneficial applications of these technologies. In New Hampshire, GIS has been used extensively to generate natural resources inventories for municipalities and private organizations. Remote sensing data was used to identify wetlands and ice storm damage and is currently being used by the Complex Systems Research Center to classify land cover statewide. GPS receivers have been used statewide to map historical, recreational and natural resources such as graveyards, emergency management facilities, trails and wells. High school students used remote sensing and GIS to map forest damage and to create maps of their communities. Municipalities use GIS to streamline a variety of tasks including identifying abutters, tracking assessments and mapping zoning districts. In addition to these natural resources and municipal applications, geospatial technologies can be used in the fields of safety and justice, health and education and K-12 education. The proposed center will expand training opportunities to include these areas of interest.For more information, contact Nancy Lambert, 862-4343,nancy.lambert@unh.edu

Youth who grow up in poverty, or live in abusive or neglectful environments, are up against huge odds when it comes to succeeding in school and preparing for healthy, productive futures. This is the theory behind Extension's national Children, Youth and Families At-Risk (CYFAR) initiative, providing $600,000 in funding for NH's State Strengthening Project since May 1998.

The State Strengthening Project has three distinct goals:

* Build the capacity of the state's Extension system to support community-based programs for at-risk audiences,

* Improve the quantity and quality of comprehensive community-based programs for our most vulnerable youth and families by providing support and technical assistance, and

* Integrate CYFAR programming into base Extension programs for children, youth and families.

Now in its fourth year, the Project has demonstrated progress in achieving all these goals. An "Organizational Change Survey" was used with Family and 4-H Youth Development Educators in 1997 and 2000 to assess Extension's capacity in six key areas related to effective programming with at-risk audiences. Results show significant progress:

* Greater understanding of an organizational vision and strategic plan for CYFAR work

* Increased perception that one's supervisor supports his/her CYFAR work

* Improved quality and quantity of staff development opportunities related to CYFAR audiences and issues Increased access to and availability of Internet resources related to CYFAR work

* Increased confidence in most areas of CYFAR programming, with the exception of resource development, funding sources and program evaluation

* Increased perception of the organization's tolerance and treatment of diversity as critical to the success of CYFAR programming

* Continued recognition of the value of working with other professionals on CYFAR issues

* Increased involvement of staff on community task forces working on CYFAR issues.

Progress is also evident in three community programs funded by this grant in Grafton, Merrimack and Sullivan counties. Over 90 children and youth from schools in Boscawen, Claremont and Haverhill now enjoy high quality after-school programs that didn't exist prior to Extension's efforts. Each program is guided by a local steering committee, comprised of parents, youth, school personnel, and concerned citizens. A comprehensive annual evaluation, designed and conducted by faculty and students from the UNH Dept. of Social Work, document many positive impacts on both children and their families. Parents and teachers are quick to cite improvements in homework completion, class participation, and critical skills including sharing, cooperation, solving conflicts, respecting others, making friends, and working in groups. Children are proud of the new skills they learn, eager to help with community service projects, and happy to be part of the 4-H program. They are also relieved they no longer go to an empty home after school. As the community projects move toward April 2003 when CYFAR funding ends, attention is being directed to ensure the projects are sustained. The Claremont project has already made this transition through the acquisition of over $1.75 million in multi-year funding from state and federal sources. The initial CYFAR project provided the "seed," inspiring the Claremont School District to secure funds for expansion of after-school programs across all grades in the district. The advisory committees in the Boscawen and Haverhill projects face a harder challenge due to the rural nature of the communities, yet they remain optimistic and dedicated to achieving their goals.

When two new New Hampshire community conservation guides were produced this year, we wanted to get the word out. UNH Cooperative Extension teamed up with key partners to implement half-day workshops based on these two guides: Natural Resources: An Inventory Guide for New Hampshire Communities and Conservation Groups (a Cooperative Extension publication) and Identifying and Protecting New Hampshire's Significant Wildlife Habitat: A Guide for Towns and Conservation Groups (NH Fish and Game publication). The workshops, entitled "Planning for Wildlife and Other Natural Resources," provided direction on the use of the guides, especially advocating the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a tool for natural resources assessment and conservation planning.

People turned out in droves last month for the workshops held in Concord, Meredith, Milford and New London. Among the 118 participants representing 69 communities, there were Conservation Commission members, Planning Board members and Regional Planning Commission members. Evaluations showed 80% of attendees felt better able to protect wildlife and other natural resources as a result of the workshop (20% said, "maybe").

The vast majority of survey respondents also anticipated using the Natural Resources Inventory Guide or the Significant Wildlife Habitats Guide in their communities within the next year. This effort was sponsored by UNH Cooperative Extension, NH Association of Conservation Commissions, NH Fish and Game, NH Division of Forests and Lands, and regional planning commissions. Extension's Forestry and Wildlife Program worked together with the Sea Grant and Water Resources Program to coordinate and facilitate the workshops along with the above partners.

This fall, Paul Fisher (Extension Specialist in Floriculture) and other Cooperative Extension staff including Alan Eaton and Cheryl Smith are running a series of "Poinsettia Breakfast" meetings at greenhouses around NH. Twenty growers produce poinsettias in NH, and half of these growers (and 95% of production) are represented in the meetings. Growers meet in a different greenhouse every 2 weeks, over muffins and doughnuts. The format is an educational presentation including video and slides on a topic such as "height control" or "pest management", followed by discussion and a tour of the host greenhouse. Comments from last year's participants of the 2000 Poinsettia Breakfasts included:
"This is a great way to bring growers together so we can work towards one goal."
"As a fairly new grower in NH, it allowed me to get to know other growers in the state. It's always interesting to see how other people deal with similar growing issues/problems."
"The grower-to-grower feedback was very important and reassuring."
"I learned as much with these meetings as any growing experience I've had."

Extension staff led by Alan Eaton will evaluate final quality of poinsettias in November, which will allow comparison with the crop from 2000. Initial visits of 18 poinsettia greenhouses showed that this year's poinsettia crop looks excellent and there was a marked improvement in nutrition and pest/disease management in several locations. Other exciting twists to the poinsettia theme are a project by Geoffrey Njue and Paul Fisher, and three commercial NH growers who are evaluating a new variety of poinsettias that is bred for use as a cut flower (most poinsettias are grown as a potted plant). Also, look for the poinsettia display in the lobby area of the Whittemore Center Arena from Nov. 27 to Dec. 10. Cooperative Extension is co-sponsoring a 14-foot-high "poinsettia tree" which will contain over 150 plants in a large wall of color, as a means of promoting horticulture to the NH community. Other sponsors include the Dept. of Plant Biology, the Thompson School, and the Anna and Raymond Tuttle Environmental Horticulture Fund. Plants are being grown by B.S. undergraduate students of the PBIO 547 Environmental Horticulture class as a hands-on way to learn about horticultural science. These students are taught with the same materials as commercial growers in the Poinsettia Breakfasts.

Last year, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) released data showing that obesity had become epidemic among the youth of America. In reaction to this news, a program called "Childhood Obesity: A Community Concern" was developed to be used by Family Development Educators. This program is designed to make New Hampshire citizens aware of the causes of this health concern as well as provide some ways communities can intervene to reduce the incidence of obesity in children and teenagers.

Across the country, health educators began to develop curricula and a variety of teaching materials for use by educators and childcare providers both to prevent obesity and to help obese children attain a healthy weight. Improving eating habits and increasing physical activity are key components of these educational materials, but the vast majority are geared to elementary and middle school audiences.

Teachers, school nurses and food service directors working with teens in New Hampshire high schools bemoan the lack of suitable materials to meet the needs of this audience. This age group poses several challenges: increased independence in making food choices and a significant decrease in physical activity due to decreased opportunities to participate in organized sports, as well as other environmental barriers. To tailor materials to meet the needs of this audience, several focus groups comprised of New Hampshire teens were held this past summer. Teens were asked about their eating and exercise habits, what barriers they perceive in making healthy lifestyle changes, what resources are available in their schools and communities, and how they would design programs to help them become more fit. We are in the process of analyzing this data and hope to use these insights to tailor a curriculum and other educational materials to help decrease the incidence of obesity in this age group and provide educators with much needed information on how to help bring about behavior change.

Have you ever heard of an agricultural product worth $25-$50 a pound? Believe it or not, that's the retail price of smelt sold for bait. Smelt are virtually the only prey of landlocked salmon in the winter, and as such are highly prized bait for winter ice fishing. (I bet not too many of you knew that).

So then why isn't everyone and his dog raising smelt? Well, because no one in the US has yet been successful doing so, even though people have been trying for over 100 years. Smelt are highly carnivorous and don't care much for artificial feed, which is generally critical for a successful aquaculture species.

However, some work up at the University of Maine in the early 1980's included stocking two ponds one summer with fertilized smelt eggs. The smelt in the pond with a lot of natural food grew very well. And yet, NO ONE EVER REPEATED THE EXPERIMENT! Furthermore, the people who conducted that pond experiment had neither fertilized the ponds to increase the natural food, nor treated them to kill the predatory insects.

So, J-J Newman is now working with two farmers (Dick Wollmar, North Hampton, and Joe Vaillancourt, Durham) and a new professor at UNH (David Berlinsky, Zoology) to investigate smelt culture as a potential aquaculture enterprise for New Hampshire. Spring 2001 was the first year of our activities, and while we weren't completely successful, we all learned a great deal and had much more success than anticipated. Adult smelt caught through the ice were taken to the Kingman Farm where they spawned unexpectedly. A makeshift mini-hatchery was rapidly thrown together to incubate the eggs which unexpectedly hatched. And then, also unexpectedly, the fry (baby fish) actually grew and thrived for three weeks on microscopic-sized live feed that J-J grew on top of her file cabinet (don't ask).

Giddy with success, the group constructed mini-hatcheries at both farms and then worked with NH Fish & Game to catch brood stock smelt from the Oyster and Squamscott Rivers. Unfortunately, 2001 was "the spring the smelt didn't run" and, dejectedly, we had to give it up for this year. However, the group is undeterred and have applied for grant funds to continue next spring on a larger scale.

New Hampshire Public Television has asked 4-H to partner with them in a national pilot project in association with the popular youth program ZOOM Into Action! It will showcase local youth involved in community service and hopes to highlight 4-H activities on TV and the web beginning this winter. The objective of ZOOM Into Action is to motivate kids to volunteer and make a difference in their communities. ZOOM Into Action invites kids to "turn off the TV and do it!" Youth volunteer efforts can include such activities as teaching seniors how to access the Internet, organizing a food drive, or cleaning up a local park. The goal of this campaign is to motivate kids to find a cause they care about and get involved. Ultimately, we want kids to experience how helping one's neighbors can contribute to the overall strength of a community. The timing of this exciting program couldn't be better. As part of the 4-H's national Centennial celebration, New Hampshire is taking part in a national Power of Youth pledge campaign. The goal is to ask young people to make a pledge to complete a community service project in the hope that millions of hours of public service will result nationwide.

Major changes are occurring in the Great North Woods. The American Tissue Plant in Berlin is a major employer and loss of its mill will have a significant economic impact, beyond those directly employed at the mill. At the same time, 171,000 acres of forest lands are up for sale. Who ends up with its ownership will influence the culture of the North Country forever.

UNH Cooperative Extension has been involved in the economics and land use of Coos County for decades. Recently, it was apparent the mill in Berlin was on shaky ground. Working with the UNH Dept. of Resources and Economic Development, Extension researched the impact the pulp and paper industry has on the Coos economy. Extension found that the employment has dropped from 45 % in 1960 to 9% of the jobs now. Pulp, paper and allied industries make up 17% of the earnings, being one of the highest paying sectors. UNH Cooperative Extension has focused its help and expertise by working with the local people to help them sort out the questions and assessing their needs. As Sue Buteau said, "There will be a long transition period as Berlin changes." Extension needs to be involved for the long haul, rather than in short-term solutions. Specialists Sarah Smith and Charlie French have been meeting with people interested in helping address the situation. They each have been encouraging individuals to become involved and listen to the local people in the traditional Extension approach. Whatever happens to the mill, changes will take place which will benefit from a multi-disciplinary, long-term, local-needs-driven approach by UNH Cooperative Extension.

Darrel Covell, Extension Wildlife Specialist, is serving on the technical committee looking at the International Paper Company lands which has stirred so much attention. It is not certain whether these lands will remain working forests or not.

Since Francis Gilman retired in 1990, UNH has not had an agricultural engineer. The demand for this expertise has been great with many producers looking at adopting various types of technology to make their operations more efficient. This past winter a proposal written by John Porter was funded by the Andrew and Margaret Sigler Foundation in Norwich, Vermont. It provides funding for UNH to engage an engineer for 10 days in New Hampshire at no cost to the producers who need this service.

So far, over 20 dairy producers have received consultation visits, providing them with valuable help. They have received advice in the areas of barn design and manure storage facilities, which has saved them thousands of dollars in potential design errors. Time was also spent with our new Agricultural Resources Educators providing some in-service education dealing with engineering topics.

The engineer is Dr. Stan Weeks, originally a Cornell professor before moving to the Agway Research Farm in Fabius NY. He is now an independent consultant. We hope to have Stan in this area again around Oct. 15 to do additional farm visits plus conduct more training at a New England in-service day.

Team Nutrition is the USDA initiative to continuously improve school meals, and promote the health and education of 50 million children in 92,000 schools nationwide. A USDA Team Nutrition evaluation study found nutrition education and promotion activities lead to improvement in students' eating behavior.

UNH Cooperative Extension and the Depts. of Health Management and Policy and Animal and Nutritional Sciences are sponsoring the fifth annual Team Nutrition Summer Institute, which started on Monday and runs through July 19. The Institute, funded by USDA Food and Nutrition Service, enhances the USDA Team Nutrition initiative by training teachers and other school personnel to implement the Team Nutrition model in their communities. This summer 24 teachers and three UNH Cooperative Extension staff are attending the Institute. These participants are selected with the help of a state-wide advisory committee. The advisory committee represents relevant constituencies in the state as well as the regional Food and Nutrition Service office. Working with this committee, a schedule of speakers for the institute is arranged to include the most qualified speakers available both locally and nationally. Daily, and at the conclusion of the Institute, an evaluation is completed by participants. In addition pre and post knowledge tests are administered.

Each teacher signs a contract indicating attendance at all scheduled sessions. They are also required to work on their own to complete an action plan for their activities in the coming year. These activities must include at least three training sessions of additional members of their home communities. Each training is expected to include 10 or more people. It is our hope this method will conclude with at least 660 educators trained. When they go back to their home communities they will be monitored by staff at UNH. Each teacher will be observed by either Valerie Long or Tammi Martin, Assistant Research Professor, Health Management and Policy, as they conduct their community trainings. A follow-up conference is planned for January, 2002, to check on their efforts and give them a "boost" for the next semester.

A "NH Celebrates Team Nutrition Day" was created as part of the Institute and this year was held July 11th. Featured speakers were Ron Vogel, USDA Acting Deputy Director of Special Nutrition Programs, Barbara Moore from Shape Up America, and this year's Miss America - Angela Perez Baraquio. It is expected this special celebration day will foster a greater state-wide coordinated effort in disseminating information regarding Team Nutrition.

hree new publications are available for communities to address natural resource issues. They come at a time when communities are vitally concerned with the loss of open space, the loss of community character and the protection of water and other natural resource assets.

UNH Cooperative Extension has just produced Natural Resources Inventories - A Guide for New Hampshire Communities and Conservation Groups. Amanda Stone, who many of you know through her Master Gardener coordination work with Extension, wrote the current version of the guide. This was a revision of the original guide written by Phil Auger and Jeanie McIntyre of the Upper Valley Land Trust in the early 1990s. That version was in high demand and went through several reprints. It started scores of communities on the process of looking at their natural assets. Advances in technology have provided new tools, such as GIS, which are addressed in the new book. This publication is available to all New Hampshire communities and is on the UNH Cooperative Extension web site.

The Significant Wildlife Habitat Guide, written by former UNH Cooperative Extension Wildlife Specialist John Kanter, provides a guide to communities and natural resource professionals as they attempt to protect and enhance natural assets. The writing project began when John was with Extension and will be used as part of Extension's outreach effort to communities. John is now with the NH Fish and Game Dept. and continues to work closely with Extension staff.

While Darrel Covell was executive director of the NH Wildlife Federation before joining Extension as Wildlife Specialist this past January, the Federation completed a guide to help communities deal with the effect of growth on their natural character. Titled Open Space for New Hampshire, the book contains over 70 techniques and strategies, and 98 pages of information, including "how-to" methods of funding. It was written by Digit Taylor.

For more information for you or your community, contact UNH Cooperative Extension's Forestry Information Center at 1-800-444-8978.

Have you ever asked yourself or been asked "what's wrong with that plant?" If so, the UNH Plant Diagnostic Lab (PDL) is the place to go (or send others) for help. Extension's Plant Health Specialist Cheryl Smith has been in charge of the PDL since her arrival as a graduate student in 1986.

Diagnostic services offered by the PDL include identification of plant pathogens, stress-related disorders such as winter injury, and the occasional insect pest. Anyone growing or maintaining plants may submit samples to the PDL. Clients have included landscapers, golf course superintendents, arborists, home gardeners and growers from commercial nursery, fruit, vegetable, and greenhouse operations.

Samples from commercial operations account for 60 percent of the submissions, and although the majority of the samples received by the PDL are from New Hampshire, approximately five percent of the samples received annually are from out-of-state. Each completed diagnosis is returned with the identification of the causal agent and information about the management and future prevention of the disease, disorder or pest. Management recommendations stress the use of cultural or non-chemical methods, but also include pesticide recommendations as an option when necessary.

For New Hampshire citizens involved in production agriculture and its support industries, and recreational-based industries such as golf courses, healthy plants are critical to their financial well being. In addition, healthy plants provide food and shelter for wildlife and help maintain a healthy environment by improving air quality and preventing soil erosion. Although the impact of the PDL and the Plant Health program are difficult to quantify in dollars, one grower estimated saving nearly $20,000 after adopting cultural management techniques aimed at disease prevention. The impact is also reflected in the feedback from growers regarding an improvement in their ability to correctly identify plant health problems (and thus select the most effective management options).

The PDL also serves as a resource for information, examples and data used for training and educational programs offered throughout New Hampshire and the New England region. Educational training in the identification and management of plant health problems has been provided for various professional plant grower's associations, Master Gardeners, Tree Stewards, Cooperative Extension staff and garden clubs. (Samples are submitted directly to the PDL by mail or walk-ins, or through the county offices. (A sample consists of a single plant species, and should include healthy, moderate and advanced/severe examples of the problem). There is a $12 charge for samples submitted to the UNH-PDL. A Plant Disease Identification Form should accompany each sample. (The submission form and guidelines for submitting samples are available on-line: ceinfo.unh.edu/Common/PDform.pdf).

Some things never change. Over your lifetime, how often have you heard the phrase, "eat your fruits and vegetables - they're good for you?" Most of us heard this often enough when we were young, and we continue to hear about the benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables through the National 5 A-Day campaign. Consumers have heeded the message and per capita annual consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased 24% from 1970 to 1997.

Accompanying the increase in consumption is an increase in foodborne disease outbreaks associated with fresh produce. Three-quarters (75.3%) of those outbreaks were associated with domestically grown produce.

UNH Cooperative Extension's Family Development and Agricultural Resources Specialists and Educators have teamed up to address food safety concerns in all phases of production, harvesting, processing, and selling of fresh produce in New Hampshire. A food safety farm audit program has been developed and pre-tested and will be implemented this summer in each county. The NH program is also one component of a New England-wide Food Safety Good Agricultural Practices project funded by USDA. The New England project includes a grower and consumer survey and tests three different educational methods. Specific commodities from farms throughout New England will be tested for microbial contamination and then re-tested to assess the impact of food safety education if pathogenic microbes are detected. On-farm food safety programs are just one component of a farm-to-fork food safety education approach that can help reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

What better way to experience New Hampshire's coastal waters than to be aboard the Gulf Challenger on one of Sea Grant Extension's UNH Discovery Cruises! Ten public cruises are scheduled through the summer and fall to explore the Great Bay Estuary or Appledore Island and the Shoals Marine Laboratory.

Folks age10 and up gather on the Portsmouth Fish Pier in the morning for an orientation to New Hampshire's coast and a preview of what they will be doing on their cruise. Then they board the University's research vessel for a five hour "hands-on" cruise to Great Bay or a six-hour cruise to the Isles of Shoals. The UNH Coastal Floating Lab and the Great Bay Living Lab both also offer students in grades 6 through 12 and their teachers a chance to learn aboard the boats.

The operative word is "hands-on", because the Extension specialists, Marine Docents and UNH students who are instructors for these programs specialize in helping people learn by doing. Participants use simple equipment to take water samples and analyze them for temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen. As tiny plant plankton are collected, people make the connection between life in the sea and on the land, since these plankton, the basis of the ocean food chain, also provide much of the oxygen in our atmosphere. Hauling in the trawl net to discover the bio-diversity of life that inhabit the estuaries and ocean adds to the excitement of the cruise. Onboard, chances abound to learn more about University research and marine projects. from growing flounder and cod in pens, or mussels on ropes just off the Isles of Shoals, to getting up-to-date information about the estuary from instruments placed in Great Bay. Having fun while learning new things adds up to an effective learning experience in all these programs. Contact Sharon Meeker for more information at 749-1565 or sharon.meeker@unh.edu, or get into the marine education picture through our web site at http://www.unh.edu/marine-education.

Mentoring is the buzz word of the new millennium. For most of us, mentoring generally occurred spontaneously, with someone we gravitated toward and with whom we shared a common bond. It wasn't always a planned opportunity or structured program. Some of us felt well mentored as we began our careers or changed jobs, and others of us felt quite abandoned, with no one to guide or develop our professional selves. Today, mentoring is often a planned method of training new staff in the workplace. Mentoring benefits an organization in many different ways. It can decrease the turnover in entry level positions, help prepare young professionals for promotion to upper level jobs, develop skills needed for other jobs, and provide ways for upper level staff to contribute to the growth and stability of the company.

Mentoring in the camp setting has existed in various formats, but typically as the Counselor-in-Training program. Often, camps depend on these young teens as actual counselors, responsible for kids, and to fill in for chronic staffing shortages that often exist in camps. It only makes sense that NH 4-H Camps mentor its own future staff through a structured program, designed for teens, ages 15 and older. The Mentor Program is an advanced program for teens to learn responsibilities and job requirements of the camp counselor position in a summer youth camp. Each participant is mentored by a Unit Leader in the unit in which they live and work, and assigned to an older or returning counselor willing to work with a youth in this role. The Camp Director has an active role in working with each "mentoree" in camp.

Each participant applies to camp like all other campers. Once the application is reviewed, applicants submit an essay discussing why they chose the program, why they want to be a camp counselor someday, what they hope to learn, and what special skills, qualities and experiences they have to share. They then participate in an individual or group interview session. After this application process, specifically designed as part of their experience in the mentor program, participants come to camp for two weeks this summer. Maximum enrollment is six mentor program participants per two week session. When "mentorees" arrive, they participate in a two-day training before being placed in a cabin with campers and counselor. Once housed, they meet daily with their specific Unit Leader and Camp Director. Special trainings cover topics relevant to the learning and growth of each participant. "Mentorees" have many opportunities to learn from those around them and from real-life experiences, and to accept some responsibility yet not have the expectation to perform at a level unrealistic for a 15 or 16-year-old.

Through the Leader-in -Training and the Mentor Programs, NH 4-H Camps is aggressively addressing the needs of youth to develop the skills necessary to enter the workforce, especially as they relate to basic work etiquette and behaviors. NH 4-H camps is also dedicated in guiding youth to consider camping, recreation, child care and other youth related professions as potential areas of higher education study and career options.

Forest Resources Extension Educators Marshall Patmos and Nory Parr of Cheshire and Grafton Counties, respectively, helped place four new osprey nesting platforms in February. The osprey, a fish-eating raptor, is a state-listed, threatened bird making a comeback in New Hampshire with the help of artificial nesting platforms erected on tall poles. Although natural nesting sites in the tops of tall trees may be available, the ready-to-use platforms have been willingly accepted by ospreys in the past.

The Project Osprey partners (Audubon Society of New Hampshire, NH Fish and Game Department and Public Service of New Hampshire) sought local assistance from Extension to identify good osprey platform sites and to help with the logistics. Marshall and Nory came through with additional local help from the Westmoreland Conservation Commission, Cheshire and Grafton County Farm employees and other individuals. The enthusiastic support and cooperation of the County Commissioners and administration of Cheshire and Grafton counties help make Extension efforts like this succeed.

Former Extension Wildlife Specialist, John Kanter, who is now coordinator of the state's Non-game and Endangered Wildlife Program, looked to the county foresters to make this happen, because "they have the credibility and the ability to get things done at the local level."

The new platforms were placed near good osprey habitat along the Connecticut river on the Cheshire County Farm and Roger Adams property, both in Westmoreland, and on Grafton County property in North Haverhill.

Foot-and-Mouth disease (FMD) is a severe, highly communicable viral disease of cattle and swine. It also affects sheep, goats, deer and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. FMD can't be transmitted from animals to humans.

There have been nine outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in the United States with the last outbreak in California in 1929. Although there hasn't been an outbreak since 1929, FMD is a continual threat to the U.S. livestock industry. The disease is widespread in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. This creates a constant threat to the United States and necessitates constant surveillance if this country is to remain free from the disease.

The disease is characterized by fever and blister-like lesions followed by erosions on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the teats and between the hooves. Many affected animals recover, but the disease leaves them debilitated. Recovered animals normally don't regain lost weight for many months and cows rarely produce milk near their former rate of production.

A virus causes foot-and-mouth disease. The virus can persist in contaminated fodder and the environment for up to one month, depending on temperature and pH conditions. The virus has a remarkable capacity to remain alive in carcasses, animal by-products and contaminated materials such as feed, bedding, equipment and utensils. The most common means of transmission of foot-and-mouth disease is by contact with an infected animal, but contaminated materials of any kind that bring the virus in contact with susceptible animals can spread the disease. An outbreak can occur when:

* People wearing contaminated clothing or footwear or using contaminated equipment pass the virus to susceptible animals.
* Animals carrying the virus are introduced into susceptible herds.
* Contaminated facilities are used to hold susceptible animals.
* Contaminated vehicles are used to move susceptible animals.
* Raw or improperly cooked garbage containing infected meat or animal products is fed to susceptible animals.
* Susceptible animals are exposed to materials such as hay, feedstuffs, hides or biologics contaminated with the virus.
* Susceptible animals drink common source contaminated water.
* A susceptible cow is inseminated by semen from an infected bull.

If an outbreak occurred in the United States, this disease could spread rapidly to all sections of the country by routine livestock movements unless it was detected early and eradicated immediately. If the disease were to spread unchecked, the economic impact could reach billions of dollars in the first year.

There are no vaccines registered for use in the prevention of foot-and-mouth disease in the United States. Prevention is based on: (1) federal restrictions on the importation of susceptible livestock and potentially contaminated by-products or materials from countries where FMD exists; (2) immediate quarantine should an outbreak occur; (3) eradication of all infected and exposed animals; (4) thorough cleaning and disaffection of holding pens, barns, equipment, etc., and restocking the premises with a few susceptible animals to determine the effectiveness of the program to eradicate the virus of foot-and- mouth disease.

There is no treatment for foot-and-mouth disease in the United States. Susceptible animals that have vesicles (blisters) in the mouth or on the feet must be reported to a local, state or federal veterinarian. Livestock owners can support U.S. efforts by watching for excessive salivation, lameness and other signs of FMD in their herd and immediately reporting any unusual or suspicious signs to their veterinarian, to state or federal animal disease control officials or to your county Extension educator.

If FMD should appear in your animals, your report will set in motion an effective state and federal eradication program. Your warning may prevent FMD from becoming established in the United States, or if it does spread, reduce the time and money needed to wipe it out.

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture encourages livestock owners and private veterinary practitioners to report any unusual animal health symptoms to their local agricultural officials. USDA continues to safeguard American agriculture from foreign animal diseases like foot-and-mouth disease. As part of this effort, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has certified more than 450 foreign animal disease diagnosticians located throughout the United States to investigate every instance of potential foreign animal diseases. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture has established a toll-free telephone center to respond to questions from the public, industry and media regarding USDA's response to the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Europe. The toll-free number is 1-800-601-9327.

A new national initiative, "Financial Security in Later Life" has been announced. Suzann Knight has been tapped to become a member of the national team that will advise on the initiative. Through Suzann's involvement and that of her colleagues from other states, the team will design the indicators and outcomes for this national initiative. UNH Cooperative Extension educators, both youth development and family development, deserve compliments for continuing to provide family resource management programs that are making a difference in people's lives.

The mission of this initiative is to develop, market, implement and evaluate effective, research-based, financial management programs that lead to a citizenry who are financially literate and empowered with the knowledge, attitudes, skills and confidence to practice effective and successful financial management strategies that insure financial security in later life. The initiative has three goals: help people improve personal finance behaviors, enhance capacity of local educators, and increase economic vitality of communities. Strategies to achieve these goals are: people will experience financial security throughout later life, educators will offer effective personal finance programs, and communities will have improved economic stability and quality of life. For more information regarding this national initiative, please access the web at: http://fyd.clemson.edu/Financial_Security_in_Later_Life_National_Initiative.pdf

Each day over 30,000 motorists drive over one of New Hampshire's most significant, yet little understood natural places. The Great Bay Estuary adds over 100 miles of shoreline to New Hampshire's 18 miles of coast and holds ecological, economic, recreational, scientific and aesthetic importance. Traveler's Information Station radio (a.k.a low power radio) is one way to reach thousands of motorists with non-commercial information about geographically important places.

As a result of a UNH Cooperative Extension/Sea Grant outreach effort, motorists driving within sight of Great Bay can tune in their car radios to 1610 AM to hear information about Great Bay, its wildlife, history, current University research, volunteer opportunities and educational events going on around the Bay. The broadcast message lasts about 5 minutes, plays continuously and transmits over land and water in an approximately 5-mile radius.

Traveler's Information Station technology is relatively flexible and easy to use. Keeping the broadcast up to date is simply a matter of writing a new script and reading it into a telephone that connects to a digital recorder mounted to a utility pole in the center of the transmission area. The broadcasts on Great Bay Area Radio change about every 4-6 weeks. To get feedback about the broadcast's effectiveness, listeners are invited to complete an on-line survey and are tempted with the possibility of winning free passage on one of our educational Discovery Cruises into the Bay. Great Bay Area Radio is almost two years old and generates about one email survey response each week.

Great Bay Area Radio has been great for encouraging collaboration among Seacoast agencies and organizations by offering a shared medium for promoting educational programs, public hearings, or volunteer opportunities. Great Bay Area Radio is the result of a collaboration among UNH Cooperative Extension/Sea Grant, NOAA/UNH Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology, the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the NH Department of Transportation.

4-H Youth Development is probably best known for the subject matter "projects" we offer to the thousands of youth enrolled in New Hampshire. While we are extremely proud that 4-H has taught children about the environment, animal agriculture, clothing and textiles, and nutrition, that's not the real reason we come to work every day. 4-H uses projects as a means to achieve our true objective - life skill development. Pat Hendricks (Iowa State University) defined life skills as "tools to cope with whatever life brings." New Hampshire 4-H has identified five life skills to focus on during the current Plan of Work cycle.

Last year a team of 4-H educators developed resources for youth, volunteers and educators to assist in teaching the skill of goal setting and attainment. An evaluation instrument was developed and baseline data collected on how well kids are able to set and work toward goals. Leader trainings were held, newsletter articles written and updated 4-H record forms have been published to support the life skill of goal setting. This year we're developing teaching materials and examining our events and activities that support the life skill of communication and will collect baseline data on communications skills and follow-up data for goal setting. Our hope is to see an increase in knowledge and skills during each year we focus on a particular life skill. Life skills that will be focused on in the coming years are accepting differences, leadership and community service/learning. We look forward to sharing the data we collect to document the impact we have on the lives of youth in New Hampshire.

Extension staff from the Forestry, Wildlife and Water Resources programs are working with Seacoast communities to bring about a model for New Hampshire communities in land conservation. Five communities are joining together to permanently protect the headwaters of four river systems which supply the public drinking water for thousands of Seacoast residents. With a donation from the Tamposi family, developers, a grant expected from the NH Department of Environmental Services, financial contributions from the municipalities and UNH, 1,350 acres north of the Lee Traffic Circle in Barrington will be set aside forever for water supply protection and wildlife habitat management. Phil Auger, Frank Mitchell and Barrington resident Bob Edmonds have been active in providing guidance to the local people working as volunteers on this project.

The Extension Community Conservation Assistance Program has helped set the stage for projects like this to happen. By providing education, advice, technical information and help, communities are ready to work together on conservation projects that cross community lines. Extension's successes in helping communities share ideas, information and resources, such as the Bear Paw Greenways, the Moose Mountain Greenways, and the Green Mountain Greenways, are actually changing the way NH communities tackle problems. While UNH Cooperative Extension assistance doesn't always make headlines as the major share of attention belongs to the community volunteers, Extension participation with communities makes a significant difference.

New Hampshire strawberries are harvested in a short two to three week window from mid-June into early July. NH growers produce more than 1.5 million pounds of strawberries each year. To sell that many berries in the traditional 2-3 week season, growers rely heavily on the U-Pick market, a market vulnerable to weather extremes such as heat and rain. Extension Specialist Bill Lord has been developing planting systems that will offer consumers fresh, flavorful, New Hampshire strawberries beginning in mid-May, offering growers greater market opportunity and consumers greater access to delicious NH strawberries.

To expand New Hampshire's season, Lord is using production systems and varieties used in California. Traditionally, dormant plants are set in May for harvest the following season. In this system, live plug plants are set about Sept. 1 into plastic-covered, raised beds. These plants are covered with floating row cover about Oct. 1 to provide both a warm environment for plant growth and later winter protection for plants. The result is a strawberry harvest that begins a full 2 weeks before the traditional New Hampshire season.

Lord is using tunnel production to expand the strawberry production and marketing season even earlier. The basic system is the same except a high tunnel houses the raised beds and plants. High tunnels rely on the sun for heat, and on sunny days into late fall and again in late winter and early spring, temperatures in these simple structures are warm enough to allow strawberry plant growth. Some flowers show by mid-March, and the first ripe, juicy fruit are ready in early May.

Several New Hampshire growers, including Andy Howe of Beans and Greens Farm in Gilford and John Moulton of Moulton Farms in Meredith, are using these systems to expand their strawberry market season with great success.

Extension's family development program recently began a partnership with WMUR Channel 9, New Hampshire's ABC affiliate, to reach citizens of the state with current research in the areas of child development and parenting education. Positive Parenting was introduced in 1998 as a three minute segment aired on alternate Thursdays as part of WMUR's 4 p.m. news. Extension educators present research on a variety of topics ranging from helping children adjust to kindergarten to co-parenting children after a divorce.

Beginning in March 2000, Extension became a weekly feature on Wednesday's "Ask the Expert." As part of the 9 a.m. news, "Ask the Expert" is a live call-in segment airing from 9:35 to 10 a.m. The program topics vary widely and address issues such as brain development in young children, fostering responsibility in children and teens, guidelines to help children adjust to their parent's divorce, what to do if your child is a bully or a victim of a bully, and dating when you're single and have children. Calls are received from parents, step-parents and grandparents throughout the state who are concerned about children and want guidance to help them in probably the most important job, and many times the most difficult job, adults ever encounter - raising children.

reach and research program works in communities and with lake and watershed associations, providing training and support that allows volunteer water quality monitors to keep tabs on the conditions of lakes and streams throughout the state. Over 500 monitors sampled 250 lakes sites and over 300 tributary sites for over 120 lake watersheds. Samples collected by volunteers as well as quality control samples collected by CE staff in conjunction with the UNH Center for Freshwater Biology (CFB) student field team are processed in the CE/CFB Analytical Water Quality Laboratory in Spaulding Life Sciences. Each year's data are analyzed by program staff with the help of University students. Final results are published in an individual report for each association, distributed to participants and their communities. Hot spots, problem areas, trends and recommendations are discussed in detail. In addition, an item of current interest such as statewide trends, zebra mussels, mercury in fish, acid rain, is highlighted.

There are many local success stories facilitated by the LLMP. Most recently, efforts by LLMP volunteers and staff were cited as the major factors leading to the corrections and improvements (retention basins, diversions, sediment traps) made to the Rte. 16 drainage system next to Chocorua Lake in Tamworth. The key to this effort was the watershed water and nutrient budget undertaken by the LLMP that quantified the impacts of the road drainage to the lake. Currently a similar water nutrient budget is being done on Goose Pond in Enfield and the Squam Lake Watershed in Ashland, Sandwich, Center Harbor, Moultonboro, and Holderness. On the research front, data from the LLMP and a trial "mussel watch" program on selected lakes are key elements in a UNH CFB study on freshwater algae toxins. Studies comparing water transparency measurement techniques were recently presented at an international symposium on lake management. Data from the LLMP program was integral in the masters thesis of a UNH Resource Economics student who quantified the loss of property values due to water clarity loss. In addition, the design help and field testing of an instant reading device to measure algae levels in a lake was undertaken. As a result of this latter project, an article was recently published in "Lakeline" the magazine of the North American Lake Management Society. Upcoming projects include a shared water quality database and website for lakes with the NH Dept. of Environmental Services, continued applied research into water quality trends and further investigations into harmful algae blooms. For more information, contact Jeff Schloss or Robert Craycraft.