Florida Association of Natural Resource Extension ...anrep.ifas.ufl.edu/documents/FANREP_Newsletter_Julydec07.pdfANREP Southern Region News 3 News From the Field • Volusia County

FANREPFANREP To our members and friends, As most of you know, FANREP President Marella Crane has left Extension as she and her husband follow their future together. We thank Marella for all she has done for FANREP since its inception including serving as Southern Regional Representative to ANREP, President-Elect, and finally her six months as President. Marella is now working as a communications specialist for Constella in Atlanta, GA. We wish her the best of luck. Marella's unexpected departure leaves yours truly as FANREP President through the 2008 EPAF Conference. I must already thank Marella and Maia McGuire for their assistance helping me step into the position a little sooner than expected. I'm excited and looking forward to helping FANREP grow and evolve during my term.Before she left, Marella coordinated the transformation of our FANREP web site to the new "Solutions for Your Life" template. Check out the site at: http://anrep.ifas.ufl.edu. Let me know if you have any suggestions to improve the site. Obviously, the fall's big focus is on the EPAF Conference in St. Augustine. This will be the first EPAF Conference with FANREP leadership. Maia McGuire has done an outstanding job planning this year's conference as EPAF Chair. We'll need volunteers from our membership to serve as ticket-takers during at least one meal and probably to help with a few other things to keep the conference running smoothly. Keep an eye out for e-mail updates on these opportunities.I look forward to seeing everyone at our membership meeting in St. Augustine on Tuesday, September 25th. Andrew Diller [email protected]

From the FANREP President

Florida Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals

2007 Award Winners 2

FANREPers Visit the Capital 2

EPAF in St. Augustine 3

ANREP Southern Region News

3

News From the Field • Volusia County • Nassau County • Dade County • Collier County • St. Lucie County

4-7

Meet Your Specialist 8-9

Membership List 10-11

Upcoming Events 12

Inside this issue:

Volume 3, Issue 2 June-December 2007

FANREP Newsletter Committee: Alyssa Dodd, Chair Roy Beckford Rob Northrop

Page 2

Congratulations Award Winners! Every year, FANREP conducts

an awards program to foster high standards among its members and help expand the use of high quality, innovative educational materials and programs by honoring the outstanding members and partners who developed them. This year, we received several dozen award submissions. Three judges had the difficult task of selecting the first place entries. A strong showing by Elizabeth Staugler, Bill Giuliano, and

the others who submitted educational products set a high standard of excellence.

All awards will be presented at the Association of Florida Extension Professionals (EPAF) Conference in September. Award winning products will be on display at the EPAF Annual Conference. Please stop by to see the innovative educational products developed by our colleagues.

Early Career Leadership Elizabeth Staugler

Newsletter Tom Becker External Partner of the Year Eleanor Godwin Web Page Bill Giuliano

Series of Articles Elizabeth Staugler

Mixed Materials Mary Cambell (FANREP Member) Non-FANREP Team Members: Bert Henderson, Devesh Nirmul

Promotional Materials Elizabeth Staugler

Slide Set/Computerized Graphic Presentation

Bill Giuliano

DVD Video Chris Demers

Educational Product—Role Play J.P. Gellermann and Alyssa Dodd

Short Publication Joan Bradshaw Innovative Program Award Elizabeth Staugler

FANREPers Visit the Capital FNREP members Maia McGuire, John Brenneman, and Alyssa Dodd, along with several Extension colleagues attended the National Public Issues Leadership Develop-ment Conference, Connectivity: Community to the Capital, held in Washington, D.C. this past April. The conference, sponsored by the Joint Council of Extension Professionals, aims to keep Extension professionals abreast of changing public issues that impact our communities and affect

Extension programming. Participants learned about the Land Grant federal appropriations process, reauthorization of the Farm Bill, and how to effectively communi-cate with elected officials. One day was spent visiting Capital Hill to share the Land Grant message. To learn more visit: www.jcep.org/pild.htm

Thank You to the judges who had the

difficult task of selecting the

first place entries.


http://www.jcep.org/pild.htm

EPAF in St. Augustine!

Page 3

Mark Your Calendars! What? EPAF Meeting When? September 24-27 Where? Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village,

St. Augustine

AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS Tuesday, September 25 Membership Meeting 3:00 - 4:30 pm Wednesday, September 26 Abstract Presentations 8:00 am - Noon

For more information: http://epaf.ifas.ufl.edu/

ANREP Southern Region News FANREP member Will Sheftall represented our state chapter at the Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP) regional meeting in Nashville this winter. He discussed with Steve Brady of Georgia ANREP the idea of the Georgia chapter inviting FANREP members to participate in their annual, stand-alone conference to be held August 20-21, 2007 at Wahsega 4-H Center, in the mountain town of Dahlonega. The abstract presentations theme is "Georgia's Water: from the Headwaters to the Ocean." An invitation from Georgia ANREP President Frank Henning, was subsequently received, and discussed by the FANREP Board at the Extension Symposium. The concept of our participation was endorsed, as a way to foster multi-state collaboration —particularly in watershed and coastal programming.

Members of the FANREP Board expressed interest in putting together a van pick-up schedule from South Florida and West Florida, to enable interested FANREP members to attend the Georgia conference and keep costs low. Please e-mail Will Sheftall at [email protected] by mid-July if you are interested or considering being involved in such a travel contingent to Dahlonega. Registration for the conference is $55 and includes lodging for Monday night and 3 meals. Monday and Wednesday will be travel days. The conference begins with dinner at 5:30 Monday August 20th, and ends with an optional vineyard tour and dinner in Dahlonega on Tuesday August 21st. Will has inquired about the availability of the 4-H Center for Tuesday night for FL attendees, and will have more information available by late June.

The annual Extension Professional Association of Florida (EPAF) meeting provides an opportunity for FANREP members to network, discuss association business, and share programmatic successes. This year the meeting is being held September 24-27, 2007 in St. Augustine. The FANREP association meeting will be held on Tuesday afternoon and a total of 13 abstracts will be presented during the FANREP abstract session on Wednesday morning. The conference early bird registration (before August 20th) is $250. The Dean's office has again agreed to pay a $200.00 per diem for County Faculty to use to help defray some of the conference costs.


http://epaf.ifas.ufl.edu/

mailto:[email protected]

NASSAU COUNTY: Demonstration Garden Wins UF/IFAS Grand IMAGE Award

NEWS FROM THE FIELD VOLUSIA COUNTY: Increasing Ecotourism Opportunities

Sometimes when you least expect it, an idea hits you. That is just what happened to me last September at the National Extension Tourism Conference. I was attended a presentation on paddling trails located in upstate New York, when that “Ah Ha” moment hit me. Why not develop a paddling trail from St. Augustine to Cape Canaveral? That part of the Intra-coastal waterway is beautiful and also contains many cultural and historic sites. With the increased popularity of paddling today, and the potential for increased ecotourism in the area, this should be simple right? Here is were the fun begins! David Griffis, Mia McGuire and Eddie Leonard from UF-IFAS Extension have conducted several multi-governmental brain storming sessions. We have the St. Johns River Water Management District, Flagler County, Volusia County, St. Johns County, Brevard County, Canaveral National Seashore Florida Department of Environmental Regulation and the US Department of Interior involved right now. Currently, we are still in the planning stages, but hopefully in 2008 we can invite all FANREP members to the grand opening of the “Conquistadors to Astronauts Pad-dling Trail.” For those FACAA members, yes that was the theme for the 2004 NACAA national meeting. For more information contact-David Griffis, Volusia County Exten-sion Director and Natural Resources Agent, [email protected].

The UF/IFAS IMAGE Awards Program encourages and recognizes excellence in the events, products, services, and projects developed by UF/IFAS faculty and staff. The Nassau County Extension office won a 2006 GRAND IMAGE Award for the Nassau County Demonstration Garden. Established September 2005, the purpose of the Demonstration Garden is to show examples of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Northeast Florida landscapes, adopted from the University of Florida’s “Florida Yards and Neighborhoods” program. The garden provides an opportunity for Nassau County residents, children and businesses to see the care and maintenance of landscape plants best suited for our area. These principles include: micro-irrigation; ‘Right Plant/Right Place’; mulching; recycling; attracting wildlife; and

Page 4 Florida Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals

Page 4 Florida Association of Natural Re-source Extension Professionals Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The University of Florida/IFAS IMAGE award judges commented on this creative collaboration in which several agencies and private businesses successfully re-developed the Nassau County Government Complex landscape. This entry stood out due to their excellent branding and comprehensive measurement data. More detailed information about the Garden is available at http:// nassau.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/ demogarden/demogarden.html or by contacting Rebecca L. Jordi, Nassau County Extension Environmental Horticulture Agent, [email protected].

http://nassau.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/demogarden/demogarden.html









NEWS FROM THE FIELD MIAMI-DADE COUNTY: Fishing for Adventure


Florida is blessed with a vast wealth of aquatic resources that are imperiled by habitat loss, pollution, and over exploitation. Miami Dade County Extension has begun a 4-H youth sportfishing program with the hopes of teaching the next generation to appreciate and protect Florida’s aquatic environments. This program is the result of partnerships with Dade county and state 4-H, local fishing organizations, area fishing guides, and other state and federal agen-cies. Grants, available though outlets like the Fish Florida Foundation and the Yamaha/Contender Miami Billfish Tournament, have provided for rods & reels and other supplies which are used to support fishing activities. To date we have helped over 200 kids get out on the water fishing, many for the first time, and handed out over 100 rods and reels. The first year culminated with the inaugural Miami Kid’s Fishing Clinic, which was held at Biscayne National Park in late April. This clinic was a joint venture with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the National Park Service, and several local sponsors. The clinic reached 80 kids and 70 adults and volunteers. Before being allowed to fish, kids were grouped together and required to complete six learning stations which lasted about 10 minutes each. • Casting – Designed to teach safe casting • Knot Tying – Children are taught basic knots such as the improved clinch and palomar • Bait & Tackle – Young anglers learn about different types of tackle and their use. • Good Angler – Children are taught the importance of becoming

and ethical angler, and ways they can help conserve Florida’s marine resources. • Fish Physiology – Kids learn about the parts of a fish and what purpose they serve. • Touch Tank - A FFWCC manned touch tank provides and hands on opportunity for kids to familiarize themselves with some of Florida’s native marine species. After completing each station, every child received a free Shakespeare fishing rod courtesy of the Fish Florida Foundation, and was able to enjoy a couple hours of supervised fishing along the park’s jetties. Each child also received a tackle kit and packet of information including the current saltwater and freshwater regulations and the FFWCC’s publication, Fishing Lines. More information on the FFWCC kids fishing clinics can be found on their website (http://myfwc.com/ marine/fishingclinics/)

Above: A touch tank provides a hands on opportunity for kids.

This program has received tremendous volunteer and financial support, and activities generate an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from participants. The future goals are to continue to build a 4-H fishing club, as well as attract other area youth through the fishing activities. For more information please contact Christian Miller, Water Science and Aquaculture Extension Agent, UF/IFAS Miami Dade County Cooperative Extension Service, [email protected].

http://myfwc.com/marine/fishingclinics/




Collier County Sea Grant has coordinated with local and state agencies to develop a community-based outreach program targeting recreational boaters in Collier County. The program developed out of concerns raised by both the local boating industry and resource managers regarding the current and future impacts the increasing recreational boating population has and will have on the county’s coastal resources. Initial partners included Collier County Extension, Marine Industries Association of Collier County, the City of Naples, and Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection took the partnership one step further. They signed a memorandum of understanding with a mutual goal to effectively manage the marine resources of the State of Florida for the benefit of the public and future generations through non-regulatory saltwater recreational outreach and education programs. The partnership is known as the Marine Resource Conservation Partnership (MRCP). The MRCP in Collier County will model their outreach program after the successful Team OCEAN program in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Outreach efforts will include trained volunteers educating boaters on the water, at boat ramps and at public events, about sustainable practices they can

implement to conserve and protect marine resources. Efforts also involve partnering with local businesses to support and promote the goals of the program. Collier County Sea Grant was awarded a $14,000 Florida Boating Improvement Program grant from Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission to create an exhibit that highlights sustainable boating practices to protect human life and natural resources. The exhibit will be used at boat shows and other public events. In addition to the grant award, an outreach coordinator was hired for

COLLIER COUNTY: Protecting Coastal Resources

For more information please contact Bryan Fluech, Collier County Sea Grant Agent, [email protected], (239)

NEWS FROM THE FIELD


the Team OCEAN project. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission is funding the position while Collier County Sea Grant serves as the coordinator’s local supervisor. Currently, Sea Grant and the coordinator are developing a volunteer training program and hope to begin their outreach efforts by December.

Visit Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve on the Web at: http://www.rookerybay.org/

Above: Educational efforts aim to conserve and protect Collier County’s coastal resources.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.rookerybay.org/

CHECK IT OUT! Don’t miss these articles:

New partnerships for growth

management issues and

Toward a sustainable Florida

in the current IFAS IMPACT magazine.

Read it online at:

http://impact.ifas.ufl.edu/

ST. LUCIE COUNTY: Helping Residents Make Their Voices Heard

For the past 50 years Florida has been an attractive place for people to go on vacation or to relocate. In the 1970’s the State of Florida estimated that nearly 1,000 people per day were moving to the state. Today that number still holds true. In 2005’ the City of Port St. Lucie was named the fastest growing city in the nation and according to the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Coun-cil there are nearly 80,000 homes pending or approved to be built in the Treasure Coast Region. With an approximate population of 18 million residents the State of Florida has experienced one of the most intense population shifts in American history. Because of this growth almost everyone in Florida has experienced a new development project being constructed near your home or is aware of a project that you have a strong feeling about. Unfortunately, Florida today is feeling many of the planning mistakes that were made years ago. The good news is that we are learning from those mistakes. Today we realize that we can take important steps to prevent the detrimental development patterns of the past. Citizens across the state are now asking if there is a better way to build the homes and businesses the next 15 million peo-ple will need. Many development decisions are

made through a public hearing process. Aspects of the project are discussed, debated, and ultimately decided on by City or County Commissioners during these meetings. At these public hearings elected officials often depend and act on the comments and suggestions of surrounding residents and business owners just like you! Every year, many new projects

are approved with little comment or input from the public. The St. Lucie County Extension Service is helping residents learn more about the development process by providing planning seminars to affected communities. Providing citizens

information about the development process and basic planning concepts helps residents to make their voices heard and more effectively participate in public hearings. Saint Lucie County Extension has facilitated meetings between developers and affected Neighborhoods to identify the Detrimental aspects of new development projects and discusses alternatives with the developer before the public hearing process commences. As a result, neighborhoods working with developers create better projects, developments that reflect the concerns of surrounding residents are better for everyone. For more information please contact JP Gellermann, St. Lucie County Growth Management Agent, [email protected], (772) 462-1938.

NEWS FROM THE FIELD


http://impact.ifas.ufl.edu/

Meet Your Specialists Dr. Marian Marinescu Assistant Professor Forest Utilization & Economic Sustainability West Florida REC, Milton, FL (850) 983-5216 Ext. 114 [email protected]

Since I was a lad in my native country, Romania, I have been involved in forestry and wood products manufacturing. I have always been appreciative of the forest environment, the products and services that the forests provide to the human kind, and the people that care for and about the forests. I love being in the forest and I wish I had more time for woodcarving and cabinetry. My career spanned across a wide range of activities: timber harvesting and supply, wood products and furniture manufacturing, marketing and economics of forest products, teaching, research, and extension in forest utilization. At University of Florida I am developing a research, education, and extension program in forest utilization at the West Florida Research and Education Center. This program has three major targets:

• sustainable utilization of forest biomass for bioenergy, • increasing the competitiveness of Florida’s forest products industry, and • innovative forest products and services. Extension activities include, among others: the development and demonstration of a wood pellet manufacturing laboratory, the delivery of workshops in quality control and advanced wood products manufacturing, and the dissemination of knowledge about innovative forest products and services (products from small diameter trees, non-timber products, eco-tourism, etc.). Despite the many challenges associated with being a new faculty, I am enthusiastic and optimistic about the career opportunities that the people of Flor-ida have provided to me.

Dr. Holly Ober Assistant Professor Wildlife Ecology North Florida REC, Quincy, FL (850) 875-7150 [email protected]

I am a new assistant professor in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at UF, stationed at the North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy, FL. My appointment has both research and extension components, with a program emphasis on the ecology of wildlife in forests. My extension activities will involve generating and disseminating information on restoration and management of forested ecosystems to create habitat for wildlife, catering to a diverse audience that includes private forest landowners, public

land managers, scientists, and extension personnel. Some examples of my research interests are the influence of forest manage-ment activities on wildlife at both stand and landscape scales, the influence of wildlife on forest vegetation dynamics, the response of native versus exotic species to the reintroduction of disturbance regimes in degraded ecosystems, and enhancing biodiversity in managed forests. I have a background in both wild-life and forest ecology, and have done research throughout the country on a wide variety of species, including bats, small mammals, burrowing owls, geese, seabirds, bowerbirds, primates, and insects. I look forward to getting to know each of you and to identifying topics we might collaborate on in the future.


Meet Your Specialists Patrick J. Minogue Assistant Professor of Silviculture North Florida REC, Qunicy, FL (850) 875-7142 [email protected] Forestry expert Patrick Minogue has been named an assistant professor with the North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy. His appointment became effective Nov. 13, 2006. Minogue also will hold an assistant professor position with the School of Forest Resources and Conservation. His responsibilities include both extension and research assignments with an emphasis in vegetation management and assessing environmental impacts of silvicultural practices. In extension, his duties include providing leadership and assistance to county extension faculty, developing in-service training programs for extension faculty, carrying out demonstration trials and authoring educational documents. In research, he will conduct studies addressing the needs of government agencies and private landowners in North Florida, focusing on issues important to forest management. He will participate in graduate education, chair graduate committees and supervise graduate research. Before being appointed by UF, Minogue was president of Allied Environmental and Forestry Consultants, a business serving industry and government agencies in regulatory compliance, environmental testing and applied vegetation management research. He also was a market development manager with the agricultural products division of BASF and American Cyanamid. Previously, he

was a research associate with Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. He holds a doctoral degree in tree physiology from Auburn, a master of science degree in forest soils and silviculture from North Carolina State University and a bachelor of science degree in general agriculture from the University of Maryland. He is a registered forester and licensed pesticide crop adviser.

West Florida REC, Milton North Florida

REC, Quincy


2007 Membership

Joan Bradshaw Natural Resources Citrus

Audrey Durr Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Citrus Eleanor Foerste Natural Resources Osceola

Patricia Grace Horticulture Putnam

David Griffis CED/Natural Resources Volusia

Gus Koerner 4-H Brevard

Name Program Area County

Rob Northrop Urban Forestry and Natural Resources

Hillsborough


Steve Gaul Agriculture and Natural Resources Nassau

Rebecca Jordi Environmental Horticulture Nassau

Maia McGuire Marine St Johns

Leslie Sturmer Aquaculture Levy Allen Tyree CED/Agriculture Hamilton

Dale Bennett CED/Agriculture & 4-H Wakulla

Brian Cameron Marine Bay

Andrew Diller Marine Escambia

Sheila Dunning Commercial Horticulture Okaloosa

Lawrence Jackson Marine Okaloosa

William Mahan CED/Marine Franklin

William Sheftall Agriculture & Natural Resources Leon

Carrie Stevenson FYN Escambia

Chris Verlinde Marine Santa Rosa



Alice Kersey Retired—Polk County Family and Consumer Sciences


Please note: Program titles referenced from the UF/IFAS Faculty/Administration Directory. The goal is to provide a general sense of programming diversity. See a mistake Please e-mail Alyssa Dodd at [email protected] so the correction can be made. Thank you!

2007 Membership


Janet Bargar Water Quality Indian River Leroy Creswell Marine St Lucie

Alyssa Dodd Agriculture & Natural Resources Palm Beach

Kim Gabel Environmental Horticulture Monroe

Jeffrey Gellermann Growth Management St. Lucie

Ken Gioeli Natural Resources St Lucie

Douglas Gregory CED/Marine Monroe

Christian Miller Water Science & Aquaculture Dade

Joseph Schaefer District Director


Thomas Becker Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Lee Roy Beckford Agriculture & Natural Resources Lee

John Brenneman CED/Natural Resources Polk

Stephen Brown Horticulture Lee

Mary Campbell CED/ Pinellas

Brian Fluech Marine Collier

Robert Kluson Agriculture & Natural Resources Sarasota Annemarie Post Environmental Horticulture Sarasota Elizabeth Staugler Marine Charlotte

John Stevely Marine Manatee

Name Program Area Location

James Cuda Associate Professor/Biological Weed Control Gainesville

William Giuliano Professor/Wildlife Extension Specialist Gainesville

Charles Jacoby Assistant Professor/Coastal Ecosystems Gainesville

Kathleen Ruppert Associate Extension Scientist/Program for Resource Efficient Communities Gainesville

Steve Johnson Assistant Professor/Wildlife Ecology Gulf Coast REC

Jennifer Seitz Natural Resource Education and Urban Forestry Extension Associate Gainesville

Mike Spranger Assistant Director for Extension and Education/Florida Sea Grant Program Associate Dean for Environment and Natural Resources

Gainesville

Taylor Stein Associate Professor/Ecotourism, Recreation Gainesville

Susan Williams Retired—Coordinator, Education & Training

Did you work with a

colleague who is currently not a

member of FANREP?

If so, please…

• Take a few

minutes to share information about our organization

• Encourage them to become a member

• Direct them to the FANREP web site for more information


Upcoming Events Calendar Selected Florida Conferences June 25-27 Southern Conservation Agriculture Systems Conference Quincy https://www.conservationinformation.org/ June 26 Trees and Hurricanes: Prevention, Response and Recovery Tallahassee June 27 http://treesandhurricanes.ifas.ufl.edu/workshops.html Jacksonville July 19 Ft. Lauderdale July 20 Ft. Myers August 7 Orlando August 8 Seffner/Tampa July 21-25 Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Conference: Tampa Conservation Challenges in a Changing Landscape http://www.swcs.org/ September 9-12 Annual WateReuse Symposium Tampa http://www.watereuse.org/2007Symposium.html September 24-27 Extension Professional Associations of Florida St. Augustine http://epaf.ifas.ufl.edu/ October 14-16 2nd Annual Campus and Community Sustainability Conference Tallahassee http://www.sustainablefloridaconference.org October 21-25 International Water Conference Orlando http://www.eswp.com/water/index.htm October 29-Nov. 3 North American Lake Management Society Orlando http://www.nalms.org/Conferences/Orlando/Default.aspx November 9-11 Florida Master Naturalist Program Annual Conference Haines City More info coming soon at: http://www.masternaturalist.org December 4-7 National Ground Water Association 2007 Groundwater Expo Orlando http://www.ngwa.org/expo2007/main.cfm


https://www.conservationinformation.org/

http://treesandhurricanes.ifas.ufl.edu/workshops.html

http://www.swcs.org/

http://www.watereuse.org/2007Symposium.html

http://epaf.ifas.ufl.edu/

http://www.sustainablefloridaconference.org

http://www.eswp.com/water/index.htm

http://www.nalms.org/Conferences/Orlando/Default.aspx

http://www.masternaturalist.ifas.ufl.edu/

http://www.ngwa.org/expo2007/main.cfm

Florida Association of Natural Resource Extension ...anrep.ifas.ufl.edu/documents/FANREP_Newsletter_Julydec07.pdfANREP Southern Region News 3 News From the Field • Volusia County

Documents