Summer 2011 Featured Region: Southern

Get ready for ANREP 2012!

The setting is North Carolina’s scenic Blue Ridge Mountains. The location is the historic Kanuga Conference Center. The event is ANREP 2012!

As you probably know by now, the ANREP 2012 Conference is scheduled for May 20-23 in Hendersonville, North Carolina. You might be wondering “what is this place with the weird name that is the meeting location?” Let me tell you more. “Kanuga” is a Cherokee word with two meanings – it is both a game and a place. As well, Kanuga Conference Center is not just a place…it’s an experience!

Kanuga is situated on 1,400 mountain acres with scenic Kanuga Lake at its center. The wooded acreage is laced with several miles of hiking trails with a variety of elevations and lengths, many with scenic viewpoints. The 30-acre lake is perfect for swimming, boating (rowboats and canoes are available) and fishing (bring your rod and reel!) In addition, there are tennis courts, shuffleboard, and a climbing wall too. (No skipping the conference sessions now!)

Among the lodging options at Kanuga are the charming Historic Cottages built in 1909 (but fully updated on the inside!). The cottages have two to six bedrooms (with private baths), refrigerator, a living room with fireplace, and a rocking chair porch.

Speaking of rocking chairs…the gazebo overlooking the lake (pictured below) looks like a great place for our ANREP musicians to gather for their nightly jam sessions.

The 2012 conference location is really like a retreat … bring the family to enjoy swimming and hiking while we are in sessions. All (delicious) meals are provided on site, you can leave the car keys in the drawer while you are here. What an ideal atmosphere for networking, thinking, sharing, and connecting with your natural

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resource friends and colleagues! For more information on this unique and wonderful meeting site, visit www.kanuga.org.

Abstracts are now being accepted for posters, presentations, roundtables and workshops. The deadline is August 31st, so get ‘em in. Submit abstracts online at: www.anrep.org/conferences/2012/abstracts

ANREP 2012: You know you want to be there! - Susan E. Moore, Conference Co-Chair (susan_moore@ncsu.edu)

Focus on the Southern Region

Osceola County Invasive Plant Student Video Challenge

Invasive plant student videos now online!

The Osceola County Extension Office and the University of Florida/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants (CAIP) are pleased to announce the debut of their Invasive Plant Student Video Challenge project. More than 250 students from Koa Elementary, Narcoossee Middle School, and Harmony High School were challenged to create short videos on topics relating to hydrilla, hygrophila, and other invasive aquatic plants infesting area lakes and ponds.

After learning about the impacts invasive aquatic plants are having on freshwater habitats in Osceola County, students were challenged to write, act, and film their own short stories as part of their science studies during the school year. Faculty and staff from the Osceola County Extension Office and the University of Florida/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants provided coordination of the project and editing support.

The student videos are being used to help spread awareness about invasive aquatic plants that threaten Florida’s waters and cause economic hardship. They can be viewed at:

http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/osceola/challenge

http://www.youtube.com/user/UFInvasivePlantsEDU

The event is also posted on Facebook™ (search for UF Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants – Education Initiative). Video story plots, written and acted out by the students, range from invasive plant invasions on an airplane flight to pond-side adventures of local anglers or citizens unwittingly emptying invasive plants from their aquariums.

The project is an outreach component of Osceola County’s Demonstration Project on Hydrilla and Hygrophila in the Upper Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. Thanks to a $2.881 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Osceola County is conducting a Demonstration

Left: Ms. McAndrew’s 4th grade Science Club, 2009/2010

Center & Right: Ms. McDonald’s 2009/2010 8th grade class

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Project that seeks to find new solutions for managing hydrilla and hygrophila.

If left unmanaged, hydrilla and other aquatic infestations choke out native plants, impede waterway navigation and recreational use, and can result in extensive lake flooding during storm events from slow water flow and clogged flood control structures. For more information, please contact the Osceola County Extension Office at (321) 697-3000.

Submitted by Stacia Hetrick Extension Faculty, Aquatics University of Florida/IFAS shet@OSCEOLA.ORG

An Unlikely Indicator of Plant Health

For decades, scientists have used various species of lichen as indicator species for environmental health assessments. Excessive levels of nitrogen produce certain lichen species in abundance, whereas abnormally high amounts of sulfur pollutants (two examples being coal-fired electric plants and motors that burn high-sulfur fuels) present in a given area are discernable from the absence of sensitive lichen species. In the same way, the presence of lichen on your plant is an indicator of poor plant health. Many people call the Extension Office concerned about the adverse effects of lichen in their ornamental trees.

The truth about lichen is that while it does indicate poor plant health, it is never the reason for the decline. As weakened plants begin to show signs of twig dieback and leaf drop, more sunlight penetrates the interior of the canopy; thereby increasing the rate or opportunity of photosynthesis for lichen. The homeowner should use the presence of lichen on their plants to trigger a complete site evaluation. Two good areas used to assess plant health are site compatibility

and abiotic factors that decrease plant health.

Image source: http://www.ppdl.purdue.edu/ppdl/weeklypics/1-12-04.html

Plants should be evaluated for site compatibility before the transaction to purchase the plant material ever takes place. Some sites will be too wet or too dry, and still others will be too sunny versus too shady for certain plant species. Abiotic factors occur from weed eater damage on bark, trenching within the root zone, parking under trees, herbicide drift, poor fertility (do a soil test) and too little water, just to name a few. The most obvious abiotic factor decreasing plant health is oftentimes the most overlooked. The installation of the plant must be done correctly if the plant is to thrive. Many plants that should be planted at “grown level” are mistakenly buried up to their limbs in soil.

By correcting the previously mentioned issues, some plants will begin to thrive and replenish their canopy, thereby decreasing lichen’s ability to thrive in the plant. If you have any questions concerning this article please contact the Extension Office at 912-576-3219.

Submitted by Robbie Edalgo Ag & Natural Resources Agent University of Georgia jredalgo@uga.edu

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University of Florida, TC CISMA Receives 2010 Coastal Partnership Award

The University of Florida congratulates Ken Gioeli, UF/IFAS St Lucie County Natural Resources Extension Agent, and partner agencies of the Treasure Coast Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (TC CISMA) for earning the 2010 Coastal America Partnership Award. Both the U.S. Department of Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks and the Director of the Coastal America Program bestowed the 2010 Coastal America Partnership Award to recipients during a ceremony at the St Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park. These officials represented the President of the United States. This award was bestowed on TC CISMA members for outstanding efforts to restore and protect the coastal environment in northern Palm Beach, Martin, St Lucie and Indian River Counties, Florida. Specific achievements included the formation of a public/private partnership between coastal residents and local public agencies to tackle Scaevola tacadda and other invasive plant species threatening sensitive beach dune habitats.

Presenters included Mike Renda (Nature Conservancy) and Debbie Devore (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). TC CISMA organizations recognized with plaques included representatives from Nature

Conservancy, Florida Park Service, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Martin County, St Lucie County, University of Florida/IFAS, Treasure Coast Resource Conservation and Development Council, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

For additional award information, please contact Mike Renda with the Nature Conservancy at (561) 744-6668 or Ken Gioeli with the University of Florida at ktgioeli@ufl.edu. Information about Coastal America can be found online at: http://www.coastalamerica.gov/

Submitted by Ken Gioeli Extension Agent III, Natural Resources University of Florida ktgioeli@ufl.edu

The 2010 Georgia Water Stewardship Act

We live in a world today that is no stranger to climatic extremes. As farmers pray for rain in Georgia and Florida, a South Dakota farmer longs for days when floodwaters were not a reality along the Missouri river. Georgia is no stranger to weather extremes. The average summer temperatures for 2010 were a blistering 95 degrees. By late summer, mature trees with established root systems were dropping leaves early and showing signs of heat-stress, as well as sunscald. This year seems to be poised for another hot summer. At the same time, our winters have demonstrated a trend towards colder temperatures (hard freezes) well past February and into March the past two years.

Year-to-date rainfall totals are also extremely low for Georgia. Totals for rainfall amounts, over the last 29 years, during January 1st through June 5th in Georgia are approximately 7.5” higher than our current levels for 2011. This type of deficit has an enormous effect on soil moisture, hydrology (stream flows) and wildfire occurrence. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

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Drought Index lists nearly all of Georgia as drought impacted.

Due to increase demands on available water and the severe drought condition facing the state, water resource management is becoming a greater issue. Watering restrictions are no stranger to Georgia residents who live further north in the state; however, due to passage of the Georgia Water Stewardship Act, new laws concerning outdoor watering took effect on January 1, 2011. The legislation has statewide implications concerning municipal water supplies, and restricts outdoor water use to the hours of 4 p.m. to 10 a.m. The following exemptions apply:

• Commercial agricultural and horticultural operations,

• Turf on athletic fields, golf courses, and other public recreation areas,

• Personal food gardens,

• Newly installed plants, seeds or turf during a 30-day establishment period after the initial planting date,

• Turf being planted and established through hydro-seeding techniques,

• Drip and soaker hose irrigation systems,

• Hand watering with a hose that has an automatic cutoff nozzle, or with hand-held containers, and

• Irrigation system installation, repair or calibration.

For more information: http://www.caes.uga.edu/Publications/pubDetail.cfm?pk_id=7908

Submitted by Robbie Edalgo Ag & Natural Resources Agent University of Georgia jredalgo@uga.edu

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NEW ANREP INITIATIVE - CLIMATE SCIENCE

First there was, and is, the National Network for Sustainable Living Education (NNSLE). On July 20th the ANREP Executive Committee approved the creation of a second ANREP Initiative - Climate Science.

Few natural resource issues generate human reactions as varied as climate change does. Extension clientele and stakeholders have many questions; and ANREP members, and the Cooperative Extension System, are well-positioned to provide answers through educational and applied research programs. The initiative will help members become knowledgeable and comfortable with the topic and able to answer questions that arise from all sides of the climate change debate.

The Climate Science Initiative will develop and operate much the same as NNSLE: participants are those who are interested in the topic and wish to develop more expertise AND contribute to projects that support their local and state programs, as well as nationwide programs. ANREP members Mike Crimmins, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, and Eric Norland, USDA-NIFA, have volunteered to serve as Co-Facilitators and to organize and launch the initiative.

See "Initiative News" elsewhere in this newsletter for more information and get involved!

Submitted by Eric Norland & Mike Crimmins ernorland@fs.fed.us crimmins@email.arizona.edu

High School Students Debate Woody Biomass

As communities across the South explore options for reducing carbon emissions with renewable energy resources, local wood may become an attractive possibility.

Wood can be used as a source of power for small industries and to generate electricity for utilities. Communities may select to use only timber residue (branches left behind after logs are harvested), urban waste wood (storm debris and power line trimmings), or whole trees from private, public, or sustainably managed forests. How communities go about deciding whether this is a good idea depends upon their understanding of energy sources, biomass supply and cost, and forest management. A University of Florida team created a high school module to help students gain knowledge and skills for making decisions about woody biomass in their communities.

The material (available online at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FR/FR33200.pdf) includes a teacher orientation to 18 independent activities, grouped into four sections. The activities were designed to enable secondary biology, environmental science, and economics teachers to provide background information on energy and woody biomass; and to develop critical-thinking, problem-solving, and systems-thinking skills as applied to sustainability. Students explore advantages and disadvantages of various energy sources, discuss conflicting opinions about renewable energy, collect data about woody biomass and public perceptions, and calculate the economic costs of using local wood. To prepare students to make decisions about sustainability, the set of activities allows them to explore woody biomass from environmental, economic, and equity perspectives.

A pilot test of this curriculum in Santa Rosa County, Florida found that the activities increased student knowledge about energy, carbon, and woody biomass. Students enjoyed learning about local energy use. In addition, teachers appreciated the engaging lessons. Based on their suggestions for improvement, the activities have been shortened and more details on activity preparation, assessment, and organization have been provided.

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This adaptable and locally relevant unit can supplement science and social studies classes, and enable students to investigate a current and potentially controversial issue. The ultimate goal of teaching about sustainability is not easily accomplished in a short unit, but could be the theme of a course on current issues.

Supplemental materials are available at http://sfrc.ufl.edu/extension/ee/woodenergy/index.html

Submitted by Martha Monroe Professor and Extension Specialist University of Florida mcmonroe@ufl.edu

Putting Fire Science on the Ground

The Southern Fire Exchange (SFE) is a new regional program for fire science delivery across 11 southeastern states—building on the South’s long history of fire outreach and extension. The SFE was created in 2010 with funding from the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP), and is a member of the network of regional JFSP knowledge exchange consortia. Specifically, SFE’s mission is to increase the availability and application of fire science information for natural resource management and to serve as a conduit for fire managers to share new research needs with the research community.

The consortium is led by the University of Florida, North Carolina State University, Tall Timbers Research Station, and US Forest Service InterfaceSouth, with multiple partners from non-profit organizations, federal and state agencies, and other fire-related programs. A steering committee and an advisory board provide leadership, strategic direction, and approval for activities and priorities. The primary audience is the southern fire management community, but we also provide information

to private landowners through national landowner organizations.

Based on results from focus groups and an online survey conducted with fire managers across the southern region in 2009, SFE activities focus on four technology transfer mechanisms.

1. Providing information through the web-based SFE Resource Center, which consolidates southern fire information and provides new ways for the southern fire community to interact and learn from one another (www.southernfireexchange.org).

2. Planning and delivering webinars, field days, and demonstrations to bring together fire researchers and managers.

3. Disseminating fire research results through our Fire Lines newsletter, research syntheses, fact sheets, and presentations to Prescribed Fire Councils and other groups.

4. Providing fact sheets, presentations, and other resources to assist public education efforts.

Nationwide, eight consortia have completed a needs assessment phase and are in their first year of science delivery activities. The JFSP vision is for this collaborative science delivery network to accelerate the awareness, understanding, and adoption of wildland fire science information by federal, tribal, state, local, and private stakeholders within ecologically similar regions. In the Southeast, the SFE focuses science delivery for yellow pine ecosystems, while the Consortium of Appalachian Fire Managers and Scientists (www.cafms.org) focuses on mountain pine and hardwood ecosystems. As this program grows, more consortia may come on board to fill regional gaps. For example, six additional consortia are currently working through a needs assessment and proposal development for parts of the Northwest, Midwest, and Hawaii.

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The SFE and other consortia encourage your feedback on how they can better serve your fire management communities. You are welcome to contact your regional consortium if you have a new or relevant fire-related fact sheet or publication to share, you are planning a workshop or field day of interest, or you would like to partner with them on any activities. Visit www.firescience.gov/JFSP_Consortia.cfm to access your regional consortium’s website and a list of key contacts.

Submitted by Annie Oxarart Project Coordinator, Environmental Ed. UF/IFAS School of Forest Resources & Conser. oxarart@ufl.edu

Virginia Holds 3rd Annual Invasive Plant Removal Day

Invasive species continue to be a focus for the Virginia Master Naturalist program. Many of our chapters and volunteers are engaged in education, citizen science, and stewardship projects designed to target the invasive species issues in our state. Once a year, the program collaborates with the Virginia Department of Forestry and the Virginia Native Plant Society to sponsor a statewide Invasive Plant Removal Day. Like trail days or litter pick-up days, this event has both stewardship and education goals. Volunteers make a tangible difference on the landscape with invasive plant removal

projects, and the publicity for the event spreads the word about invasive species.

For the event, we ask Master Naturalist chapters and other community organizations to hold volunteer work days focused on managing invasive plants in local parks and natural areas. Through the Virginia Master Naturalist program and other partners, we recruit site leaders and organizations to post new events, provide a comprehensive listing of the events on the Web (http://www.virginiamasternaturalist.org/invasives/), and provide general publicity and reporting.

This year’s event (the third of its kind) took place on May 7, 2011. We chose early May so that the event could be a follow-up to Earth Day and Arbor Day, and because it is a good time in much of the state for removing garlic mustard, which makes a good target species because it can be hand-pulled. A negative aspect of this timing is that it is during nesting time for many birds. To avoid negative impacts on bird populations, we advise the site leaders to choose areas that are unlikely to harbor ground-nesting birds and not to focus on shrubby invasive plant species, such as autumn olive, that afford suitable nesting sites.

The majority of volunteer sites for this year’s event were urban forests, though there was some rural participation as well. More than 550 volunteers participated, contributing more than 1750 hours of service at 38 sites. Seventeen different community organizations were involved, including ten Virginia Master Naturalist chapters. These numbers are approximately double those of 2010, and we plan to continue to grow the event in future years.

Together, volunteers removed more than 320 bags (and large amounts of additional unbagged material) of garlic mustard, English ivy, and other invasive plants that were negatively impacting Virginia’s forests. They also improved sites by planting 285 new native plants and trees. One Fairfax

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County site organizer wrote, “We have gone to the same site two years in a row and this year we found significantly less garlic mustard. It was harder to find and they were more scattered.” A Loudoun County site organizer wrote “We should have this field clear of invasive plants by July. This will be the first field free of invasive plants, and we will do follow ups to remove any that begin to re-seed.”

Submitted by Michelle Prysby Virginia Master Naturalist Program Coordinator Extension Associate, Virginia Tech mprysby@vt.edu

Initiative News:

NNSLE

(Editor’s note: The National Network for Sustainable Living Education (NNSLE, pronounced “nestle”) was formed as an ANREP initiative in 2004.)

We published Climate Change Handbook: A Citizen’s Guide to Thoughtful Action in January, and have already sold 2/3’s of our initial printing. You can see and download it at http://hdl.handle.net/1957/20080. If you wish to purchase copies (on recycled paper with soy-based inks), contact Viviane at viviane.simon-brown@oregonstate.edu.

One of our NNSLE members now lives in London. We expect Darien Simon (Regents College) to provide a full report on the green practices incorporated into the royal wedding.

We’re looking into reprinting Living Sustainably: It’s Your Choice, our first publication. We’re down to a handful of copies from our first printing from 2008. If you’re interested in pre-purchasing at the print price, let Viviane know. To refresh your memory, here’s what it looks like:

http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/handle/1957/19839

We now have a Climate Change & Sustainable Living wiki at eXtension:

http://collaborate.extension.org/wiki/Climate_Change_%26_Sustainable_Living

Please feel free to add your favorite climate and sustainable living websites, videos, pdfs, or other materials to the site! Extension and non-extension folks can access the site (only Extension can make changes), but you need the direct URL to find it.

After much deliberation, NNSLE members decided to work with eXtension Land Use Community of Practice members to build the Sustainable Communities section of their site. This means we won’t be developing our own CoP. This solution should benefit all of us.

NNSLE members are taking a well-deserved break this summer – well, sort of:

Cathy Elliott (ME) and her on-line course team are putting the finishing touches on the August pilot-test webinar. NNSLErs from UK (that’s London, not University of Kansas), AZ, ME, and OR have developed a series of narrated powerpoint lessons to accompany the Living Sustainably course.

Diana Rashash (NC) and the Walk our Talk team are number-crunching – albeit while relaxing on lawn chairs and sipping cool beverages as befitting a summer project. The national survey data are in. As soon as the tallying is done, the analysis and writing begins. This project will have a strong social

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science component, so we could use some support from ANREPers and NNSLErs with that type of background.

Jay Moynihan (WI) has morphed from Climate Handbook guru to Factsheet leader. Do you have any existing factsheets on sustainable living or climate change that you’d like to contribute? Or what about that great idea for one that’s been swirling around in your mind? Joining this team could be the catalyst to getting it done. Email Jay.Moynihan@co.shawano.wi.us.

Viviane Simon-Brown (OR) is preparing an updated version of the Living Sustainably guide for editing and illustrations. We’ll need external reviewers.

In other NNSLE news, we’re moving forward to formalize the ANREP/NNSLE relationship. We’re looking to enhance the benefits to members and to the association itself. We’re also pleased about the emergence of a new ANREP initiative – on climate change science education. There’s more than enough work to go around!

Our next “All Call” is September 27. Times are 1pm ET, 12 noon CT, 11am MT, 10am PT, 9am for our AK colleagues. Access: 1-877-939-2011. Participant code: 6869432

New people are welcome anywhere in this process. Questions? For a leisurely response, email viviane.simon-brown@oregonstate.edu. If you need an answer in a hurry, contact Diana Rashash, the editor of ANREP News.

Submitted by Viviane Simon-Brown Sustainable Living Specialist, Forestry Ext. NNSLE Director Oregon State University viviane.simon-brown@oregonstate.edu

ANREP CLIMATE SCIENCE INITIATIVE APPROVED

It's official. ANREP has launched a second initiative. Climate Science becomes the second initiative to be endorsed and

approved by the ANREP Executive Committee.

Climate change is one of the most critical issues in natural resource management today. Across the spectrum of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, climate-related impacts; drought, fire, insect and disease infestations, biodiversity, and water quantity; are being observed and experienced. There is an urgent and critical need for Extension educators to be willing and able to provide research-based science findings and their meanings to a wide range of Extension audiences.

The Momentum Has Been Building

The 2010 ANREP Conference in Alaska and its focus on climate change clarified the need for the Cooperative Extension System, and ANREP in particular, to address this issue by developing extension education programs and materials to serve various clientele. The 2011 National Workshop and Extension In-Service on Forests and Climate Change created additional momentum among Extension participants and culminated in a day-long in-service workshop at which 38 participants identified a wide range of Extension opportunities and imperatives related to the effects of climate change on ecosystems and people. A follow-up conference call on July 7, 2011 with 18 of the 38 participants from the In-Service generated support for and a desire to establish, under the auspices of ANREP, a Climate Science Initiative that would function much like NNSLE, the first ANREP initiative.

Purposes of the Initiative:

• To promote and facilitate a Cooperative Extension system-wide response to this pressing issue,

• To provide professional development opportunities for ANREP members (primarily) and non-members through training opportunities to expand members’ knowledge base in order that

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they are able to more effectively serve their clientele,

• To develop educational materials (using various print and electronic media) to meet the needs of various Extension clientele,

• To create new and expand existing partnerships with organizations and agencies whose missions and areas of expertise compliment and support the work of Extension Natural Resource educators,

• To demonstrate the capacity of the Cooperative Extension System to others who seek to duplicate the existing nationwide delivery system for climate change information and education, and

• To provide ANREP members an opportunity to participate in and contribute to regional and national programs in a manner that would support their individual professional, promotion, and tenure goals.

Are You Interested in Participating?

If you would like to "join up" or if you have any questions, contact BOTH Co-Facilitators:

• Mike Crimmins, Associate Extension Specialist – Climate Science, Dept. of Soil, Water, and Environmental Science, University of Arizona, crimmins@u.arizona.edu, 520-626-4244

• Eric Norland, Climate Change Specialist, Office of the Forest Service Chief-Climate Change Advisor, ernorland@fs.fed.us, 202-205-1195

A Word from our President … ANREP Website Review Michael Kuhns ANREP President

One of the things the ANREP Executive Committee initiated

this year is a review of the ANREP website: www.anrep.org. The ANREP Communications Committee, under the leadership of Diana Rashash of NC State Univ., was charged with this task several months ago and has come up with some recommendations for the Executive Committee to consider. Amongst those are the following:

Website Use – The committee recommended that an assessment be done of how the site is currently used. They recommend that the webmaster generate some reports through Google Analytics that show how the website is used and how that use has changed over time.

Website Objectives and Evaluation – A few clear objectives for the website need to be determined and then a new or redesigned site can be built around them. This will also facilitate website evaluation.

Simplify Navigation – Simplify left side navigation. Possible simplified categories would be About, People, Awards/Resources, Documents, News and Events, and Join/Renew.

Enliven the Site – Connect the site to social media resources such as Facebook and Twitter, and use RSS feeds. Eli Sagor of Minnesota may be interested in helping to make this happen. A Twitter account already has been established for ANREP at http://twitter.com/#!/anrep and a Facebook site would be created. These would be accessed and advertised through the ANREP website, and would also promote materials available on the website.

Make Use of Newsletter to Enhance the Website – Consider writing newsletter content, awards announcements, etc. as blog posts that would have direct links from the website, which would facilitate assessment of site use (who is reading what?). Eventually when more engaging elements like Facebook and Twitter are in place, we can use the newsletter postings on

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the website to support discussion about thought-provoking topics; such as instructional design, climate change and Extension, and technology in teaching.

Cut Content We Can’t Maintain – Some elements of the website don’t get updated enough and may need to be removed, like position announcements. Another option, for that example, would be to automate input of position announcements so staff doesn’t have to take time to enter them.

Logo – ANREP has several logos available on the website under the resources button, yet none are used in the website. We should consider what logo we want to use and go with it for the website and for other purposes.

These are some of the findings of the Communications Committee as they reviewed the ANREP website. Please let Diana Rashash (diana_rashash@ncsu.edu) know if you have comments and suggestions about how the ANREP website can be improved and made more useful to you.

Last but not least: a word from your editor… Thank you Southern region and others who submitted articles for this issue of the ANREP newsletter. The response was wonderful. Western region: you’re up next!

Don’t forget! This newsletter is YOURS, so please help me make it what you want it to be. The submission deadline & schedule for the various regions is as follows:

Fall issue: Oct. 15 - Western Region Winter issue: Jan. 15 – Northeast Spring issue: April 15 - North Central Summer issue: July 15 – Southern

Articles should be 600 words or less, and saved as either a .doc or .docx file. Photos are great. Please provide photo credit and caption. The editor retains the right to

make minor word and grammar changes, and to reorganize content to improve “fit” within the newsletter.

Sincerely,

Diana Rashash, ANREP newsletter editor Area Specialized Agent – Natural Resources NC State University diana_rashash@ncsu.edu  

Reminder!!

2012 ANREP Conference Call for Abstracts

Deadline: August 31, 2011