Sandhills Tree School
Improper selection, planting, pruning, watering and other problems result in early death of many landscape trees in Nebraska. The annual one-day school was implemented in 2004 to address the need for ongoing education of tree care professionals, community tree board members and others who would use the information and share it with others.
Following are examples of ways participants share the information with others:
- A Sidney park employees showed 93 residents how to plant trees properly.
- A Paxton tree board member shared the information with the board, which oversees street tree maintenace in the village.
- A tree care professional from Wauneta taught planting techniques to youth at an Arbor Day celebration.
- A landscaping professional shared the basics of proper care with each of her tree customers.
- A tree care professional conducted a related presentation at a college seminar.
TOP
Expo Teaches Middle Schoolers About Water
The annual program involves middle school students in activities in which they learn about the importance of water to the environment and their way of life; along with ways to conserve water quality.
They see horticulture plots and learn ways to conserve water in the landscape, while trying their hand at assembling sprinkler heads. For the first time in 2007, irrigation siphon tubes were placed in the hands of youth in what proved to be a very popular activity. Most of the youth were successful in initiating water flow after only a few attempts. At the same station they learned ways water and nutrients are conserved in agriculture, and ways contamination of the groundwater is prevented through modern farming practices.
Students tour Nebraska Public Power District hydroelectric power plant. Down the road to the south they learn about yield maximizing techniques at a corn research site on the University's dryland farm.
Each year we conduct pesticide safety training sessions for farmers and others.
The training focuses on applicator safety, drift management, labeling compliance and related topics.
Upon payment of required fees, participants qualify for licensing by Nebraska Department of Agriculture to apply “restricted use pesticides” (RUPs), in line with federal and state laws. Many of the herbicides, insecticides and other products important to modern agriculture are RUPs.
TOP
2005 Farm & Outdoor Safety Day Camp Teaches Many Topics
The annual Progressive Agriculture Safety Day teaches third graders to avoid guns, grain bins, cold water, power lines and other hazards, while enjoying the great outdoors on the farm or elsewhere.
Youngsters from all over Lincoln County--about 350 to 400 of them, converge on the fairgrounds at North Platte, where they go from one activity station to another.
They are impressed with demonstrations such as a spattering egg, representing a driver in a tractor rollover without rollover protective equipment; a hotdog fried by a power line simulator; and a pretzel, representing a finger, crushed in a gear and chain display.
Although not everything is that graphic, the youth go away with life-saving lessons etched in their minds.
A competitive game of retrieving pennies from freezing water has a larger goal--to teach children the dangers of playing or hunting around waterways, even in winter, without wearing life vests.
The children love the activities and hopefully gain lessons for a lifetime (even though typically some complain that they are not allowed to ride the ATVs instead of just sit on them!).
The camp is sponsored by Progressive Agriculture Foundation, representing a number of national sponsors. There are also many local helpers and supporters.
To get a glimpse of a recent safety day, check out this amateur movie (about 4 minutes and 50 seconds in length).
2005 Progressive Farmer Outdoor & Farm Safety Day Camp
Global Positioning Systems: Hands-on Learning
A School Enrichment project in Global Positioning Systems was piloted this year at Adams Middle School.
It included a “Waypoint Scavenger Hunt” that gave the 225 eighth graders practice in using a GPS tracking system as they located geocaches (hidden “treasures”) outdoors around the school.
The students learned how GPS technology can be integrated with GIS (geographic information system) applications, tracking data for a multitude of studies.
A Wal-Mart Education grant provided funding for this project for the 2003-2004 school year.
In addition, two basic GPS training sessions were conducted for adults. The 24 participants included teachers; retirees; and extension, forestry and emergency response professionals.
TOP
<
Adult Agricultural Education
Various programs are conducted to:
-
Enhance the value of pastures by addressing problems with red cedar encroachment.
-
Increase alfalfa production through management of variety, fertility and
weed control.
-
Provide information on the risks of foreign animal diseases to livestock
producers as part of the Homeland Security efforts of the nation.
-
Evaluate the use of winter annual grasses to extend the grazing season
for beef and sheep producers.
Nutrition Education Program
The food stamp nutrition education program is made possible by a grant
from Nebraska Health and Human Services. It provides nutrition and food
budgeting information to help limited resource families make wise food
choices from economic and health standpoints.
Lessons include: Basic Nutrition, Meal Planning, Shopping for
Food," "Food Safety," "Food Preparation," "Feeding Young Children," and
"Food Budgeting."
Classes are taught to individuals and small groups. This year there
were 394 in-person teaching contacts with adults and 472 with youth. Sixty-one
adult participants graduated from the program.
TOP
4-H is Training Ground for Future Journalists
The Lincoln County 4-H Snoop Crew program provides leadership opportunities for 4-H'ers each summer as they gain communication and career development skills.
Members appeared on the local television station three times, completed 15 public service announcements for local radio stations, and wrote over 35 articles that included accompanying photographs. The 4-H story was heard or read by an estimated 35,000 residents weekly throughout the month of July and August in west central Nebraska.
TOP
TOP
One long-time participant has organized other volunteers in designing and developing landscaping at Boy Scout cabins in Perkins County.