Endorsing Environmental Stewardship and Promoting Green LivingPlan of Work

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Christian County CES

Title:
Endorsing Environmental Stewardship and Promoting Green Living
MAP:
Promoting Environmentally Sound Practices
Agents Involved:
Kelly Jackson, Matt Futrell, Kaitlyne Metsker, Jeremiah Johnson, Mary Anne Garnett, Tiffany Bolinger
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Water and Soil Quality and Conservation
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Policy, Systems, and Environmental Changes
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Natural Resources
Situation:

Understanding how daily choices can impact our environment is vital to conserving and preserving our natural resources and ensuring a healthy environment for present and future generations. Producers and consumers are constantly seeking ways to produce crops and maintain productive home gardens and landscapes while remaining environmentally friendly. Urban home horticulture calls, emails, and walk-in visits indicate the need for additional classes and seminars in managing environmental resources at home. There is an increasing need for educational assistance on home and garden issues as Kentucky’s urban population grows. The rising cost of fuel energy conservation is also becoming increasingly important.

Green Living is common terminology that includes energy conservation, recycling, preservation, water quality and nature appreciation. Outdoor education provides a perfect opportunity for youth to develop an understanding of the concept of green living. Research has shown that outdoor education has an impact on four main areas--personal, interpersonal, academic, and environmental awareness. Specific results include an increase in test scores, environmental action / personal responsibility, and an increase in teamwork and relational skills as a result of working together with classmates.

Little RIver is a main artery that runs through Christian County.  This river has been placed on the impaired streams list by the Kentucky Divison of Water.  The county has put a high priority on making an effort to clean the river up and have it removed from the impaired streams list.

Long-Term Outcomes:

* To improve environmental quality in the home, landscape, and farm throughout Christian County.

* To create safe homes within environments that promote and support the physical and mental well-being of families throughout the life-cycle.

* To improve the built and natural environment.

* To increase active and healthy lifestyles.

Intermediate Outcomes:

* Producers will implement recommendations outlined in their Ag water quality plans

* Producers and residential home owners will implement UK soil tests and recommendations

* Residents will demonstrate the skills needed to become Master Gardeners

* Producers will implement recommended practices while applying pesticides

* Land owners will implement food plots to meet the needs of wildlife populations in areas where supplemental nutrition is necessary for optimal performance and good overall herd health

* Homeowners will implement environmentally conscious decisions regarding home landscape maintenance

* Homeowners will implement environmentally conscious decision regarding home energy use and conservation practices

* Youth will practice being green by implementing one or more practice related to conservation and recycling

* Youth will increase teamwork, improved test scores and environmental actions

* Livestock Producers will utilize proper waste management practices

Initial Outcomes:

* Producers and consumers will aspire to form positive opinions about water quality and waste management

* Producers and consumers will gain knowledge on safe chemical usage pertaining to weed, disease and insect control

* Producers will complete and implement forest stewardship plans

* Master Gardener participants will gain knowledge in many aspects of home horticulture

* Producers will utilize pesticide container recycling program

* Homeowners will adopt landscaping practices that can improve the health and appearance of lawn and gardens while protecting and preserving natural resources

* Youth will learn the importance of being green

* Youth will learn to identify birds, learn the uses of trees, identify trees by leaf, develop an understanding of global warming and climate change, understand the need for water conservation and storm water run off

Evaluation:

Intermediate Outcome: Homeowners will adopt landscaping practices that protect and preserve our natural resources

Indicator: 75% of participants will indicate an increased knowledge change when evaluated at the end of the program

Method: Retrospective survey; Follow-up survey

Timeline: Fall 2021


Outcome: Increased awareness of alternative fuels and energy consumption

Indicator: 10% will show a practice change which conserves energy

Method: Post program survey

Timeline: December-2021


Outcome: Increased awareness in wildlife habitat maintenance

Indicator: 75% of participants will indicate an increase in knowledge on the topic

Method: Post program evaluation

Timeline: Fall 2021


Outcome: Youth will adopt “green” habits

Indicator: Increased green habits

Method: Student/Leader evaluations

Timeline: Fall and Spring


Outcome: Improved teamwork and test scores

Indicator: Teacher responses

Method: Teacher Evaluations

Timeline: Fall and Spring


Outcome: Producers will utilize container recycling program

Indicator: Containers processed for recycling

Method: Measure number of containers collected

Timeline: Fall 2020


Outcome: Producers will utilize proper waste management techniques

Indicator: Frequency of Usage of manure spreader

Method: Record number of producers using county spreader

Timeline: Spring and summer


Outcome: Campers will become educated on outdoor activities and Ecosystems

Indicator: Number of Campers

Method: Camper Evaluations

Timeline: Summer 2021


Learning Opportunities:

Audience: General population, Extension Homemakers, Landowners, 4-H families, and producers

Activity: Newspaper and Newsletter articles

Content or Curriculum: University of Kentucky programing

Inputs: Kentucky CES Publications, eXtension Resources, Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association, Newsletters

Date: All year


Audience: Homeowners

Activity: Landscape maintenance and gardening videos

Content or Curriculum: Supplied by agents and specialists

Inputs: facilities, staff, volunteers; county funding

Date: Spring to Fall 2021


Audience: Landowners and woodland managers

Activity: Wildlife habitat improvement

Content or Curriculum: Supplied by agents and specialists

Inputs: Faculty, Staff, County funding and volunteers

Date: Spring 2021


Audience: Landowners, Master loggers

Activity: Woodland management

Content or Curriculum: Agent and specialists

Inputs: Faculty, Staff, State Agencies, volunteers

Date: Winter 2021


Audience: Producers

Activity: Efficient energy usage workshops,

Content or Curriculum: Supplied by state specialists and agents

Inputs: Faculty, staff, county funding, energy auditors

Date: 2020-2021 Program year


Audience: Producers

Activity: Water quality workshops and testing

Content or curriculum: State specialists and agents

Inputs: Faculty, staff, USGS, county funding, local consortium


Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Kentucky Master Gardener Training

Content or Curriculum: State MG Curriculum

Input: Agents; specialists, volunteers, local gardeners

Date: Fall 2021


Audience: Youth

Activity: Summer Camp

Content or Curriculum: Natural Resources Core Curriculum

Inputs: Camp and Camp Staff


Audience: Youth and Adults

Activity: Ag Safety Day

Content or Curriculum: Progressive Ag Safety Day

Inputs: Faculty, staff, community volunteers, county funding



Success Stories

Master Gardeners Serve the Community

Author: Kelly Jackson

Major Program: Master Gardener

Master Gardeners is a program run by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service to train citizens in many areas of horticulture. Upon completion of the Master Gardener education program, participants return 30 hours of community volunteer service through organized projects within one year to earn the title Master Gardener and 15 hours annually to maintain their volunteer status. During the 2021 program year Master Gardeners volunteered:1,264 hours of service in planting and maintai

Full Story

Training New Master Gardener Volunteers

Author: Kelly Jackson

Major Program: Master Gardener

The Christian County Master Gardener Program is an outstanding opportunity to develop community horticulture volunteers. To become a certified Master Gardener volunteer, participants must complete a minimum 13-week training, which consists of 24 hours of core subject courses including Cooperative Extension/Volunteerism, Botany, Soils, Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Pesticides/Pesticides Safety/Environmental Issues. They must also pass a final exam with a seventy-five percent score and voluntee

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Beer Garden(ing)

Author: Kelly Jackson

Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home

One positive outcome of the pandemic was an increased gardening interest with younger audiences. This was initially thought to be short-lived while people were isolated at home. As businesses reopened and people returned to work, the interest in gardening remained. It can be difficult to reach audiences who aren't familiar with 4-H or other Extension programs. To appeal to a new, younger audience the Extension office partnered with the Master Gardeners and the Hopkinsville Brewing Company to

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Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays

Author: Kelly Jackson

Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home

Horticulture Webinar Wednesday virtual programming continues to see interest and growth in its third season. Since February 2022, when the 3rd season started, through June 30, 2022, a total of 522 attendees have participated in the twenty live weekly webinars. Additionally, the zoom based “lunch and learn” horticultural program continues draw in participants not only at the weekly Wednesday webinars at 12:30 ET-11:30 CT, but also through the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays YouTube ch

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Ag Matters

Author: Matthew Futrell

Major Program: Farm Management, Economics and Policy

The accessibility of information to farmers has never been higher. Emails, blogs, social media, videos, and online training are bridging the information gap. This is true for all agricultural sectors except Amish and Mennonite farmers. Christian and Todd counties are two of the most Amish-populated counties in the state. Kentucky is the 8th most Amish-populated state with 15,000. Limited access to phones and internet sources, make it challenging for Amish farmers to get timely production informa

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