University of Nevada, Reno Extension

We’re hiring!

Do you have experience in social media and website development? Are you knowledgeable about horticulture and pest management? Join our team in Reno!

Note: The position is listed as temporary but new grant funding may extend it up to three years!

To learn more and apply, visit https://bit.ly/45I9w17

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Thank you for beeing awesome! ❤️🐝

Sending out a big thank you to all our partners (, , , , ), volunteers and participants who made our first annual Reno Pollinator Garden Tour a success!

Despite the heat, around 100 people visited gardens to learn about creating pollinator habitats and reducing pesticide use.

We’re already looking forward to Pollinator Week next year!

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Part of being wildfire ready is knowing your evacuation route. Street signs often disappear due to smoke creating low visibility. Learn more ways to prepare at https://buff.ly/4e7XmCC

Happy Fire Ecology Friday! 🔥🌿 Ever wonder how wildfires impact water systems? Here’s the scoop:

Wildfires can cause increased sediment runoff due to hydrophobic soil (check our post about soil and fire!). This can temporarily decrease water quality. However, an interesting fact is that wildfires can also increase the amount of water in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs! This happens because there's less vegetation, which means less transpiration (plants taking up water).

What else do you want to learn about for Fire Ecology Fridays? Let us know in the comments! 💧🌲

DO remove vegetative debris that can accumulate at the base of the fence on a regular basis.

DON'T use fences as a trellis for plants because plants can create and trap ignitable vegetative debris.

DO replace the combustible portion of the fence near the home with a noncombustible section. The noncombustible section should be a minimum of 5-feet long.

For more ways to make your home fire safe visit https://buff.ly/3V3EpIo

The term "Defensible space" refers to the area between a house and an oncoming wildfire where the vegetation has been managed to reduce the wildfire threat and allow firefighters to safely defend the house. Learn how to create effective defensible space in our new "Defensible Space Guide" linked below.

https://buff.ly/4c1iWXw

Defensible space is when the landscape and vegetation are managed on your property to reduce the wildfire threat. To receive a FREE defensible space inspection, contact your local fire agency. You can find your local fire agency and more info on our website!
https://buff.ly/3Vozhia

The go-bag should be prepared now, before an emergency, be easily accessible and filled with at least a three-day supply of items needed to help you quickly and safely evacuate your home. You may only have enough time to retrieve this bag. For a list of what to pack go to https://buff.ly/3yZvsc3

Hosted by Living With Fire, this session offers an opportunity to learn about wildfire grants available to communities, ask questions, and receive expert advice on your grant proposals. Our guest speaker is Donald Lovejoy, Community Wildfire Defense Grant Coordinator at the Nevada Division of Forestry.
Register here: https://buff.ly/45x8BjZ

Just a reminder that we are still accepting submissions for the Nevada Youth Wildfire Preparedness Challenge! As of now, we still have NOT received any submissions, so this is your chance to not only make a difference in your community but win some cash too! Instructions for how to enter and actions you can take at this link: https://buff.ly/3R9oR4T

Happy Father's Day from your Nevada alumni family! 🌞💙🐺

Happy Pollinator Week!

Native plants provide habitat for pollinators. Learn more about how to plant a native pollinator garden with this video.

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Pollinator Gardening: Using Nevada’s native plants to attract pollinators Using Nevada’s native plants to attract pollinators and other beneficial insects.This video goes step by step through the process of deciding where and how t...

Can you image a world without chocolate cake? Oh, the horror!

That’s a world we might have to imagine if there were no chocolate midges (small flies), which are the only pollinators of cacao flowers. Pollinators are essential for chocolate and about one in three bites of food we eat.

Learn more about how you can help protect and promote pollinators in our home gardens and landscapes at https://bit.ly/3xptVLH.

📸: Pexels from Pixabay, Vinayaraj

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It’s Pollinator Week!

You can help protect and promote pollinators with these 3 tips:

1) Plant many flowering plants that provide pollen and nectar.
2) Limit your use of pesticides.
3) If you do use a pesticide, follow the instructions carefully and apply in the early morning when pollinators are less active.

To learn more visit https://bit.ly/3xptVLH.

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Did you know? Each spring, there's an opportunity for you to be a human fence for sheep, during the annual moving of the Borda Ranch herd in Dayton, Nevada.

Extension's Lindsay Chichester attended this year and captured this photo.

She said, "The sheep come down from the mountains in Dayton, cross a busy road and head out for more grazing. People can come and help be a 'fence' to help move the sheep where they are supposed to go."

📸: Agricultural with Dr. Lindsay

ICYMI: Our 4-H Pollinator Ambassador Program team was recognized this spring with our Outstanding Team Award.

Team lead Lindsay Chichester said, "I am lucky to work with a talented, fun and amazing group of people."

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"The bees were a huge hit in the elementary school I visited," Extension Educator Lindsay Chichester said.

"The kids got a quick lesson, looked at the observational hive, tried on bee suits, and had some honey sticks to take home.

They all have a sting story, but I hope these outreach events leave them with other cool bee stories to share too."

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It’s been a long road, but we did it. Our Mobile Harvest Unit is the first USDA-certified harvest trailer in Nevada!

This is just one way we're "increasing independent meat and poultry processing capacity, expanding market opportunities for farmers, and supporting a growing workforce in rural areas."

Learn more at https://bit.ly/4aRzLDp.

📸: Austin Yohey

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"Gotta love outreach with kids," Extension Educator Lindsay Chichester said. "There's never a dull moment."

Kid: "I think I see the queen! Does she have a name?"

Lindsay: "No. What would you name her?"

Kid: "Pancakes."

Lindsay: "Pancakes it is!"

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Last Friday's Nevada Field Day & Ag Expo was a great success! Our 4-H Youth Development Program had a great time making sun catchers and slime with local families!

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Special thanks to Reliance Ground Management, the main sponsor of the 2024 Washoe County 4-H Livestock Show. We appreciate Reliance's generous support contributing to the growth of the next generation of true leaders.

We're hiring! Positions include:

-Community-based instructors for our SNAP-Ed Programs in Las Vegas and Tonopah.
-A community-based instructor for our 4-H Youth Development Program in Reno.
-A copy editor for our Nevada Economic Assessment Project in Las Vegas.
-A coordinator for our Small Business Education Program in Las Vegas.

To learn more and apply, visit unr.edu/jobs.

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Join us in celebrating June as Pride Month! 🌈 The University of Nevada, Reno supports and embraces all members of the LGBTQIA2S+ (le***an, gay, bisexual, trans, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, two-spirit and more) community, and strives to create an inclusive environment for all. This month, and every month, embrace diversity, promote equality, and show love to one another. For more LGBTQIA2S+ stories at the University, visit Nevada Today at https://bit.ly/3X3N948

Our Nevada Field Day & Ag Expo is underway, and Alphie’s here! It’s not too late for you to come join in the fun too. We’ll be here at 1000 Valley Road in Reno until 6 p.m.

Come on over for free, family friendly activities focused on the latest advancements in agriculture, horticulture, natural resources, nutrition and the envirobment.

Our researchers are here flying drones, answering questions and sharing their work. Hope to see you here!

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ICYMI: Lindsay Chichester is our 4-H Youth Development Program's new state leader. She brings to the position not only experience in Nevada 4-H as a youth, but also expertise in Extension community work. We're so excited to have her in her new role!

To learn more about Lindsay and her plans for our 4-H Program, visit https://bit.ly/44tuUqy.

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Douglas Extension educator new 4-H state leader University of Nevada, Reno Extension has appointed Lindsay Chichester as the new state leader for the 4-H Youth Development Program starting June 1.

Let's Talk Gardening 2024!

Gardening talks by Extension Master Gardener Volunteers who live and garden right here in Northern Nevada!

Join us at the Historic Bartley Ranch in Reno on Tuesday evenings (except election day) in February and March 6 – 8 pm. Registration is required for this free event at: https://bit.ly/41JcXTc

The first class is right around the corner! You’ll learn all about:

- Fruit Tree Selection
- Vertebrate Pests
- Gardening in Small Spaces
- Shade Gardening
- Turf Alternatives
- Totally Tomatoes
- Successful Vegetable Gardening.

Please consider bringing a canned or non-perishable food item for the Northern Nevada Food Bank ❤

Winter is getting closer, and so is the time to cozy-up indoors. But did you know radon gas levels are higher during the colder months?
Stay warm and safe, and test your home! This simple step can make a huge difference in your family's health.

Take control of your indoor air quality and enjoy a worry-free winter. Spread the word and share the warmth!

Find out more at https://bit.ly/40CfzC3

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As temperatures drop, mule deer are on the move to their winter ranges. That could mean deer are passing through your yard or moving in for the season.

Here are some tips for reducing damage to landscape plants:

• Choose deer-resistant plants that are fragrant, spiny or fuzzy, making them less appealing. Some examples are lavender, red hot poker, and lamb’s ear.
• Exclude them from your yard with minimum of 8-feet tall fencing.
• Use individual plant protectors around special plants, such as young fruit trees.

Radon is an odorless gas that can cause lung cancer. Make sure your family is protected! Help us gather valuable data by taking this quick survey. It takes a minimum of two minutes. Your responses are confidential and your input can make a difference!

Visit https://bit.ly/472eLZa and take the survey.

Hi, HAY, hello there and welcome to October! Have you HERD? The Washoe County 4-H Festival will be next Saturday (10/14) from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at Washoe County’s Rancho San Rafael Regional Park.

This aNEIGH-zing, free event is open to the whole family to come out and enjoy hands hands on activities as well as meet 4-H youth and their animals.

Find more more information by following the event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/3631403277092469

Knock, Knock. Who's there? Goat. Goat who?

Mark your calendars to goat to the Washoe County 4-H Festival and find out!

Come out to Washoe County’s Rancho San Rafael Regional Park on October 14, 2023 from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. to see reptiles and amphibians, dogs, poultry, rabbits, and of course, goats!

More information can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/events/3631403277092469

Is your family safe from radon exposure? It is a natural radioactive gas that you can't see, taste, or smell. Check the local maps on our website for radon potential by zip code here: bit.ly/3qYJtTo. Test kits are available to order or pick up at your local extension office.

Stay safe, healthy, and get your home tested today!