I usually give my contribution to United Way to Extension 4-H County Programs. They will transfer the money. Another option to consider.
LEADERSHIP TRAINING OPPORTUNITY:
Cooperative Extension needs agents and specialists who are willing and able to take leadership roles. The Western Extension Leadership Development (WELD) program is a two-year program for Cooperative Extension agents, advisors, educators and specialists in the Western United States and Territories, and is seeking applicants for its 2007-2008 class. The application deadline has been extended to Thursday, November 9 and should be sent to the State Extension Director. Application materials can be found at: http://ag.arizona.edu/extension/weld/. UA Cooperative Extension Administration will support at least two participants from Arizona for the upcoming WELD IV class. This includes costs for pre-conference and conference activities, registration fees, materials, resources, travel and lodging. If you are interested in learning more about WELD, please visit the WELD website. The WELD goal is for participants to learn and apply leadership skills. It is a great opportunity!
FOCUS ON FACULTY:
Congratulations to Dr. David Kopec upon his selection to the Arizona Golf Hall of Fame. The recognition is given to individuals who have made exceptional contribution to Arizona golf, either through their accomplishments as golfers or, in David's case, his contributions to the field of turfgrass science.
PROTOTYPE CROPPING SYSTEMS:
Over 430 persons attended the inauguration of the prototype cropping systems in research at the La Paz County Extension office in Parker. County Extension Director, Linda Masters, and Instructional Specialist, Deborah May, did an exceptional job in the design, construction and planting of the crops in the Controlled Environment Facility. The project was made a reality through the support of Rock Cramer, a rancher/farmer who has the vision for what might be the systems of the future for agriculture in our desert southwest. His support, along with that of the CEAC, was impressive.
WALK ACROSS ARIZONA:
Walk Across Arizona is not a "walk-a-thon" or fundraiser, but a way to build a healthy habit with friends, family & co-workers. Walking reduces risks for diabetes, heart disease, obesity and chronic health problems and improves muscle and bone health. The 16-week program is designed for teams of up to 10 people. The teams have a friendly competition to see who can get their pals, neighbors, co-workers and family out to build a healthy habit and walk for fitness and the miles logged by teams will be collected by team captains each week and recorded on the Walk Across Arizona web-site at http://cals.arizona.edu/walkacrossaz. The site is ready for county coordinators to set their schedule and for individuals to register. Some counties will start the 16-week program on November 5, 2006 and walk until February 24, 2007. Each county sets their own fee schedule for cost recovery and participant incentives. Contact Linda Block (520.626.5161) for details and information on obtaining the username and password for team captains.
NEW PUBLICATIONS:
There is a new CALS publication that has been posted -- “Insects, Diseases, and Abiotic Disorders in Southwest Forests and Woodlands (Climate Change and Variability in Southwest Ecosystems Series)” (1.67MB) by Tom DeGomez.
GRANT OPPORTUNITY:
- The Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) is accepting proposals for research grants under the “Water Resources Research Act, Section 104B.” Funded by the U.S. Geological Survey, Section 104B provides support for small research projects on water-related issues of importance to the state and region. The WRRC usually funds three to five small grants of about $10,000-$12,000 over a 12-month period. Funded projects start March 1, 2007 and proposals are due by 5:00pm on November 27. For additional information contact Terry Sprouse (520.792.9591, ext.13). Guidelines are available on the WRRC web site.
- The Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) is announcing the following Request for Proposals from the “Water Resources Research National Competitive Grants Program: The U.S. Geological Survey” in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources requests proposals for matching grants to support research on the topics of water supply and water availability, which are issues of importance nationwide. Proposals are requested on the topics of water supply and availability, including investigations of possible new sources of supply, improvement of impaired waters to usable quality, conservation of existing sources, and limiting growth in demand. Proposals are sought in not only the physical dimensions of supply and demand, but also quality trends in raw water supplies; the role of economics and institutions in water supply and demand; institutional arrangements for tracking and reporting water supply and availability; and institutional arrangements for coping with extreme hydrologic conditions. The amount available for research under this program is estimated to be $920,000 in federal funds. Any investigator at an institution of higher learning in the United States is eligible to apply for a grant through a Water Research Institute or Center. Proposals must be filed on the Internet at https://niwr.net/ by 5:00pm, EST, February 16, 2007. To obtain a copy of the RFP, go to https://niwr.org/ and click on “RFP” under the heading “National Competitive Grants Program ¬104G.”
UPCOMING EVENTS:
- The Arizona Agriculture Extension Association In-Service will be December 14 at the Maricopa Ag Center. The one-day program will offer highlights of all Extension programs and projects in Agronomy, Horticulture, Natural Resources/Animal Science, and Pest Management and will "encourage professional improvement and quality performance among Extension workers, and promote cooperation, loyalty and understanding among Extension people and other University of Arizona personnel." All Extension agents, specialists, and program/project personnel engaged in Extension programming are invited to participate in a concurrent session by presenting a 15-minute overview of research results or outreach education programs. There is opportunity for 36 total volunteered submissions in 4 concurrent sessions - Agronomy, Horticulture, Natural Resources/Animal Science, and Pest Management. The preliminary program, title and abstract Submission, as well as registration forms can be found at http://ag.arizona.edu/aaea/index.htm.