BROWARD COUNTY COMMISSION
NEWS RELEASE
Parks and Recreation Division ▪ 950 N.W. 38th St., Oakland Park, FL 33309
Phone: 954-357-8100 ▪ Fax: 954-561-5359 ▪ www.broward.org/parks
For Immediate Release
Date: August 14, 2009 Phone: 954-357-8115
From: Michael Mills E-mail: mmills@broward.org
What Extension Education Is and Does
- Get to know your local government -
WHAT: From now through the end of August, you can learn more about the Parks and Recreation Division’s Extension Education Section by visiting the lobby of the Broward County Governmental Center.
The Extension Education Section was established to provide research-based information to Broward County residents and businesses for improved quality of life and business profitability. Extension Education is a collaborative effort between county government and the University of Florida. Program areas continually evolve to meet the needs of residents. Information and educational programming cover a variety of areas.
Cooperative Extension
• A nationwide educational network that brings the research and knowledge of land-grant institutions to people in their homes, workplaces, and communities.
• Links the resources and expertise of more than 3,000 county Extension offices, 105 land-grant colleges and universities, and the federal government through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.
• Delivers research-based programs through workshops, home-study courses, Web-based learning tools, and other methods to give people the knowledge, skills, and motivation to improve their quality of life and business opportunity and profitability.
• Emphasizes sustained action by learners.
Program Areas
Urban Horticulture – Programs are designed to help residents with environmental and pest control needs by way of Master Gardeners, Horticulture Technicians, and Extension Agents, who are always available to assist with landscape and gardening questions. Broward County mandates residents to greatly enhance water conservation and decrease runoff. Many well-meaning residents are unfamiliar with the unique growing and environmental conditions of South Florida and, faced with such conditions, often waste water, fertilizers, pesticides, and energy through inappropriate landscape design and practices. The Master Gardener Volunteer Program provides a way to significantly augment the resources of the Urban Horticulture Extension Agent, who works with the Commercial Horticulture program (see below) to respond to pest alerts, water restrictions, and other environmental crises affecting our water, plant, and soil resources.
Among the services provided:
• Mobile Extension Offices run by Local Master Gardener Coordinators in 30 of the county’s 31 municipalities.
• A Public Answer Hotline and e-mail address, mastergardener@broward.org.
• Public programs designed to achieve greater public implementation of Florida Yards and Neighborhoods’ sustainable landscaping principles.
• Two annual sessions of training for Master Gardeners, at least 40 of which go through the program annually.
Commercial Horticulture – Nursery production, landscape installation and maintenance, and arboriculture account for more than $250 million in annual sales in Broward County. Hundreds of firms employ thousands of individuals helping contribute to a strong economy and a beautiful environment. This program assists the nursery, landscape, and pest control industries as well as property managers and stakeholders in making cost-effective and environmentally responsible decisions regarding the management of natural resources related to their production operations and environmental landscape management services.
Among Commercial Horticulture’s programs and outreach:
• Tree Trimmer Licensing Ordinance training and testing.
• Landscape and nursery workshops and seminars.
• Demonstration projects for turf, nursery, and landscape best management practices.
• Pesticide applicator training and testing (required by the State of Florida for commercial license to apply pesticides).
• Green industry best management practices training and testing (required by the state for commercial license to apply fertilizers to turf and landscapes).
• Cooperative partnerships with allied industry, municipalities, Broward County government divisions, and nongovernmental organizations.
• Applied research with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences faculty.
• Commercial pest and plant problem identification and diagnosis.
• Master Gardener training.
4-H Youth Development – Broward County 4-H plays a key role in positively developing local youth, ages 5 to 18, in terms of leadership, citizenship, and life skills, by providing training and research-based, nonformal education and instruction to many youth-serving organizations in Broward County. 4-H projects, activities, and events – facilitated by 4-H agents and staff, trained volunteers, schoolteachers, and workers in other youth agencies – are delivered through experiential or hands-on, learn-by-doing methods. Broward County 4-H encourages youth to maximize their talents and skills to become responsible and productive community members. Youth may participate in Broward County 4-H youth development programs at no cost, in terms of yearly dues or required uniforms. Moreover, the goal is to help young people succeed and to create positive changes in youth, families, and communities by offering hands-on education in such areas as marine science, food and nutrition, photography, horticulture, small animals, horses, and computers; 4-H also offers leadership opportunities through participation in public speaking, summer camp, 4-H Congress, and Legislature Week.
Family Nutrition Program – The University of Florida and Broward County Extension have developed a nutrition education program for families and individuals on limited budgets. Through Supplemental Food and Nutrition Program Education (SNAP-Ed), residents are contacted for nutrition education classes that help them increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables; increase their levels of physical activities; and implement resource management ideas such as menu planning, spending plans, and comparison shopping. Using science-based, behaviorally focused interventions, the program seeks to improve the likelihood that participants will make healthy food choices within a limited budget and choose physically active lifestyles.
WHERE: Broward County Governmental Center
115 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale
WHEN: Now through August 31
For further information, call Extension Education at 954-370-3725.
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Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations in order to participate in County programs, services, and activities must contact the Special Populations Section at 954-357-8170 or TTY 954-537-2844 at least ten (10) business days prior to the scheduled meeting or event to request an accommodation.
