The BEAT News May 8, 2013

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USDA and EPA Release New Report on Honey Bee Health


The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released a comprehensive scientific report on honey bee health. The report states that there are multiple factors playing a role in honey bee colony declines, including parasites and disease, genetics, poor nutrition and pesticide exposure.

“There is an important link between the health of American agriculture and the health of our honeybees for our country’s long term agricultural productivity,” said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. “The forces impacting honeybee health are complex and USDA, our research partners, and key stakeholders will be engaged in addressing this challenge.”

“The decline in honey bee health is a complex problem caused by a combination of stressors, and at EPA we are committed to continuing our work with USDA, researchers, beekeepers, growers and the public to address this challenge,” said Acting EPA Administrator Bob Perciasepe. “The report we’ve released today is the product of unprecedented collaboration, and our work in concert must continue. As the report makes clear, we’ve made significant progress, but there is still much work to be done to protect the honey bee population.”

In October 2012, a National Stakeholders Conference on Honey Bee Health, led by federal researchers and managers, along with Pennsylvania State University, was convened to synthesize the current state of knowledge regarding the primary factors that scientists believe have the greatest impact on managed bee health.

Key findings include:

Parasites and Disease Present Risks to Honey Bees:

  • The parasitic Varroa mite is recognized as the major factor underlying colony loss in the U.S. and other countries. There is widespread resistance to the chemicals beekeepers use to control mites within the hive. New virus species have been found in the U.S. and several of these have been associated with Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

Increased Genetic Diversity is Needed:

  • U.S. honeybee colonies need increased genetic diversity. Genetic variation improves bees thermoregulation (the ability to keep body temperature steady even if the surrounding environment is different), disease resistance and worker productivity.
  • Honey bee breeding should emphasize traits such as hygienic behavior that confer improved resistance to Varroa mites and diseases (such as American foulbrood).

Poor Nutrition Among Honey Bee Colonies:

  • Nutrition has a major impact on individual bee and colony longevity. A nutrition-poor diet can make bees more susceptible to harm from disease and parasites. Bees need better forage and a variety of plants to support colony health.
  • Federal and state partners should consider actions affecting land management to maximize available nutritional forage to promote and enhance good bee health and to protect bees by keeping them away from pesticide-treated fields.

There is a Need for Improved Collaboration and Information Sharing:

  • Best Management Practices associated with bees and pesticide use, exist, but are not widely or systematically followed by members of the crop-producing industry. There is a need for informed and coordinated communication between growers and beekeepers and effective collaboration between stakeholders on practices to protect bees from pesticides.
  • Beekeepers emphasized the need for accurate and timely bee kill incident reporting, monitoring, and enforcement.

Additional Research is Needed to Determine Risks Presented by Pesticides:

  • The most pressing pesticide research questions relate to determining actual pesticide exposures and effects of pesticides to bees in the field and the potential for impacts on bee health and productivity of whole honey bee colonies.

Those involved in developing the report include USDA’s Office of Pest Management Policy (OPMP), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Agricultural Research Services (ARS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), National Resource Conversation Service (NRCS) as well as the EPA and Pennsylvania State University. The report will provide important input to the Colony Collapse Disorder Steering Committee, led by the USDA, EPA and the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

An estimated one-third of all food and beverages are made possible by pollination, mainly by honey bees. In the United States, pollination contributes to crop production worth $20-30 billion in agricultural production annually. A decline in managed bee colonies puts great pressure on the sectors of agriculture reliant on commercial pollination services. This is evident from reports of shortages of bees available for the pollination of many crops.

The Colony Collapse Steering Committee was formed in response to a sudden and widespread disappearance of adult honey bees from beehives, which first occurred in 2006. The Committee will consider the report’s recommendations and update the CCD Action Plan which will outline major priorities to be addressed in the next 5-10 years and serve as a reference document for policy makers, legislators and the public and will help coordinate the federal strategy in response to honey bee losses.

To view the report, which represents the consensus of the scientific community studying honey bees, please visit: http://www.usda.gov/documents/ReportHoneyBeeHealth.pdf

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Comment Period Extended for Proposed Regulatory Changes to May 30, 2013

The comment period for the following proposed regulation revisions has been extended from May 10, 2013 to May 30, 2013. Written comments will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on May 30, 2013, and can be submitted by mail to:

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Resource Protection – Regulatory Comment Box
1 Winter Street, 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02108

Comments may also be sent electronically via email to: dep.talks@state.ma.us.  Please note the relevant regulation in the subject line of the email.

http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/massdep/news/comment/


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Keep Wildlife Wild, Leave Young Wildlife Alone

From MassWildlife News

 The arrival of spring means the arrival of newborn and just-hatched wildlife. These youngsters soon venture into the world on shaky legs or fragile wings and are discovered by people living, playing or working nearby. Every year, the lives of many young wild creatures are disturbed by people who take young wildlife from the wild in a well-intentioned attempt to “save” them.

These well-meant acts of kindness tend to have the opposite result. Instead of being left to learn their place in the world, young wildlife removed from the wild are denied important natural learning experiences which help them survive on their own. Most people quickly find that they can’t really care for young wildlife, and many of the animals soon die in the hands of well-meaning people. Young wildlife that does survive human “assistance” misses experiences that teach them to fend for themselves. If these animals are released back into the wild, their chances of survival are reduced. Often, the care given to young wildlife results in some attachment to humans and the animals may return to places where people live, only to be attacked by domestic animals or hit by cars. Some animals become nuisances and people have even been injured by once-tamed wildlife.

Avoid these problems by following one simple rule when coming upon young wildlife: If You Care, Leave Them There! It may be difficult to do, but this is a real act of compassion. Generally young mammals are visited only a few times a day to avoid leaving traces that attract predators. For instance, a nest of bunnies will only be visited by the adult female twice per day.  The young wildlife are quite safe when left alone because their color patterns and lack of scent help them remain undetected. Avoid nest and den areas of young wildlife and restrain all pets. What if you find a young bird that has fallen from a nest? Adult wildlife are not disturbed by human scent. Baby birds found on the ground may be safely picked up and placed in a nearby bush or tree.

Leave fawns (young deer) where they are found. Fawns are safest when left alone because their camouflaging color helps them remain undetected until the doe returns. If sympathetic people repeatedly visit a fawn, it can prolong the separation from the doe and delay important feeding. Unlike deer, newborn moose calves remain in close proximity to their mothers who, in contrast to a white-tailed doe, will actively defend calves against danger. An adult cow moose weighing over 600 pounds will chase, kick, stomp potential predators, people included.

Only when young wildlife are found injured or with their dead mother may the young be assisted, but must then be delivered immediately to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Due to the difficulty in properly caring for them there are no rehabilitators licensed to care of fawns. It is illegal to possess most wildlife in Massachusetts. Information on young wildlife and a list of wildlife rehabilitators is posted at www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/wildlife_home.htm.

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First Statewide Bald Eagle Nesting Survey Finds 30 Active Nests

Officials from the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) verified 30 active nests in the Commonwealth, including eight nests along the Connecticut River, six at the Quabbin Reservoir and four along the Merrimack River during Massachusetts’ first Bald Eagle nesting survey. The survey, coordinated by the DFG’s Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) and involving agency staff and 35 volunteers, was conducted on April 5, 2013.

“We are encouraged by the results of the first statewide bald eagle nesting survey, as we continue to find increasing numbers of eagles nesting in Massachusetts,” said DFG Commissioner Mary Griffin, who participated in the survey and observed an active nest on Foss Reservoir in Framingham. “I would like to thank the MassWildlife staff who worked so hard to provide statewide coverage for the survey, as well as the many volunteers who gave valuable reports for this effort.”

MassWildlife staff and volunteers checked known eagle territories and explored areas with potential eagle habitat during the day-long survey, in an effort to verify continued use of existing nests and to locate new eagle territories. The results of these efforts yielded a total of 30 active bald eagle nests and many additional sightings across the state.

In addition to the principal bald eagle nesting territories along the Connecticut and Merrimack rivers and at Quabbin Reservoir, other active nests were observed at Wachusett Reservoir, and in the towns of Framingham, Brookfield, Pittsfield, Webster, Middleborough, Fall River and Plymouth. One nest failure was reported at Assawompsett Pond in Lakeville, where the wind blew a nest and two eggs out of the nest tree in early April.

Additional eagle sightings were reported in Arlington, Carver, Lunenburg, Russell, Sandisfield and along the Housatonic River. 

Bald eagles, the largest bird of prey native to Massachusetts with a body length of about 3 feet and a wingspan of up to seven feet, have increased in numbers in Massachusetts since being reintroduced to the Quabbin Reservoir between 1982 and 1988. The species was down listed from Endangered to Threatened status in Massachusetts in 2011 and removed from the federal endangered species list in 2007.

In addition to the April 5 survey results, MassWildlife has received dozens of e-mails this spring reporting eagle sightings. Several of these reports are of new eagle nests, including one in Stoneham, that are in the process of being verified by staff. MassWildlife expects the final number of breeding eagles this spring will surpass last year’s record high numbers. 

MassWildlife is grateful to all the volunteers who participated in this year’s survey, and also is especially appreciative for the assistance of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, who provided boat access to the Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs.

Reports of bald eagle sightings are welcome throughout the year. Individuals should email reports to natural.heritage@state.ma.us or mail them to “Eagle Survey”, Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, 100 Hartwell Street, Suite 230, West Boylston, MA 01583.

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is responsible for promoting the conservation and enjoyment of the Commonwealth’s natural resources. DFG carries out this mission through land protection and wildlife habitat management, management of inland and marine fish and wildlife species and ecological restoration of fresh water, salt water and terrestrial habitats. DFG promotes enjoyment of the Massachusetts environment through outdoor skills workshops, fishing festivals and other educational programs, and by enhancing access to the Commonwealth’s rivers, lakes and coastal waters.

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EPA highlights May as National Asthma Awareness Month

Asthma Awareness Month provides a time for us to work together to improve the lives of children and families living with asthma and, with your help, to build better awareness around this public health issue. An average of 1 out of every 10 school aged children has asthma and 10.5 million school days are missed each year due to this chronic illness.

 

Asthma disproportionately affects minorities, and children and families with lower incomes. EPA, along with federal partners, is working to address these disparities through a ‘Coordinated Federal Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma Disparities’ report: http://www.epa.gov/childrenstaskforce/

 

While we continue to take initiatives to strive for cleaner air and a healthier environment — through the Power Plant Mercury and Air Toxics Standards and the Clean Air Act –there are many things you can do in the classroom.

 

1. Share these three simple steps with your stakeholders and colleagues:

 

2. Encourage school officials, parents and students to utilize these resources:

  • IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit: Shows schools how to carry out a practical plan to improve indoor air problems at little- or no-cost using staightforward activities and in-house staff: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/index.html
  • Manage Asthma in the School Environment:A guide on how to identify and control common environmental factors in schools that trigger asthma attacks. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/pdfs/publications/managing_asthma.pdf
  • ‘Dusty The Asthma Goldfish and His Asthma Triggers’ Funbook and ‘Why is Coco Orange?’: EPA’s educational tools to help parents and children learn more about asthma triggers: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/publications.html
  • View our PSAs:

 

3. Join the conversation with us by using #asthma or a drafted post below:

  • Facebook: Breathe easier: May is Asthma Awareness Month! Take action to ensure your asthma is under control. Check out our resource that provides 10 steps to make your home asthma-friendly: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/publications.html
  • Twitter: Breathe easier: May is #AsthmaAwarenessMonth. Make your home asthma-friendly: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/publications.html #EPAasthma

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Mass Audubon Bird-A-Thon Fundraiser Set for May 17-18

Friendly Competition to Spot the Most Species in a 24-hour Period

Berkshire Wildlife Sanctuaries, Lenox, MA—Hundreds of birding enthusiasts on 30 teams will compete across the state to spot the most species in a 24-hour period during Mass Audubon’s annual Bird-a-thon fundraiser May 17-18.

The highly anticipated event will start at 6 pm on Friday, May 17, and end at 5:59 pm on Saturday, the 18th. Marking its 30th anniversary, Bird-a-thon has become a popular celebration of birdlife for Mass Audubon members and other visitors to Berkshire Sanctuaries.

Bird-a-thon 2013 organizers are hoping that competitors and supporters surpass last year’s remarkable numbers: 270 species spotted and nearly $200,000 raised by 740 participants on 28 teams. This year, 30 teams will be competing and organizers are hoping to surpass those totals.

“This fun event is appropriate for people of all abilities, ages, and backgrounds,” said sanctuary director René Laubach, “helping participants to connect with nature while also raising funds for Mass Audubon’s wildlife sanctuaries and programs.”

Prizes will be awarded in several categories, including for the most species spotted by a team, the most money raised by a team, and the top individual fundraiser.

Those who can’t join a team can still participate by pledging money to a team member or by becoming a “Bird-a-thon Booster.” Fellow birders and supporters can also keep up with team members during the event on Twitter by following @MassAudubon, hashtag #birdathon.

To join a team, make a donation, see the list of prizes, or get more information, visit www.massaudubon.org/birdathon.

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Mass Audubon works to protect the nature of Massachusetts for people and wildlife. Together with more than 100,000 members, we care for 35,000 acres of conservation land, provide school, camp, and other educational programs for 225,000 children and adults annually, and advocate for sound environmental policies at local, state, and federal levels. Founded in 1896 by two inspirational women who were committed to the protection of birds, Mass Audubon has grown to become a powerful force for conservation in New England. Today we are respected for our sound science, successful advocacy, and innovative approaches to connecting people and nature. Each year, our statewide network of wildlife sanctuaries welcomes nearly half a million visitors of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds and serves as the base for our work. To support these important efforts, call 800-AUDUBON (800-283-8266) or visit www.massaudubon.org

 

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Announcing the 2013 Wildbranch Writing Workshop

Craftsbury Common, Vermont

July 14-20, 2013

Cosponsored by Orion and Sterling College

The Wildbranch Writing Workshop is the country’s foremost writing workshop for people interested in honing their ability to write honestly and powerfully about the natural world. Join Orion editor-in-chief H. Emerson Blake, and writers Alison Deming and Robert Michael Pyle, for a week of writing and conversation in the rolling hills of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.

Application deadline: May 10, 2013.

Click here to learn more about the 2013 Wildbranch Writing Workshop and how to apply.

Orion
187 Main Street
Great Barrington, Massachusetts 01230
413/528-4422

 

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When is Mud Day this year?

As you work the soil in your garden and witness the popping buds all around you, you are probably wondering: when is Mud Day this year?  This annual, muddy, place-based extravaganza is happening on Saturday, May 18, from 11am to 3pm, at Muddy Brook Regional Elementary School in Great Barrington, rain or shine. 

 

You may also be wondering: what is Mud Day?  Mud Day is a celebration of the Berkshire landscape, our literal common ground.  It is about bringing the classroom outdoors in playful, festive, and creative ways.  Brought to you by the Muddy Brook PTA, Mud Day is open to the public.  “Mud Day connects us to each other, reminds us of the ingredients for a sustainable future, and gives us a clearer sense of place,” said Mary Berle, Director of Learning and Teaching for the Berkshire Hills Regional School District.

 

Last year, Mud Day drew well over 600 participants, and 2013 promises to be as big.  “Now in year four, Mud Day has become part of the fabric of Muddy Brook,” said Thad Dingman, Principal.  One eager fourth grader put it this way: “I look forward to Mud Day like it’s my birthday!”

 

Muddy Brook students, teachers, and “Mudders” have been busy preparing.  The first graders will be raffling off a quilt they made with recycled fabric.  Other students have been making bags from old t-shirts, melting crayon scraps into new crayons, painting re-usable jars, planting seeds, pulling garlic mustard, designing weather instruments, creating “metric Olympics” events, and readying for the unicycle expo. 

 

A variety of local conservation and education organizations will be participating.  They include: Housatonic Valley Association, MassAudubon, Project Bee, Real Goods Solar, YMCA Camp Hi-Rock, Project Native, Alpine Solar Heat & Hot Water, Berkshire Grown, Northeast Organic Farming Association, Berkshire South Regional Community Center, BRIDGE, Center for EcoTechnology, Flying Cloud Institute, Second Hand Farm, Great Barrington Agricultural Commission, Berkshire Rattlers, Flying Deer Nature Center, Fresh Air Fund, and Fair Ground Community Redevelopment Project.  Food from local vendors and donors (The Scoop, The Marketplace Kitchen, Bell & Anchor, Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, Berkshire Co-op Market, The Doughnut Shoppe, and others) will be for sale.  There will be live music throughout the day — ukuleles, guitars, mandolins, and more.

 

Of course, Mud Day will involve MUD: mud between tug of war teams, muddy pools for digging up treasures, mud for making pies.  Cleaner activities include face painting, jump-rope spinning, tie-dying (bring your own cotton item or purchase a white t-shirt), relay races, and bubble wand-making. 

 

All activities are available to children for a one-time fee of $5 ($15 family maximum).  Adults are free.  Bring a change of clothes for the kids, and a towel. 

 

“Some of our best learning is messy,” said Peter Dillon, Superintendent.  He added, “Mud Day has become a great tradition that captures the best of student, parent, community, and educator collaboration.”

 

For more information, go to: www.muddybrookpta.com

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Fracked Gas in Western Mass: Meeting, Westfield, May 23

With the coal-fired power station at Mount Tom in Holyoke winding down, the Massachusetts is moving away from dirty fossil fuels, right?

Well, no.

 

Just a few miles away from Mount Tom, in Westfield, a power company wants to open a new fossil-fuel power plant. This one would burn natural gas, some of it from the frack-lands in the U.S. and some of it from Canada’s tar-sands. And it would need two million gallons of water per day from Holyoke Water’s Tighe-Carmody Reservoir located in Southampton.

 

So the Green Rainbow Party’s (GRP) campaign to Beat Back Fracking invites you to attend a public meeting on Thursday, May 23, at 6:30 p.m. in the Westfield Athenaeum.

Fracking may not be happening in Western Massachusetts (and we’re working to make sure it never will) but the natural gas for the Westfield plant means somebody somewhere’s getting fracked, as this map and overview from the Energy Information Administration shows. For more details about the power plant planned for Westfield, e.g. the source of the gas and its impact on the climate, click here and here.

Some people say they will get involved if and when fracking looks set to happen in their back yard. Well, for all of us in the Pioneer Valley, Westfield is our back yard. And while it’s not fracking, it’s the next worst thing: the fruit of fracking.

 

Together with our co-sponsors — the MoveOn Councils of Massachusetts, Westfield Concerned Citizens, and Climate Action Now! MA — we hope you can come along to the May 23 meeting where we will discuss clean alternatives to the gas-fired plant, such as solar energy and signing up for the Green Communities Act.

 

So if you say yes to solar, yes to Green Communities, and no to yet more natural gas, please sign up on the Facebook event page by clicking here and come to the meeting. 

 

Thank you for helping Beat Back Fracking in Massachusetts.

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Born Learning Trail Installation — Volunteers Needed

The United Way will be installing a “Born Learning” Trail of interactive educational signage around the Rotary Playground at Springside this month, and is seeking a few volunteers to help with accompanying shapes on the sidewalks on Monday, May 13 from 8-10AM.

See info below. Please contact Karen Vogel if you are able to help.

We have been very fortunate to have Berkshire Fence donate their time and materials to install the posts and signs for us.

The project we need help with is painting the interactive hopscotch, shapes, and letters onto the sidewalk.  We have decided to do this project on Monday, May 13th from 8 – 10 am.

We want to make sure the paint has enough time to dry before it gets any use later in the day.  We will supply all materials needed.

We will have a rain date of Tuesday, May 14th, if necessary.

We are looking for 6-8 volunteers.  If you can help out that day, please let me know.

Karen Vogel
Coordinator of Early Childhood
Berkshire United Way

200 South Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Phone: (413) 442-6948 Ext. 22
Fax: (413) 442-5050

 

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 Volunteer Opportunity – Amphibian Monitors Sought

Scott Jackson and team at UMass Amherst are seeking volunteers willing to adopt pre-selected routes in Massachusetts as part of a long-term amphibian monitoring program. The North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP) was created to coordinate national and local efforts to collect long-term data on amphibian populations across much of the United States. NAAMP relies on volunteer monitors as a cost-effective way to gather long-term data over broad geographic areas. These efforts are coordinated by the U.S. Geological Survey and a network of Regional Coordinators. The Massachusetts coordinator is Scott Jackson at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Routes are established by NAAMP based on a national protocol. Monitoring routes are run four times each year during the amphibian calling season. These runs are done at night, according to a set protocol, and usually take 1.5 hours to complete plus travel time. The most reliable data are obtained when they are collected year after year by the same volunteers. Thus it is our preference to recruit volunteers that imagine that they might stick with a route for an extended period of time.

For more information about the NAAMP in Massachusetts go to: http://www.massnaamp.org

For a list of available monitoring routes go to: http://www.massnaamp.org/routes/index.html

If you are interested in adopting a route please contact Scott Jackson (sjackson@umext.umass.edu; 413-545-4743).

BEAT Note: There is an available route in Hinsdale—check it out

 

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Paid Undergraduate Research Opportunity

CNAH ANNOUNCEMENT
Monday, May 06, 2013 8:54:47 AM
The Center for North American Herpetology
Lawrence, Kansas
http://www.cnah.org

Undergraduates interested in gaining research experience in evolutionary biology are invited to apply for a summer National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) position available this summer in the lab of Emily Moriarty Lemmon at Florida State University. The summer REU student will help conduct genetic analyses of population structure in chorus frogs (Pseudacris) to test whether behavioral changes in phenotype correlate with population and landscape level genetic changes. The REU student will learn molecular techniques for working with DNA (traditional genotyping and highthroughput sequencing) and bioinformatic techniques for analyzing sequence data. Candidates should have an interest in evolutionary genetics and learning statistical methods for analyzing genetic data. Compensation will be $480 per week (corresponding to $12.00/hr; for approximately 8 hours/day; 5 days/week) for a total of 8 weeks and will also include a $1,200 stipend for housing and $1,208 for subsistence during the 8 week period. For students planning on graduate school, this experience would look great on your resume.

To apply for this position, please contact Dr. John Malone at jmalone@bio.fsu.edu and include a CV along with contact information for three references.


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Posting #MCCC 13-10

 

Farm and Food Systems Senior Special Programs Coordinator (MCCC/MTA Unit- Professional position) Three-Fifths Time(.60 FTE); Non-tenure track.

GRADE AND SALARY:

Grade 5. Salary range for this pay grade is $30,471.60 to $33,000. Actual salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience in accordance with the MCCC collective bargaining agreement provisions.

 

START DATE:

August 1, 2013

THE COLLEGE:

Greenfield Community College is located in the beautiful and historic Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, between the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains and the fertile farmland of the Connecticut River watershed. GCC is a public community college of approximately 2,400 students. Known for the caring and supportive attitude of the faculty and staff, and for the broad support it enjoys from the surrounding community, the college is fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. In addition to a strong Liberal Arts focus, the College offers a wide variety of innovative and successful programs including Gender and Women’s Studies, Fine Arts, Nursing, Renewable Energy, and Outdoor Leadership, as well as varied learning environments, from traditional classrooms, to distance learning, peer tutoring, one-on-one faculty-student advising, workforce development, and learning communities that cater to specific needs and interests. Close to fifty percent of Greenfield Community College students transfer to four-year colleges, and it is Smith College’s largest source of community college transfer students. Much of the College has just undergone a multi-million dollar renovation that sets the stage for future developments in learning. Greenfield Community College actively encourages and provides opportunities for leadership and professional development.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

Responsibilities include:

·         Overseeing Farm and Food System initiatives as part of the SAGE (Sustainable Agriculture and Green Energy) team.

·         Leading a Farm and Food Systems advisory group and participating in the SAGE advisory group.

·         Collaborating with community organizations and businesses in the Farm and Food arena.

·         Working with campus and community entities to find internship placements for students and mentoring those interns;

·         Working with the development office on grant creation and management;

·         Working with the SAGE team and web-site managers to maintain the Farm and Food website and to collaborate on the SAGE website.

·         Supporting the SAGE team and GCC marketing personnel to promote SAGE initiatives to potential students, to interested community members, to other faculty looking for professional development; etc.;

·         Supporting fund raising activities for SAGE initiatives under the leadership of the development office;

·         Supporting the Dean in finding and mentoring adjunct faculty who teach 1-credit Farm and Food re-skilling classes;

·         Working with high schools and colleges on creating pathways for Farm and Food students through GCC to jobs or through GCC to articulated transfer institutions.

·         Coordinating with GCC’s Community Education Dean on running blended courses and supporting, where appropriate, workforce development initiatives;

·         Working with the SAGE team in organizing conferences and professional development opportunities in SAGE related content.

·         Participating in curriculum development, assessment strategies in support of academic program  review;

·         Providing academic advisement;

·         Maintaining regular office hours;

·         Serving on college committees as elected or appointed;

·         Participate in regularly scheduled departmental, divisional, and college meetings;

·         Performing other duties as assigned within the MCCC collective bargaining agreement.

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