YANR-186, New Feb 1998. Jim Armstrong, Extension Wildlife Scientist, Associate Professor, Zoology and Wildlife Science, Auburn University; Marisa Lee Sasser, County Extension Agent, Escambia County; Michael P. Masser, Extenstion Fisheries Specialist, Associate Professor, Fisheries, Auburn University

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Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program Manual

The usual way we manage wildlife is to manage its habitat. If, for example, we want more quail, we improve quail habitat. The purpose of the Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program is to teach you about wildlife habitat and how to manage it. At the same time you are learning, you can match wits with 4-H'ers across Alabama. If you are good, you can win awards.

The three main part of the wildlife habitat evaluation program are

• Evaluating rural and urban wildlife management practices and their effects on habitat.
• Interpreting wildlife habitat from aerial photographs.
• Identifying common wildlife species and the foods they eat.

You will be scored on how well you complete each part of the program.

The purpose of this manual is to prepare you for the wildlife habitat evaluation team. The manual is divided into three main sections which are the same as the three main parts of the wildlife habitat evaluation program.

• Part I: Evaluating Rural And Urban Wildlife Management Practices And Their Effects On Habitat
• Part II: Interpreting Aerial Photographs
• Part III: Identifying Common Wildlife Species And Their Foods

In each section you'll be given suggestions about what to study as you prepare for that part of the program. You'll also be shown a sample scorecard or be given a description of the activity you'll be scored on. And you'll be given examples which show how to complete the scorecard or activity. So study the manual carefully, practice, and good luck!

Other Areas Of Interest

A. General Rules And Guidelines

B. Scoring The Contest

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General Rules And Guidelines

I. Contestants And Eligibility

A. Each county is allowed to enter only one junior team and one senior team, or up to two individual contestants. A team will consist of no less than three and no more than four official entrants who are 4-H members in their county during the current year. If a county is unable to muster a team, it may send up to two contestants to compete in the individual events.

B. The county senior team that scores the most total points wins the state competition and may go to the National 4-H Wildlife Invitational. A team's total score will be the sum of the three highest individual scores for each event. Individuals may enter the National 4-H Wildlife Evaluation Invitational event only once.

C. Contestants in the national 4-H Wildlife Invitational must not have participated in official post-secondary (university, college, junior college, or technical school) competitive events of a similar nature in the same subject matter. No individual in a team may be a member of a post-secondary team undergoing training in preparation for an event. (For example, a contestant who has competed in an official collegiate wildlife contest, on or off campus, is ineligible to compete.) The State 4-H Program Leaders are responsible for determining the eligibility of participants in National 4-H Competitive Events from their respective states.

II. General Contest Rules And Information

A. County team entries must be submitted to Contest Officials prior to the competition.

B. Each team shall have no more than one coach and two assistants. Current 4-H members may serve as coaches for the team, but those individuals will be ineligible as future contestants.

C. Adult representatives from any counties competing or not competing in the current contest are welcome to observe. The adults may be asked to assist in the administration of the activities.

D. Each contestant will work independently (except when developing the urban plan) and will turn in the scorecard to a member of the Official Committee immediately after each event.

E. Each contestant must provide his or her own pen or pencil and clipboard.

F. Absolutely no talking by contestants will be allowed during the contest. No aspect of the contest will be discussed in the vicinity of contestants while they are competing.

G. Anyone caught cheating will be disqualified.

H. No use of alcohol or tobacco will be allowed during competition.

I. All adults except Contest Officials will be separated from contestants at all times while the contest is in progress.

J. An Official Committee will score the contest and analyze results. The Official Committee decision is final.

K. After each event, individual and team scores will be sent to the team coach. Contest score sheets will not be distributed.

L. All contestants should prepare for the contest by studying the Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program Manual (YANR-186) and Principles of Wildlife Management In Alabama (YANR-197). Only questions relating to contest procedure will be allowed during the contest.

M. Awards categories for junior and senior teams include:

• First Place Team
• First Place High Individual
• Second Place Team
• Second Place High Individual
• Third Place Team
• Third Place High Individual

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Scoring The Contest

Each card is scored as follows:

Part I

The score for Part IA is based on the formula [(C-I/T] x 30. where: C = the number of correct answers on the contestant's scorecard; I = the number of incorrect answers on the contestant's scorecard; and T = the total number of correct answers on the Official Judge's scorecard. For example, the points scored by a contestant who had 38 answers correct and 12 incorrect out of 44 possible correct answers would be [(38-12)/44] x 30 = 17.7.

The formula creates a proportion of the official correct answers that the contestant has listed and then multiplies that by 30, the total number of points allocated for this part. Blanks that the contestant did not fill in are not counted wrong on the score sheet. This would be double counting.

Part IB is a team score with a maximum of 20 points possible. The score the team receives on the Urban Wildlife Management Plan will be added to each team member's individual score. For example, if the team scored 12 points, each team member will be credited 12 points toward their final score.

Part II

This part involves the correct placing of habitat from aerial photographs for each of nine wildlife species selected from the list of 16 possible animals. The Hormel computing slide will be used to score this part of the scorecard. The judge will determine the official placing for each of the nine species, then establish by number the margin of difference between each of the three pairs of photographs.

These numbers represent the penalties for switching the top, middle, and bottom pairs. A contestant makes six decisions when he ranks four aerial photographs. The Hormel slide penalizes a contestant the amount of the margin between the two photographs involved for each incorrect decision. Once a total score for Part II is computed with the Hormel slide, this score is adjusted to a scale of 0 to 25 points, since the maximum total points for a perfect score for Part II is 25.

Part III

Part IIIA will consist of a maximum of ten points. One point will be allocated for each correct answer. Part IIIB is calculated the same way as in Part IA, except the total number of points is 15.

Team Score

The team score will be calculated by adding Parts I, II, and III for each contestant and dropping the low individual score for each event (if there are four members on the team). The three remaining scores are added together to create the total team score for that event. The maximum team score is 300 points.

__________a. Bass	__________m. Otter
__________b. Bluebirds	__________n. Owls
__________c. Bluegill	__________o. Quail
__________d. Butterflies	__________p. Rabbits
__________e. Deer	__________q. Salamanders
__________f. Doves	__________r. Shrews
__________g. Ducks	__________s. Snakes
__________h. Foxes	__________t. Squirrels
__________i. Frogs	__________u. Thrashers
__________j. Hawks	__________v. Turkeys
__________k. Lizards	__________w. Turtles
__________l. Moles	__________x. Woodpeckers

4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Scorecard

Name_________________________________

County_________________

Check One: Junior_____ Senior_____

Common Wildlife Foods (15 Points)

Instructions: For the wildlife species below, list all items shown which might occur in their diet. Some wildlife species listed may not eat any of the food items shown.

Part I: Evaluating Rural And Urban Wildlife Management Practices And Their Effects On Habitat (50 Points)

Part I of the program deals with wildlife management practices (WMPs). Section A covers rural WMPs and section B covers urban WMPs.

For section A of the program, each team member will complete a wildlife habitat evaluation scorecard. This scorecard covers rural management practice recommendations for wildlife species. For section B, team members will work together to develop a management map and recommendations for an urban or backyard area.

To study for Part I (section A) of the program, refer to Extension Circular YANR-197, "Principles Of Wildlife Management In Alabama." This publication has information on plant succession stages, habitat needs and management recommendations for selected wildlife species, and wildlife management practices (WMPs).

Completing Part I Of The Scorecard: Rural Management Practice Recommendations

To complete the first part of the scorecard (section A), you will write the numbers of all the WMPs that would improve the area for the species printed on the scorecard. (See Table 1, Commonly Used Rural Wildlife Management Practices For Selected Species). Consider each species separately. In other words, make management recommendations for deer as if you were managing for deer only; then make management recommendations for each additional species as if you were managing for that species only.

Assume that all of the species printed on the scorecard are present in the area, except for aquatic animals (bass, bluegill, and wood duck) when ponds, lakes, or streams are absent. Also, assume that this area is large enough to support all the species printed on the scorecard.

You should not consider cost or other land management objectives.

4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Scorecard Name:_________________________ County:________________________ Check One: Junior_____ Senior_______ Rural Management Practice Recommendations (30 Points) Instructions: For each species, write in the space provided the numbers of all WMPs that are needed to improve this area for that species. Consider each species separately. Do not consider cost or other land management objectives. Assume that: (1) all species listed are present on the site (except aquatic species if streams, ponds, or lakes are absent), and (2) this area is large enough to support all of the species printed at the left.
Species	Wildlife Management Practices (WMPs)
______a. American Kestrel
______b. American Robin	2. Brush chopping (mowing)
______c. Brown Thrasher	3. Brush piles
______d. Eastern Bluebird	4. Controlled (prescribed) burning
______e. Hairy Woodpecker	5. Disking
______f. Hummingbird	6. Grain, leave unharvested
______g. Mourning Dove	7. Harvest less
______h. Northern Bobwhite	8. Harvest more
______i. Wild Turkey	9. Lime ponds and fields
______j. Wood Duck	10. Livestock grazing management
______k. Eastern Cottontail	11. Nesting boxes/structures/platforms
______l. Eastern Gray Squirrel	12. Plant food plots
______m. White-tailed Deer	13. Plant grass and legumes
______n. Butterflies	14. Plant mast trees
______o. Frogs	15. Plant trees or shrubs
______p. Bass/Bluegill	16. Ponds/lakes, artificial reefs
	17. Ponds, clear muddy water
	18. Pond Construction
	19. Small dikes for temporary flooding
	20. Ponds, deepen edges
	21. Ponds, determine balance
	22. Ponds, diversion ditches
	23. Ponds, fertilize
	24. Ponds, remove trees near dikes
	25. Ponds, repair spillway
	26. Ponds, reseed watershed/filter strips
	27. Ponds, restock
	28. Ponds, stop leaks
	29. Ponds/wetlands, provide shallow water/islands/peninsulas
	30. Tillage, eliminate in fall
	31. Timber harvest, clear-cut
	32. Timber harvest, selective-cut
	33. Water control structures

In Part I (section B) of the Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program, participants will evaluate home landscapes for use by wildlife species that adapt to human development.

To prepare for this part, you'll need to understand some basic information about urban landscapes. Think of urban landscapes as being made up of vertical and horizontal layers. These layer provide habitat for the wildlife living there. Short, medium-sized, and tall plants as well as buildings in the area make up the vertical layers, which provide places for some wildlife species to roost, nest, and hide. The horizontal layers are made up of vegetation and buildings of different heights. Corridors help animals move between the different areas and are also important features of horizontal layers. Rainfall and climate vary from place to place, but with irrigation and landscaping different urban areas can have similar habitat.

It's also helpful to think of urban landscapes and habitats as being broken into seven categories:

1. Urban forests--All of the vegetation and buildings of a city that can be looked upon as a single unit from the perspective of the animal's habitat requirements and overall management.

2. Corridors--Areas that enable wildlife to travel among various habitats interspersed within an urban area. Corridors are often adjacent to streams that flow through urban areas and are relatively free from interruption by buildings. A tree-lined street could also be a corridor for many species of wildlife.

3. Neighborhood parks, school grounds, and golf courses--Intermediate-sized open areas that may already attract wildlife or can be managed to enhance habitat in addition to the primary uses.

4. Vacant land--Lots without buildings and designated open space associated with a town or city that can provide useful habitat. These can be large or small spaces, with or without alterations by humans.

5. Residential areas--Individual homes where animals can be attracted by the habitat provided in a single yard or all the yards combined. The age of a residential area can be of significance to plants and for animals using the area. More established areas tend to have trees, shrubs, and other vegetation that is mature and can offer benefits to wildlife.

6. Apartment and business lots--Areas that commonly have balconies and window ledges with outside access and small grounds beneath the large buildings.

7. Inner city--Part of the city characterized by tall buildings with high roof tops, ledges, and little vegetation.

Completing Part I (section B) is a team effort. It involves evaluating habitats in urban areas and developing a management map and justification sheet for the recommendations. It is usually done in the field, but if the weather is bad or other circumstances warrant, the activity may be done indoors using slides or other visual aids.

The activity: This is a timed team event. All phases of the exercise must be completed and handed to the judges within 1 hour after the instructions are given and the clock is started. No more than one side of a sheet of paper may be used for the written justifications. Participants are to make recommendations based on the objectives of the landowner as stated on the Field Condition Sheet. An example of a landowner's objectives might be: "I would like to have flickers, cottontails, and robins in the park."

Teams will be provided with a map of the area to be managed, a template to aid in drawing structures and plantings, landowner's objectives, and a list of special considerations (if any). If any of the above are omitted, they are not important to the development of the urban wildlife habitat management plan.

The goals: Teams are to develop a wildlife management plan for an assigned urban or backyard area. The goals are to manage wildlife species or groups on one of the seven categories of urban land. You must work under the environmental conditions of the contest area. At the time of the competition, contest organizers indicate the needs of the landowner for using the area. You should know from information provided at this time whether the wildlife in question is found seasonally or year-round in the area, and you must make management decisions accordingly.

The products: From this phase of the contest, each team will produce a management map with plantings or other management practices and written justifications about each team's management decisions. The map shall be constructed on one sheet of paper, oriented to the site, with features of the landscape drawn to include your management alterations. Each change made to the existing landscape must be justified in writing using simple statements about the benefits of proposed management for the wildlife being considered and how it related to the landowner's objectives. Any major landscape features left unaltered must also be explained. The judges do not assume that you know whether a habitat is acceptable for wildlife in the present state unless you tell them in your written justifications.

Species to consider: (see Table 2)

1. American Robin
2. Butterflies
3. Cottontail
4. Frogs
5. Hummingbird

Part II: Interpreting Aerial Photographs (25 Points)

Part II of the program deals with judging the quality of an area of land--from an aerial photograph--for different wildlife species.

To prepare for Part II of the program, you'll need to have a basic understanding of aerial photographs and how to read them. Imagine how the countryside would look if you were a bird flying over it. If you have flown in an airplane, you know how it looks. The way a bird or pilot sees land is the way it appears on an aerial photograph. For example, a silo appears round, buildings look like squares or rectangles, woods are rough, and fields are smooth.

When you read an aerial photograph, hold it so that shadows of objects fall toward you; otherwise, valleys appear as ridges, and vice versa. All objects are small, but you can determine what they are by comparing their size with the size of a known object. Other clues are tone (shade of gray), shape, and shadow. (The length of shadow indicates the height of an object.) The tone varies with season of the year, so it is important to know when the aerial photographs were made. Most photographs used in the contest will be made by the U.S. government, and the date they were made will often be printed in the upper left-hand corner.

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4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Scorecard

Name________________________________

County_____________________

Check One: Junior_____ Senior_____

Aerial Photograph (25 Points)

Instructions: For each species identified, rate the areas outlined as to their habitat value. List the four areas in order from left to right, starting with the best. Do not consider the potential of the areas, only present quality. Also, do not consider surrounding areas, only the areas within the outline.

_______a. American Kestrel	_______i. Wild Turkey
_______b. American Robin	_______j. Wood Duck
_______c. Brown Thrasher	_______k. Eastern Cottontail
_______d. Eastern Bluebird	_______l. Eastern Gray Squirrel
_______e. Hairy Woodpecker	_______m. White-tailed Deer
_______f. Hummingbird	_______n. Butterflies
_______g. Mourning Dove	_______o. Frogs
_______h. Northern Bobwhite	_______p. Bass/Bluegill

To complete Part II, you will judge the quality of four areas for each wildlife species from photo maps. Then you will list areas in order from best to worst (with the best first), beside each species. This part is scored by use of a Hormel system that takes into account similarities in photographs.

For each species, one species at a time, judge the habitat value of the circled areas. List the numbers of the four areas in order of quality from left to right, starting with the best. Do not consider the area's potential value; consider only its present quality. Also, do not consider surrounding areas. If there is no difference between areas, place parentheses around the numbers, for example (3,4).

Using the four aerial photographs, let's learn how to complete this part of the scorecard.

For American kestrels, the areas would be ranked 3, 2, 4, 1. These birds prefer large open areas in stages 2 and 3 of plant succession interspersed with areas in stages 4, 5, and 6. Area 3 fits this well. Area 2 also supplies this type of habitat, but has less area in stage 2 or 3 of plant succession, therefore it is rated lower than area 2. Area 4 has large open areas, but has little interspersion of other plant succession stages and is ranked third. Area 1 does not have any open areas and thus is ranked last.

Brown thrashers would prefer the areas in the order 3, 2, 1, 4. Thrashers prefer dense shrub thickets. Area 3 supplies the greatest amount of this type of habitat. Area 2 has more area in stage 4 of plant succession than either area 1 or 4. Areas 1 and 4 are difficult to judge. In this instance, we would assume there is more shrub cover associated with the woodland area in Area 1 than what is shown in Area 4.

Bluebirds would prefer the areas in the order 2, 3, 4, 1. They like to nest in tree cavities adjacent to open fields and prefer open fields for feeding.

Doves would prefer the areas in the order 4, 2, 3, 1. Since doves prefer open fields for feeding, this rating order is based on the amount of open fields available.

For cottontails, the area should be rated 3, 2, 4, 1. Area 3 is preferred because it has nearly the proper ratios of habitat components for rabbits (one-third grassland, one-third cropland, and one-third shrub cover), and they are well interspersed (mixed together). Area 2 has less shrub cover than area 3, but it has more habitat variety than area 4. Area 4 is lacking interspersion but has more cropland than Area 1.

For bobwhite quail, the areas would be ranked 3, 2, 4, 1--the same as for rabbits. The reasons are similar in this case. However, in some judging instances, areas may be rated differently for quail than for rabbits. For example, quail do not need quite as much shrub cover as rabbits.

For turkeys, the areas would be listed 2, 1, 3, 4. Turkeys need one-fourth to one-half of their range open, and one-half to three-fourths mature woodland. Area 2 is preferred because it has roughly one-half the area in mature woodlands, and nearly one-fourth the area is open. Area 1 is second, because it is the only one of the remaining areas that meets the hardwood requirement. Area 3 is listed third because it has more timber than Area 4 and more cover in general. However, because of the small amount of hardwood woodland, it is doubtful if either Area 3 or Area 4 could support a turkey population.

For deer the area would be rated 2, 3, 1, 4. Deer prefer woodland areas interspersed with areas in various stages of succession. Area 2 fits this well; it includes three stages. Area 3 is selected over Area 1 because of the variety of succession it offers. Deer prefer this area more than turkey because deer do not require as much mature hardwood woodland as turkey. Area 4 is too open, so Area 1 is listed third, and Area 4 is listed last.

Wood ducks would prefer the order 4, (1, 2), 3. Area 4 has a small pond in the lower left area (seven o'clock). Because areas 1, 2, and 3 have no ponds or streams, there is no difference between them. However, areas 1 and 2 have a dendritic (branchlike) drainage area, but since we cannot see evidence of water we must assume water is not present. Area 3 shows no evidence of ponds or streams.

Bass and bluegill would prefer the areas in the order 4, (1, 2), 3 for the same reasons as listed for wood ducks.

Part III: Identifying Common Wildlife Species And Their Foods (25 Points)

Part III of the program consists of two sections. Section A covers identification of wildlife species native to Alabama. Section B covers common foods eaten by certain groups of wildlife. If you are going to manage wildlife, it's important for you to be able to identify various wildlife species and the foods they commonly eat.

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Section A: Common Wildlife Species (10 Points)

To prepare for this part of the program, you should learn to identify the species listed in Table 3.

Completing The Activity: Identification Of Common Wildlife Species

During Part III (section A) of the program, you'll identify several species of wildlife. The animals may be presented alive or preserved, in a picture, or on a slide or an audio tape.

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Section B: Common Wildlife Foods (15 Points)

To prepare for Part III (section B) of the contest, study Table 4, which lists some common foods eaten by selected wildlife species. Table 4 lists only the foods commonly eaten by wildlife. Under certain circumstances, most wildlife species will eat unusual things.

Here are some other important points to remember about the food preferences of wildlife species.

• All wildlife species in a certain group do not eat all the foods listed for that group. For example, not all turtles eat fruit and not all turtles eat crayfish.
• A certain type of wildlife may not eat all species in a certain food group. For example, deer do not eat tender twigs and leaves from all varieties of trees and shrubs.

The following information about a few of the food categories listed in Table 4 will let you know what to expect when you see these foods during the program.

Aquatic plants may include specimens from the following genera: Sedges (Carex spp.), rushes (Juncus spp. or Scirpus spp.), cattails (Typha spp.), watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spp.), coontail (Ceratophyllum spp.), duckweed (Lemmna spp.), Pondweed (Potomageton spp.), waterweed (Elodia spp.), arrowleaf or duck potato (Sagittaria spp.), water primrose (Ludwegia spp.), and smartweed (Polygynum spp.).

Carrion is stinking, rotten flesh; it is not to be confused with the mammal or bird category. For example, if a bird bone is present (hollow) then it represents the bird category, not carrion. If the item has maggots (insect larvae) in it, consider it as carrion.

Eggs will be vertebrate eggs (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish). Invertebrate eggs (spiders, insects, etc.) will represent the category of the adult invertebrate.

Forbs can be shown with a flower part as part of the plant.

Fruit and berries will be soft, fleshy, pulp-covered seeds (soft mast)

Fungi are mushrooms and lichens.

Grains will be cereal grains, including wheat, oats, rye, barley, rice, and corn. Anything else will be considered a miscellaneous seed (with the exception of fruit and mast).

Mammals may mean any mammal regardless of size. A photograph, live animal, museum mount specimen, or any part thereof represents an animal in this category.

Nectar may be represented by flowers presented by themselves (no other plant parts) or honey (processed nectar).

Nuts may be walnuts, hickory nuts, acorns, beechnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, etc. (hard mast).

Tubers may be peanut, chufa, potato, etc.

Table 3. Selected Wildlife Species

Birds:	Mourning Dove	Reptiles And Amphibians:
Snow Goose	Barn Owl	Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Blue Jay	Eastern Screech Owl	Timber Rattlesnake
Canada Goose	Great Horned Owl	Copperhead
Carolina Chickadee	Barred Owl	Water Moccasin
Wood duck	Ruby-throated Hummingbird	Coral Snake
Tufted Titmouse	Red-headed Woodpecker	Gray Rat Snake
Green wing teal	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Scarlet King Snake
Eastern Bluebird	Pileated Woodpecker	Hognosed Snake
Blue wing teal	Red-cockaded Woodpecker	Green Snake
American Robin	Mammals:	Corn Snake
Mallard	Raccoon	Ring-necked Snake
Cardinal	Opossum	Garter Snake
Northern Pintail	Gray Squirrel	Banded Water Snake
American goldfinch	Fox Squirrel	Alligator
Redhead	Red Fox	Snapping Turtle
Ring-necked duck	Gray Fox	Soft-shelled Turtle
Common Goldeneye	White-tailed Deer	Box Turtle
Hooded Merganser	Bobcat	Green Anole
Ruddy duck	Armadillo	Fence Lizard
Canvasback	Flying Squirrel	Five-lined Skink
Pied-billed grebe	Striped Skunk	Bullfrog
Great Blue Heron	Groundhog	Green Tree Frog
Cattle Egret	Chipmunk	American Toad
Brown Pelican	Beaver	Fish:
Black Vulture	Nutria	Largemouth Bass
Turkey Vulture	Muskrat	Smallmouth Bass
Osprey	Coyote	Spotted Bass
Bald Eagle	Mole	Striped Bass
Red-tailed Hawk	Shrew	Bluegill
American Kestrel	Eastern Cottontail	Shellcracker
Ring-necked Pheasant	Otter	White Crappie
Wild Turkey	Mink	Black Crappie
Northern Bobwhite	Weasel	Channel Catfish
American Woodcock		Alligator Gar
		Green Sunfish

To complete the third part of the scorecard (section B), you'll be asked to identify common wildlife foods. Food items may be shown by pictures, plant parts, growing plants, or preserved or live animals. Using information from Table 4, Wildlife Foods And Their Preference By Selected Wildlife Species, list the numbers of all food items shown to you that the animal might eat.

Remember, if any species in a wildlife group commonly eats any species in one of the food groups shown, list the number of the food groups beside the wildlife group. As an example, let's say that the judge has brought a persimmon with a tag numbered 7. The persimmon is a fruit. So number 7 should be listed beside all wildlife groups that eat fruit whether or not they actually eat persimmons. Now, all species of turtles will not eat fruit, but remember, if any species of turtle eats fruit, number 7 should be listed beside turtle.

This manual has been adapted for Alabama from the National 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Handbook, developed by Colorado State University Cooperative Extension.

For more information, contact your county Extension office. Visit http://www.aces.edu/counties or look in your telephone directory under your county's name to find contact information. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.