For more than a year, Federation meetings have included one item on the agenda consistently: spray drone demonstration by Li. Farmers across the state have benefitted from his one-of-a-kind research and his real-time updates on results and findings. His drone presentations and on-farm research have helped farmers across commodities harness innovative technology for crop protection.
Baldwin County Master Environmental Educator Lessons
Volunteer instructors travel throughout Baldwin County to public and private schools to present environmental lessons for 2nd – 12th grades.
The Water Cycle: (2nd-3rd grade) Students will see a “rainstorm” in the classroom. After seeing the demonstration, they will be able to identify the three forms of water
(solid, liquid, and gas) and the relationship between surface water and groundwater.
Backyard Wildlife Habitat: (2nd-5th grade) Students will discuss why the population of animals and their habitats are declining and why we should be concerned. Students will identify three things that are essential to a backyard wildlife habitat.
Recycling: (3rd-12th grade) Students learn about solid waste disposal in the county as well as the importance of recycling and composting to reduce the amount of waste in landfills. They discuss concepts like packaging, decomposition and renewable resources.
Groundwater Pollution: (3rd-12th grade) By observing a groundwater model, students will see how water moves through an underground aquifer. The use of colored dyes allows students to visualize the effects of pollutants on groundwater.
Invasive Plant Species: (6th-12th grade) Students will identify the impacts of invasive plants, describe ways to prevent their spread and differentiate between native and invasive plants.
Alabama Water Watch: (6th-12th grade) Students will be introduced to the Alabama Water Watch citizen volunteer water quality program. They will learn how to make visual observations about water quality and how to test physical and chemical characteristics of water to determine pollution sources and long-term trends in water quality.
Stormwater Pollution: (6th-12th grade) Through the use of a watershed model, students will observe the effects of stormwater pollution on water quality. Students will discuss point and nonpoint sources of pollution, the effects on our local waters and preventative actions they can take to create a clean water future for generations to come.
Energy: (4th-12th grade) Students will discover why it is important to use renewable energy sources instead of nonrenewable energy sources. Students will discuss ways to conserve energy.
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Through a network of county offices, urban centers, diagnostic labs, and more, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System has a friendly face in all 67 counties, ready to serve you. You can think of a county office as your frontline access to the county and statewide resources that Alabama Extension offers. These resources include educational materials on a variety of topics, in-person programs and activities and even connections to other supporting institutions. No matter your issue or question, there is someone in a county Extension office that can help find the answer.
One of the best examples of this type of help can be found in Morgan County. When you walk through the doors of the Morgan County Extension office, you will meet the friendly face of Norma Gardner, the administrative support associate for the office. With her signature smile and warm personality, she is there to welcome you and help you find what you are looking for. For Gardner, she said her calling is service. She loves having the opportunity to help people in her community and welcome them to the office.
A Friendly Face in Every County
No matter where you go, whether it is a county office, research center, or any other Extension location, you will meet a friendly face, eager to help answer your questions.
- 67 county offices
- 3 satellite offices
- 9 urban centers
- 3 diagnostic labs
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In the News
September’s Grow More, Give More Harvest of the Month is squash! Find growing instructions as well as yummy recipes that use squash below.
Garden Series Card
Recipes
Find other Grow More, Give More Harvests of the Month at www.aces.edu/go/growmore.
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System congratulates Steve Li on his recognition from the Alabama Farmers Federation as the 2023 recipient of the Rittenour Award for Production Agriculture & Forestry Research. This award recognizes Auburn University faculty for creative research. Li is an associate professor in the Auburn University College of Agriculture and an Alabama Extension weed specialist. He received $10,000 from the Alabama Farmers Agriculture Foundation.
Alabama Farmers Federation President Jimmy Parnell said the Federation was honored to present the Rittenour award to an innovative and outstanding agriculturalist.
“Our farmers need professionals like Dr. Li on their side,” Parnell said. “They have implemented new technology, techniques and field days that have helped improve numerous farmers’ bottom lines.”
“I appreciate it very much,” Li said. “I don’t help people for a return. I wasn’t expecting anything, but this is a pleasant surprise. And I think it’s great to know people appreciate what we do.”
More Information
This is the fifth annual Rittenour award. Read more from the Farmers Federation in their news release.
Find other ACES Accolades at www.aces.edu/go/ACESAccolades.