Rutgers 4th Annual Training Showcase, which helps state businesses connect to millions of dollars available in state grant funds for employee training, will be held on July 21 on the New Brunswick campus. Hosted by the Rutgers Workforce Development Unit (WDU), part of NJAES Office of Continuing Professional Education, this free event provides prospective New […]
N.J. white oak – one of the oldest in the county – reportedly may be dying
Even before there was a Basking Ridge, NJ, there was the oak tree. George Washington picnicked in its shade. Gen. Jean Baptist de Rochambeau and allied French troops marched past it on the way to the Battle of Yorktown, Va. Thirty five Revolutionary War veterans are buried beneath its branches… “We had great hopes,” Pastor Dennis Jones told the Post. “All eyes were on the tree to see how it would green.” When it didn’t last month, when even more of its upper branches stayed bare, other experts were consulted. They tested the soil, probed the tree’s roots, checked for beetles and disease. Jason Grabosky, an ecologist at Rutgers University, inspected the tree in mid-June and declared it to be “in a spiral of decline.”
Learn how rain gardens cut costs and reduce runoff on tour of sites in Summit, Springfield, Clark, Rahway and Mountainside
Members of the public have a unique opportunity to see the benefits of rain gardens, porous pavements and other examples of green infrastructure, by joining a half-day bus tour of sustainable landscaping at five sites in Summit, Springfield, Clark, Rah…
Perth Amboy partners with Rutgers in hopes to enhance park
Richard Alomar has a vision for Rudyk Park: Flee markets, barbecues, exercise stations… The 54-year-old Rutgers assistant professor in landscape architecture has been working on-and-off for three months with two others in the hopes of not only making the municipality’s northeast side park bigger, but also making it more accessible. “This would be a great way to expand the park,” Alomar said, pointing to diagrams of the proposed expansion of the area, which currently consists of a playground, a baseball and soccer field and basketball courts.
In Memoriam: Professor and Extension Specialist George Wulster (1949-2016)
George Wulster, professor and extension specialist in floriculture in the Department of Plant Biology and Pathology at Rutgers, died on June 14 at the age of 66. A resident of Lebanon, NJ, he retired after 36 years at Rutgers as a professor emeritus in January 2014. Wulster received his Ph.D. in post-harvest physiology from Rutgers […]
Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Atlantic County has Added 18 New Master Gardeners
The NJ Agricultural Experiment Station and Rutgers Cooperative Extension announce the addition of 18 new Master Gardeners to its Atlantic County program. These Master Gardeners have completed 60 hours of intensive classroom instruction and will fulfill 85 volunteer hours over the coming year. The Rutgers Master Gardeners of Atlantic County spearhead over a dozen educational […]
Somerset County 4-H Sends 3 Members to National 4-H Citizenship Conference
Three Somerset County 4-H members will travel to the nation’s capital to represent New Jersey at the 2016 Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) Conference… “The conference provides opportunities for young people to identify individual citizenship rights and responsibilities; identify issues facing youth and explore causes and possible solutions; establish communication with law makers; witness government in action; and develop a personal citizenship action plan” said Lisa Rothenburger, Somerset County 4-H Agent.
Ethel A. Jacobsen First-Graders Harvest Garlic Scapes From Schoolyard Garden
It’s spring harvest time at the Ethel A. Jacobsen Elementary School garden in Surf City. Last week Joanne Kinsey, Family and Community Health Sciences educator at the Cooperative Extension of Ocean and Atlantic Counties, Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, joined the school’s first-graders and teachers Sarah Esarey and Kelly Turner to harvest garlic scapes – for eating and for learning… After experiencing the outdoor classroom firsthand, Kinsey remarked, “The kids were fantastic and really enjoyed working in the garden and tasting the garlic scape pasta. I totally enjoyed the entire experience, the pasta was delicious, and I hope to be invited back again.”
Lindley G. Cook 4-H Camp Holds Annual Spring Family Weekend
The Lindley G. Cook 4-H Camp held its Spring Family Weekend on May 20-22, giving summer campers (and their parents who wish they could be summer campers) an opportunity to spend a weekend together having fun. “One of the goals of this weekend is to provide the opportunity for brand new families to get introduced […]
Fight is on against Zika virus although outbreak unlikely
Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties occupy a combined area of nearly 1,500 square miles, yet officials are on the hunt for predators that could fit inside the palm of one’s hand… “We’re working on getting [an answer]… More than likely, an infected person was set upon by mosquitoes in a tropical area. Those mosquitoes then went about spreading it,” explained Scott Crans, senior program coordinator at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES), who also teaches mosquito biology.
