University of Alaska offices remain closed, but Cooperative Extension is still reaching out to Alaskans with a mix of distance-delivery programs, from making a sourdough starter to composting.
We’re still working and answering the questions you have. A list of free upcoming workshops and activities for the next two weeks includes:
Gardening and agriculture
Gina Dionne of the Anchorage Outreach Center will lead a one-hour session at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, on creative container gardening. Sign up here for the Zoom session.
In the Virtual Garden with Cooperative Extension meets every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. with 30 minutes of gardening information hosted by the Anchorage Outreach Center. May programs emphasize flowers. The May 13 event is Perfect Perennials and on May 20, it’s Fabulous Flower Garden Design. Register at https://bit.ly/AOC_ITVGCES.
Jodie Anderson of the Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center will lead a session on composting from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, May 14. She will give you “just enough of the science to help you become dangerous and even successful by looking at composting from the biological and chemical perspective.” Register here.
Food preservation and foods
Juneau agent Sarah Lewis will teach A Cultured Brunch: Making Sourdough and Yogurt and Cooking with Sourdough from 7-9 p.m. May 16 and 10 a.m.-noon May 17. Register for the two-part class at https://bit.ly/culturedbrunch.
Jodie Anderson of the Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center will teach the ins and outs of grilling in Grilling While You’re Chilling, at 6 p.m. May 21. She will cook a pork shoulder steak and a Cornish game hen and share grilling tips. Register here for this Third Thursday event.
Health
The Anchorage Movement Culture will meet via Zoom every Wednesday in May from 3- 3:30 p.m. The featured activity for May is Dynamic Stretch, a family-friendly program that is great for people of all ages and fitness levels. These gentle movements are fun and will increase mobility, decrease pain, and will invigorate. Register at https://AnchorageMovementClub for the link and information on how to join.
Other workshops
Ann Biddle and Jodie Anderson of the Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center will host Walkabout Wednesdays: Citizen Science Opportunities from Home at 2:15 p.m. Wednesdays during May. Join them on Facebook Live from the farm’s page here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/matanuskaexperimentfarm/events/. They promise “nerdy science tidbits you can take part in from home.”
Steve Brown, an intrepid Mat-Su agriculture agent and mountain climber, will lead a four-week Mountain Madness series on his climbs, which begins with Denali at 6 p.m. May 13. Register for the Zoom. He travels to Mexico for the May 20 presentation on climbing Pico de Orizaba. Here’s the registration for that session.
The Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center will host a Zoom class on foraging at 6 p.m. May 19. Stay tuned for the registration link at https://www.facebook.com/pg/matanuskaexperimentfarm/events/.
And, if you are a knitter or want to be, consider Anchorage Extension’s Warm Up Virtual Knit-along Fridays from 10:30-11 a.m. Each class session will include a brief review of the basics and time for hands-on instruction. Log in at https://alaska.zoom.us/j/448560894.
Publications
Although our offices aren’t open, hundreds of our publications are free and remain available online. If you’re planning a garden, “16 Easy Steps to Gardening in Alaska” is a good place to start. The publication provides tips on planting and growing individual vegetables and includes a chart with recommended plant dates. “Raised Bed Gardening” also provides information on that style of gardening. Search our publications database for other topics.
We also have over 100 educational videos on our YouTube channel. Topics include gardening, money management, food preservation and more!
Kids activities
Our 4-H group has put together ideas for kids’ activities, our Learn By Doing at Home Series with great ideas for kids activities including, yoga, letter writing and watercolor painting.
Learn the FUNdamentals of Zumba fitness Thursdays at 2 p.m. on Zoom, through May 28. Zumba instructor Reina Hasting will lead these family-friendly sessions. Register in advance here.
This spring is all about 4-H Citizen Science in Alaska! There are lots of great opportunities to learn, get outside, and be a part of something greater than ourselves. Please check out the 4-H website, alaska4h.org/citizen-science.html, to find projects to join, technology apps to play with outside and books to read.
This month, 4-H would like to highlight two fantastic activities to keep you busy as you explore outside in our beautiful Alaska spring weather. NASA’s GLOBE program (globe.gov)and the GLOBE Observer app. (observer.globe.gov). You can measure clouds, trees, mosquitoes, and land cover from the comfort of your personal space. Then upload your data into a world-wide database for scientists, researchers, and educators to use for predictions, teaching and problem solving.
The Alaska 4-H Facebook page is highlighting activities from 4-H youth around the state.
