Julie Hill, Horticulture Outreach Specialist
(Ongoing) A year-long activity/service for residents of Walworth County to provide research-based answers to their horticulture questions. The goal of this effort is to educate individuals of Walworth County so they can implement best practices in their landscapes that will positively affect the environment and their communities.
- An in-person presentation in collaboration with Milton Public Library where participants learned about proper horticulture practices to provide food resources and decrease/eliminate pesticide use to improve habitat availability for hummingbirds as a Wisconsin pollinator.
- An in-person program in collaboration with Lake Mills Club 55, where participants learned about growing vegetables in containers. The goal of this effort is to increase knowledge, confidence and build skills in gardening for improved yields and to reduce the harmful effects of pesticides.
- An in-person presentation in collaboration with Barrett Memorial Library for consumer horticulture audiences, where participants learned about proper horticulture practices to provide food resources and decrease/eliminate pesticide use to improve habitat availability for Wisconsin pollinators.
- An in-person presentation hosted by Janesville Senior Center, for the general public, where participants learned about integrated pest management to reduce wildlife conflict in a way that supports both garden and ecological balance.
- An in-person program in collaboration with Lake Geneva Public Library where participants learned about home composting. The goal of this effort is to increase knowledge, confidence and build skills in composting, to help mitigate the causes of climate change and to improve the soil health of yards and gardens.
- An in-person presentation in collaboration with Jefferson Public Library where participants learned about proper horticulture practices to provide food resources and decrease/eliminate pesticide use to improve habitat availability for hummingbirds as a Wisconsin pollinator.
- Working with the Environmental Stewardship workgroup in the Extension Horticulture Program, we developed new resources available online and as downloadable handouts. Please see attached for:
- Tips for Hiring a Certified Arborist
- Tips for Hiring a Lawn Care Service
- Coming soon: Making Informed Mosquito Control Decisions and Hiring a Landscaper: A Homeowner’s Guide for Wisconsin
- Registration for the online Foundations in Gardening course is open. This is a completely online, complete at your own pace introductory course to learn key concepts for selecting, growing and maintaining plants. Please see attached or online: https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/foundations-in-gardening/