Master Gardeners and friends hold educational festival
Jillian Patrie was one of many community members to lend a hand planting seeds and native pollinator gardens at Gooseberry Park in Moorhead. Not only did she dig her hands into the soil, but as the leader of local Extension Master Gardeners, she also took on a major role in organizing the Fargo-Moorhead event called Flutter Fest.
The day also featured pollinator story time with Sydney Stock, guitar songs about bugs by Bill Thomas, pollinator face painting (bumble bees and butterflies!) with PiKadilly, creating a home for native bees with Extension’s Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, a tree walk-and-talk with Alec Miller and invasive buckthorn removal led by Siham Amedy — a necessary activity made enjoyable in the presence of friends and neighbors.
Highlights
- RSDP impact: With support from a CERTs Seed Grant, the Lake Agassiz Habitat for Humanity improved the energy efficiency of the HVAC system within the ReStore/Habitat office building, which was built in 1964. The 18,000-square-foot building serves about 17,000 customers a year.
- 4-H in Clay County prepared youth for 4-H officer roles, whether they were new to the roles or wanted more advanced training. Discussions were led with hands-on activities to train and practice the various leadership roles.
- People don’t have to be mental health professionals to support friends, neighbors and colleagues in times of need. But they may not know how. Extension helped bridge this gap by providing in-person Changing Our Mental and Emotional Trajectory (COMET) training in Moorhead.
- U of M Farm Family of the Year: The Olson family
- Master Naturalist volunteers participated in National Public Lands Day with Riverkeepers in Moorhead. This annual event of the National Environmental Education Foundation promotes enjoyment and volunteer conservation of public lands.
- SuperShelf locations: A Place for Hope: Recovery and Wellness Center, Dorothy Day Food Pantry, Moorhead
- With technical assistance from CERTs, Moorhead has seven Solar for Schools projects completed or underway.
Clay County office
Extension has 14 regional offices supporting all 87 counties in Minnesota.
Clay County partners with Extension to deliver practical education and research you can use at home, at work and in your community. More about Extension in our county.
About the Minnesota 87 project
Spend time in any Minnesota county, and you will almost certainly encounter University of Minnesota Extension. Our faculty and staff, volunteers, participants, alumni and partners are woven into the fabric of rural, urban and suburban Minnesota life. This project showcases Extension in action through photos, stories and a sampling of the many ways Extension has touched the lives of people in every county.