News Stories - Page 59

The staff at the University of Georgia's J. Phil Campbell Sr. Research and Education Center will host their annual corn boil and farm tour on June 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tours of the farm will be followed by a community corn boil. CAES News
Research Farms Open House
Athens-area residents familiar with driving past two University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences research farms will soon have the opportunity to go behind the scenes and learn more about CAES’ role in the future of farming.
Clockwise from left, four UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences students — Therese “Tess” Thompson, Lydia Griffin, James “Thomas” Maddox and Kirsten Flinn — were selected as Ratcliffe Scholars in 2021-22, and each has participated in life-changing immersive learning experiences. CAES News
Ratcliffe Scholars
In a world filled with screens and devices, the world is virtually at our fingertips each second of every day. It is easy to look at pictures and videos of places you would like to visit, watch live streaming of events happening around the globe, connect with other cultures or perspectives in a chat box, or even learn a new skill by simply donning a pair of virtual reality goggles. But one method of learning remains unmatched in educational quality — hands-on, experiential learning.
Members of the Elite Radon Team install a radon mitigation system at a house in Athens. CAES News
Test home for radon
The leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers is radon, a naturally occurring, odorless gas that is common to much of Georgia. Radon claims 21,000 lives annually, including around 800 in Georgia.
A woman walks on one of the paths in Calhoun County. (Submitted photo) CAES News
Healthier Together
In many rural Georgia communities, there are few safe routes, away from high-traffic areas, that allow opportunities for physical activity. Without this infrastructure, walking in the community can be unsafe and difficult.
On a seven-acre research site in Plains, Georgia, where former President Jimmy Carter’s family used to grow peanuts and soybeans now sits a solar farm of more than 3,800 panels. UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences researchers are testing wildflowers like red clover (pictured) planted among the panels to measure habitat success over several seasons. CAES News
Biodiversity on Solar Farms
As solar farms pop up across the U.S., researchers at the University of Georgia are working to improve the biodiversity on solar sites as part of a larger, multidisciplinary research program designed to support both sustainable energy and ecosystem health.
UGA students talk with Georgia residents via a virtual connection in the Charles Schwab Financial Planning Center on campus. CAES News
Free tax prep aids Georgians
University of Georgia students contributed to an estimated $4.4 million economic impact on the state from services provided through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program this year.
solitary oak leafminer damage CAES News
Solitary Oak Leafminer
“What’s wrong with the leaves of my oak tree? Is my tree dying?” Over the past several weeks, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offices across north Georgia have been flooded with calls from residents asking about their oak trees. Whether white, red or chestnut oaks, the question has been the same.
The University of Georgia’s 2022 Boren Scholars include, front row, Sydney Buchanan and Natalie Navarrete and, back row, Moriah Thomas, Leah Whitmoyer and Neely McCommons. Not pictured are Robert Fox, Lauren Harvey and Dana Newman. (Photo by Stephanie Schupska) CAES News
Boren Awards
With a record number of eight undergraduates selected as Boren Scholars this spring, the University of Georgia ranks third in the nation on the list of top-performing institutions for Boren Scholarships for 2022. These students will receive funding to study critical languages abroad in exchange for a year of federal service.
According to Georgia Organics, “Land Steward award winners not only foster a better environment through the soil, but through their larger community through leadership, education, and outreach.” CAES News
Land Steward Award
For nearly three decades, Juan Carlos Díaz-Pérez has been contributing to the field of sustainable vegetable production, focusing on organic agriculture as a professor in the University of Georgia Department of Horticulture. This month, Georgia Organics is recognizing his work with the 2022 Land Steward Award.