Island
Shoreline hardening moves to the front burner of the Island County WSU Beach Watchers. With(endangered species) listings of salmon and other coastal species, the shoreline and nearshore habitat areas have become important areas to preserve. Through a grant program, the WSU Beach Watchers intertidal monitoring team developed a monitoring protocol that could be used by volunteers to map shoreline hardening. The project focused on engaging other volunteer organizations in the process of developing the protocol and its eventual use. The Beach Watchers tested the protocol. After mapping approximately 160 miles of shoreline, they learned that Island County, the sixth most densely populated county in Washington, had only 80% of its shoreline in its natural state. This new data will help planning departments and public decision-makers better understand the cumulative effects of shoreline hardening, leading to better regulations and management of shoreline alteration permits. This WSU Beach Watchers work provides a forewarning of the impact of shoreline hardening effects on forage fish habitat, a critical issue that impacts the salmon and bottom fish recovery.
King
King County is the twelfth most populated county in the country with over 1.6 million people. In this urban county, agriculture and horticulture programs provide the foundation for many adult and youth education programs. Agriculture and natural resource faculty and staff collaborate with producers, natural resource managers, county government, retailers and chefs to develop, implement, and support innovative production and marketing initiatives, including Puget Sound Fresh, a campaign supporting the purchase of locally produced agricultural products. Rural and urban 4-H programs promote and use agriculture and natural resource management projects to teach youth life skills. Consumer and family living programs use community gardens to assist limited resource audiences with food production and assimilation into the community. Urban horticulture and Master Gardener programs promote natural resource management within the urban environment through year-round clinics and classroom presentations in public and private schools. Sixteen hundred volunteers provide the equivalent of 59 full-time staff, valued at $1.3 million, based on a wage rate of $12 per hour.
Kitsap
Volunteers donate thousands of hours in Kitsap County by sharing skills and knowledge through WSU Cooperative Extension train-the-trainer programs. One hundred ninety-seven Master Gardeners bring community horticulture knowledge to adults and youth in 32 projects, by providing workshops, demonstration gardens, and school programs. Eighty-six food advisors staff a food safety hotline and conduct clinics at grocery stores and the Kitsap County Fair answering hundreds of food safety questions from the public. Family Nutrition Education, a new program to Kitsap County, is building community opportunities and expanding current programs for low income families. 4-H leaders are focusing on developing life skills when working with 752 4-H club members as a result of leader training and a broad-based Super Saturday conference. Extension programs reach 1427 youth beyond the club programs, bringing life skill development in special projects at parks, schools and community events.
Pierce
The Sewing and Stitchery Expo, sponsored by WSU Cooperative Extension in Pierce County, is recognized nationally as the largest and most comprehensive consumer education trade show for the sewing industry in the United States. The Expo brings the industry’s experts to the Northwest and provides an atmosphere where participants can further their clothing and textile knowledge and consider small business options. Nearly 30,000 people attended the 1999 Sewing and Stitchery Expo. There were 200 exhibitors in 300 booth spaces, 88 daily seminars and hands-on workshops, 7 daily style shows, a kids’ sewing area, and an opportunity to sew a Comfort Cap® for breast cancer patients. More than 200 Clothing and Textile Advisor master volunteers participate in the Expo management and 4-H members show their projects through a daily style show. Sewing industry leaders such as McCalls Pattern Company®, Viking Inc.®, Bernina of America®, Pfaff®, Elna®, Janome America®, Baby Lock®, and many others participate in this international event.
San Juan
WSU Cooperative Extension in San Juan County has joined with the local campus of Skagit Valley College (SVC) to deliver higher education programs to their island communities. A new county extension office and community education room were built recently and dedicated with funding from WSU, SVC and San Juan County. The new facility is located within the local community college campus in Friday Harbor. The facility will also be part of a new WSU Learning Center that will be developed in three counties in cooperation with Skagit Valley College. The new learning center was recently authorized by the state legislature.
Skagit
The Skagit Valley Harvest Celebration attracted 2000 people to 11 featured farms. Dozens of Extension volunteers, including Master Gardeners, Livestock advisors, Master Food Preservers, and 4-H leaders and members provided many services that day. County government awarded a $2,000 grant to Cooperative Extension staff to design and host the event. The county allocated additional funds for year 2000, so this will become an annual educational event.
The WSU Extension Livestock Advisor (ELA) program, now in its 16th year, has trained more than 650 producers in all western Washington counties to extend their knowledge and experience to thousands of small-scale livestock and horse owners. Many conservation district employees, animal control officers, farm store employees and veterinary technicians have attended and benefitted from the training. Since 1983, seven livestock advisors have gone on to college or returned for graduate degrees. Several other states now incorporate ELA aspects into their educational programs.
Snohomish
Seniors and youth are working together in a unique, intergenerational computer-training program known as “Computer for the Ages.” 4-H youth sought opportunities to improve their computer skills when area senior citizens wanted a computer facility and training to learn computer basics. Cooperative Extension brought volunteers together from each group to develop a joint computer lab and educational program. 4-H youth upgraded donated computers, the senior center contributed furniture and a printer, the county donated space and wiring, the local Rotary Club funded a network server, and WSU hooked up Internet service. During the past 20 months more than 500 seniors have completed computer-related classes. Voice recognition software and other amenities for disabled students were added through a grant. The 4-H club has grown from 10 to 70 youth. The program won an award sponsored by the Partnerships Forum of the Human Services Council of Snohomish County.
Whatcom
Cooperative Extension has a number of important multi-jurisdictional water resource management efforts underway. These deal with watershed planning; protection of Lake Whatcom, the drinking water supply for 85,000 residents; and restoring closed shellfish beds. To assist public awareness and involvement, Cooperative Extension has created and maintained Internet sites for each of these community efforts:
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