Browse Environment Stories - Page 9

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, in cooperation with North Carolina State University and other land grant universities, compiled a list of resources to assist the general public, farmers and the food industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While adults and children spend more time at home as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, planting a garden or container garden is a great activity to plan together. It’s outside, active, educational and edible. With some grocery stores taking longer than usual to stock some items, vegetable gardening is a great way to keep your refrigerator stocked.

A study by the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and collaborators at The Nature Conservancy and Washington State University challenges the notion that native bird species only belong in wooded habitats. This study has found that diversified farms are mutually beneficial for producers and native wildlife, creating a system where conservation and production are equal priorities.

Tornadoes and heavy winds blew across Georgia in the early morning hours on April 13, killing eight Georgians, destroying homes, and leaving landscapes littered with downed trees and limbs. Strong weather is common in Georgia this time of year, and so is cleaning up after it, said David Dickens, professor of forest productivity with University of Georgia Cooperative Extension.

Making fewer trips to the grocery store during the COVID-19 emergency means that personal food supplies need to last longer. If you are at a loss for what items to stock up on, use MyPlate, www.choosemyplate.gov, as a guide to help you and add some of these non-perishable (unrefrigerated) food items to your “shelter in” diet.

Each spring, thousands of K-12 students attend environmental education camps at Georgia 4-H facilities across the state. They hold snakes, hike through creeks and marshes, visit historic sites and enjoy nature; all with a goal of learning about the environment. Since the COVID-19 outbreak has public schools closed, school buses parked and Georgians sheltered in place, the Georgia 4-H Environmental Education Program is now being offered virtually.

While there is no evidence that the COVID-19 virus is a food safety concern, it is a worker health concern as it spreads via close person-to-person contact or by contact with contaminated surfaces.

Most vegetable crops in Georgia — such as bell pepper, specialty peppers, tomato, eggplant, cucumber, yellow squash, and zucchini — are currently being planted into early April. These crops should be harvested in May and June; however, in light of the current coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, Georgia growers, who rely on seasonal workers, need to plan ahead to be prepared for the harvest.

The U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS have extended the deadline for filing and paying 2019 income tax liability three months — from April 15 to July 15.

More than 1,500 fourth, fifth and sixth graders will now have the opportunity to participate in Georgia 4-H’s first Virtual Cloverleaf Project Achievement contest. Last year, more than 3,700 youth participated in Cloverleaf Project Achievement contests. Due to recent developments, five competitions around the state will now take place in an online format. While 13 in-person competitions were originally scheduled, area contestants in Bacon, Douglas, Emanuel, Houston and Jackson counties will now have the opportunity to participate virtually.