My Hair My Health PDX!

by Adejoke Babatunde

Carmen Pettiford (503 Portland Sliders), Symiria Brown (503 Portland Sliders), Pam Reynolds, Olivia Beasley (503 Portland Sliders)

The Third Annual My Hair My Health PDX! event brought together over 130 participants to promote healthy eating and physical activity, and to encourage African American women and their supporters to celebrate beauty and wellness from the inside out. OSU Extension Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Extension SNAP-Ed program were just two of the sponsors of the event held September 7 in Northeast Portland.

The program included a session titled “Generational Healing” with a panel discussion on historical trauma and how it can negatively impact families,

communities and individuals. Panelists discussed how this particular form of trauma is passed down and its long-term effects on African American families. Another panel discussion was held after the screening of the film My Nappy Roots: A Journey Through Black Hair-itage. Read the full story here.

Each month, Metro Connection introduces a member of our Extension Citizen Advisory Network (RECAN). Members of RECAN learn about Extension work and share their knowledge of the community and its priorities to help Extension examine the work we are doing and help use local partnerships to reach and serve local communities. We are grateful for their time, ideas and service as Extension advocates.

We'd like you to meet Luis Nava!

By Stephanie Haugen

Luis with preschool children from Play and Learn Together teaching science (STEM) in Aloha this summer.

If there’s one word to describe Luis Nava it’s passionate. Nava waves his hands and speaks intensely when asked about education, family and giving back to the United States - and he never seems to run out of energy for these three areas of his life.

Originally from Peru where he lived in fear of violence and a volatile economy, Nava immigrated to the United States decades ago to raise his family. In America, he gathers every Sunday for mass and lunch with 40 members of his extended family, including his wife, four children and four grandchildren. They pray together, catch up, and video chat with family members in other states and countries. Read the full story on Luis here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

4-H sponsors Career and College Readiness Program

Teens in grades 9-12 are invited to join this free program to help prepare for life after high school.

See the flyer here.

Teen Science Caf é fun for grades 7 - 12

Join us the last Sunday of each month from 3:30 to 5 p.m. (except December) to explore our world together. Engage with STEM professionals through hands on activities. From marine biologists, animal scientists, chemists, engineers, food scientists and many more. You come up with topics!

See the flyer here and register online for each caf é. For speaker and location information go to Facebook page @ORTeenScienceCafe.



Biochar Workshop October 18 and 19

Learn how charred biomass (biochar) can increase soil productivity, reduce wildfire risk, and slow climate change. Biochar consultant Kelpie Wilson will provide a history and science of biochar followed by a full-day interactive demonstration of how to make biochar from your burn piles using a simple “flame cap kiln.” She will also share methods for using biochar in compost and in animal barns to recover nutrients for use in soil. This workshop is open to anyone curious about biochar, including arborists, foresters, natural resource professionals, farmers, and residents. This is a free, two-day workshop that includes hands-on activities. You have the option to sign up for just one of the workshop days if that’s what best suits your schedule. See details here.

Emerging Voices in Forestry

Sunday, October 20 at Cheatham Hall, World Forestry Center

1 to 5 p.m., doors open at noon

Advance Registration required; $10

The World Forestry Center and Society of American Foresters invite you to join them for the fourth annual Hagenstein Lectures. We are honored to introduce you to our Emerging Voices in Forestry – all under the age of 45.

 

Welcome these new leaders working at the forefront of social, economic, and environmental change. Join us and meet them in person and enjoy craft beer, wine, food, new friends, provocative ideas, great conversation.



National Youth Science Day

Middle school students are welcome to join us Friday, November 1 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Washington County Extension office to gain skills in computational thinking, programming, and computer software design. Sign up here! Space is limited.

Creating a pollinator hedgerow

We’re putting in a demonstration pollinator hedgerow at the Matteson Demonstration Forest and we need your help! Come learn how you can design a hedgerow to provide pollinator habitat on your rural property. Then grab a shovel and help us plant ours!

 

Saturday, November 2 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Matteson Demonstration Forest, Gaston

Register here or call Sonia, 503-397-3462

 

Rain or shine. Children age 10 and over are welcome. See the flyer here .

This event is co-sponsored by the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District.



Virginia Garcia October calendar

Click here to see the latest events at the Virginia Garcia Health Center.

NEWSLETTERS

Portland area Master Naturalist

Catch the latest Nature in the News as well as events and learning opportunities going on in the Metro area. Read the full newsletter here.

Fall Tall Timber Topics newsletter

Tall Timber Topics is a newsletter for those interested in Forestry, Woodland management and Christmas trees in Northwest Oregon. Read their full fall newsletter here.

GARDENING

Grow with the OSU Extension Service Master Gardeners ^TM !

Registration for 2020 training begins in November.



Are you passionate about gardening? Do you want to get the real dirt on tried-and-true gardening

practices? Yes, then OSU Extension Master Gardener™ training is for you!

Registration opens next month for the 2020 Master Gardener training program. Training takes place in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties.

Classes begin the last week of January 2020 and consist of a combination of in-person classes, online content, and hands-on workshops, followed by 50 hours of volunteer service as a community educator.

Find more information and register here.



Seize some seeds from the garden for planting next year

As the gardening season winds down and you pick the season’s last vegetables let some plants go to seed and harvest them for planting next year.“Saving seed can be really fun and is a great way to learn about plants,” said Weston Miller, a horticulturist with Oregon State University Extension Service. “If you choose the right types of vegetables, you can keep them going year after year without buying them again.”



The key to saving seed is selecting open-pollinated or heirloom plants, which produce offspring with the same traits. Hybrids are bred from two different varieties for characteristics like disease resistance or higher yield and won’t come “true to type” in the next generation. Check seed packets or catalog information so that you know which you are buying. See full article here.

Fall is the best time to plant garlic

This quick video gives you all the information re!

RECIPES

This month we are celebrating fall with

Curried Pumpkin Soup .

Spice up your evening with this lovely soup. Richly flavored and healthy- it is sure to be a fall favorite! See the recipe here .

Food Hero is your go-to site for quick, tasty, healthy recipes and helpful tips. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, you'll find something new for your family to enjoy . Visit the Food Hero website today!

Emergency Preparedness Topic:

MNEMONICS

A mnemonic is a device, such as a formula or rhyme, used as an aid in remembering. It is a word or string which is intended to be easier to remember than the thing it stands for. Learn more about mnemonics and how they help here!

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