Author Archives: jec3@cornell.edu

Dan Olmstead starts as NEWA Coordinator Jan 1, 2017

We are very pleased to announce that Dan Olmstead has been hired for the full time NEWA Coordinator position …for the entire network!  Ring in the New Year!!  Dan will start in his Extension Associate position as NEWA Coordinator in the NY State Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program on January 1, 2017.  Officially his first day will be January 3rd, since Cornell University will be closed for the Holidays until then.

Dan has a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from Nazareth College, Rochester, NY.  He has 15 years experience using open source (QGIS) and proprietary (ArcGIS) platforms and graduate-level training in design and use of geographic information systems. He received the first place award for GIS posters at a Rochester, NY conference and has created numerous GIS-based maps and figures for peer-reviewed publications.

His Master of Science degree is in Entomology from Cornell University, which he achieved in a short four years—while working full time as a Research Support Specialist on Insect Ecology and Vegetable Pest Management!  His MS thesis research was on corn earworm and titled New perspectives on the management of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in United States sweet corn: implications for 21st century production and IPM tactics.

The topic of his interview seminar was European corn borer, titled European corn borer and the evolution of insect pest forecasting, which is recorded on WebEx’ streaming recording link:
https://cornell.webex.com/cornell/ldr.php?RCID=90f5312bc304e107e4b5897393cd6c0b.  His seminar provides some really interesting insights on insect development, climate change, and day length. Plus, he provides an overview of his experience and vision for the position.

Dan stated in his application, “I am very excited about this position when I consider my experience, your needs and the future potential it holds not only for myself, but for the New York State IPM Program and all the stakeholders that utilize NEWA and its management tools” (emphasis added). That means You!

Please join me in welcoming Dan Olmstead to the position of NEWA Coordinator!

Juliet Carroll, Leader of NEWA and Fruit IPM Coordinator, NYS IPM Program

National Forum on Climate and Pests, Oct 4-6

Next week in Washington DC and streamed online, The National Forum on Climate and Pests on October 4–6, 2016 will bring invited experts together in front of a live Internet audience to speak about the latest climate change science and pest research.

What can studies about climate tell us?
How are pests responding?
What will these changes mean for
homeowners, forestry, and agriculture?

These questions (and more) will guide the dialogue of the forum. The forum will discuss commonalities, identify gaps in knowledge, and initiate strategic planning.

You can participate in this forum online October 4 and 5. For more information, please see the National Forum on Climate and Pests website (http://neipmc.org/go/nfcp) and the program agenda. Join the email list to get the online link to the live streaming event, which starts at 1:00 pm (EST) on Tuesday, October 4 and continues Wednesday, October 5.

— Here’s what’s in store online on Tuesday October 4 and Wednesday October 5 —agendatues-wed

nationalforumoct2016This event is being organized by the Northeastern IPM Center in cooperation with Regional IPM Centers, National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, Regional Climate Hubs, the American Society of Agronomy, and the Cornell Institute for Climate Change and Agriculture, with funding from the USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

2016 Drought Survey – NY & Northeast

Got drought issues on your farm? Help us collect regional information on the 2016 drought so we can help you be better prepared in the future. Fill out the 2016 Drought Survey.

This summer we have experienced a period of lower than average rainfall combined with higher than average temperatures that has led to a drought of moderate to unprecedented severity in New York and much of the Northeast. Learn more about monthly precipitation and this year’s drought on the Northeast Regional Climate Center, on You’re NEWA, and on Cornell Climate Change. “There is no unique climate change signature to this drought.  It is largely an unlucky sequence of events…

A 2016 drought survey is being conducted and we need your input. The survey is online, has 15 questions and should take only 5-15 minutes to complete. If your crops and irrigation water have been affected by this year’s drought, please help us help you by filling out the survey. Please go to the following link:  https://cornell.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9FDNwygyIV07kXP to access and complete the survey.

At this critical time, the survey seeks information on regional impacts and how you are coping with this situation. Our goal is for growers and those institutions and industries that support growers to be better prepared for drought in the future.  If your farm is affected by the current drought, but you are outside of New York State, please include the state in your answer to question 1. Where is your farm located (nearest town, and county(ies))?

This research is being conducted by NatureNet Science Postdoctoral Fellow Shannan Sweet and Professor David Wolfe as part of their larger project on New York State water resources and agriculture.

Thanks for your help!

Questions or comments? Contact: Shannan Sweet (sks289@cornell.edu; 607-255-8641) or David Wolfe (dww5@cornell.edu; 607-255-7888)

For more details on the 2016 drought see: http://climatechange.cornell.edu/drought-takes-its-toll/


This post was contributed by Shannan Sweet, Postdoctoral Fellow, Horticulture Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, sks289@cornell.edu.