Natural Resources & Environmental Management Programs

Natural Resources and Environmental Management Programs

As part of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension’s support for its base program in natural resources, Elaine led a state Task Force, formed in fall of 1994, to consider program development needs “to broaden the concept of–and strengthen its commitment to–natural resources and environmental management.”

Natural Resources and Environmental Management (NREM) is one of seven core program themes for both national and Wisconsin Cooperative Extension efforts. These seven core themes are known as “base programs” and underlie annual programming efforts. Strategic planning with county partners helps to identify special initiatives to be pursued by Extension faculty and staff in addition to continued work on base programs. Task Force findings serve to advise Cooperative Extension about base program development and were integrated in work towards 1996-1999 strategic initiatives.

Task Force efforts resulted in identification of an NREM mission and goals which are intended to guide the work of Cooperative Extension faculty and staff and form the basis for program marketing. An analysis of 1994 program efforts, lectures about trends in Wisconsin natural resource management, discussions among Task Force members, and review of key trends by 1996 CNRED inservice participants helped identify: primary topics to be considered for NREM programs, program subtopics, and ultimately program gaps and recommendations about programming in this area.

A Power Point presentation addresses the role of the Extension educator – as convener, program designer, facilitator, information provider, or technical expert – based on behavior change research, paired with guidance from evaluation techniques, the Engaged University, learning theory, transformational education, and community-based education.