Washoe County Office

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A message from Holly Gatzke, your Northern Area Director

Welcome to Extension in Washoe County. Washoe County is situated from the north end of Lake Tahoe to the Oregon border and contains the growing and innovative cities of Reno and Sparks. I am proud to be a part of a team that enthusiastically teaches life skills to people throughout the county. Our Extension team teaches healthy lifestyles, reading skills, youth development (including 4-H), safety from radon and wildfire, horticulture (gardening and landscaping), and leadership in Washoe County.

Please drop by and learn more about what Extension has to offer you and your whole family.

Learn more about Holly

Washoe County Personnel Directory

4955 Energy Way, Reno, Nevada 89502
Phone: 775-784-4848
Fax: 775-784-4881

Master Gardeners

Phone: 775-336-0265
Email: mastergardeners@unce.unr.edu
Master Gardeners Web Page

Washoe 4-H Program

Phone: 775-336-0236
Email: sarahc@unr.edu
Washoe County 4-H Web Page

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Featured Programs

Green Industry Training

A workforce development program to train green industry professionals, who receive continuing education units for pesticide applicator, ISA-certified arborist and Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper

Weed Warriors Invasive Weed Training

The Weed Warriors program tackles the growing problem of weeds on public and private land.

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management program is a long-term management strategy that uses a combination of tactics to reduce pests to tolerable levels with potentially lower costs for the pest manager and minimal effect on the environment.

Two women read a book with a little girl at a Family Storyteller workshop

Family Storyteller Literacy Program

National award-winning Family Storyteller is a literacy program aimed at encouraging and training parents to play a vital role in the literacy development of their children. The statewide program creates an opportunity for parents and young children to interact around literacy and language activities.

Grow Yourself Healthy

Grow Yourself Healthy works with students at Libby Booth Elementary School and Mariposa Academy in Washoe County to increase their willingness to taste new fruits and vegetables, overall consumption of vegetables, and physical activity. The program also aims to decrease their screen time and consumption of sugary drinks.

Commercial Landscape Horticulture

Classes offer training for green industry workers, including some bilingual classes, on how to landscape in the Nevada desert

To see a complete list of programs being conducted by Washoe County

Upcoming Events

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Looking for a quality and fun youth development experience? Join Nevada 4-H!

Our 4-H Program, for youth ages 5 to 19, is community-centered, research-based and designed to promote life-skills development. It offers youth opportunities in communications, leadership, career development, citizenship, healthy living, science, technology, engineering, math and more. Our office can help you to find or start a local 4-H club or program that's right for you. We look forward to working with and serving you!

Learn more about 4-H

Excerpts for our latest newsletter

To open the newsletter content hover over the edition below and click.

October 2020 Edition

Nevada 4-H offering late summer and fall activities

Extension aims to keep youth engaged and learning despite COVID-19 restrictions

Claudene Wharton

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nevada 4-H Youth Development Program has developed a variety of activities to continue to engage 4-H youth throughout the state as the school year begins and fall draws near.

“People are accustomed to us kicking off various 4-H programs around the beginning of the traditional school year, and despite COVID-19, we are still getting a lot of inquiries about afterschool programs, as well as clubs and other 4-H activities,” explained Carrie Stark, Nevada 4-H Program director with Extension. “Our staff and volunteers are working incredibly hard to constantly build and adapt programs to serve our youth, as COVID-related restrictions are a bouncing ball, changing regularly.”

Explore the activities

Extension creating beekeeping educational program for southern Nevada

Hives installed at demonstration orchard now producing honey

Hannah Alfaro

The beehives hosted at the Center for Urban Water Conservation are producing fresh honey and educational opportunities. Photo by M.L. Robinson, Extension.

The Center for Urban Water Conservation, a collaborative demonstration orchard between Extension and University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is creating a beekeeping program for the local community.

M.L. Robinson, an assistant professor and horticulture specialist with Extension, is overseeing the program and developing educational materials and resources.

The ultimate goal is to have training classes for anyone in the community interested in beekeeping. The program will teach participants the entire process of beekeeping, including setting up the hives, upkeep of the hives and bees, and harvesting. The Center has already used these hives to train veterinarians and assistants on working with bees, and volunteers are excited to extend that knowledge to the local community.

Read the KTNV News Story

Expanding knowledge for Nevada

"We want to make sure that those interested in beekeeping have the opportunity to learn this skill. This program is a great learning opportunity, and it’s always exciting to have fresh local honey on hand as well." -Associate Professor & Extension Specialist M.L. Robinson

Meet M.L.

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Extension educator brings health and nutrition to Laughlin programs

Hayley Maio joins Extension to develop programs for youth and seniors

Hannah Alfaro

Extension Educator Hayley Maio plans to introduce health programs to Laughlin. Photo by Hayley Maio, Extension.

Extension is excited to welcome Hayley Maio to the office in southern Clark County - Laughlin as an Extension educator.

As an educator, Maio will be focusing on program development in Laughlin, including the development of health and nutrition programs for both Extension’s Nevada 4-H Youth Development Program and seniors in the community. Although COVID-19 restrictions have temporarily halted most of the in-person activities for these groups, Maio hopes to set up new programs that will be offered in the near future. Her goal, since accessibility to affordable and fresh food is limited for some in Laughlin, is to bring affordable and easily accessible healthy living, nutrition and exercise programs to the community’s youth and elderly.

“I love working with Extension because I want to make a positive impact with everyone I come in contact with, and I believe this is the best place to make that happen,” Maio said. “I want to make sure that, through the programs we’re offering, we can help individuals become the best versions of themselves.”

Expanding health and nutrition for Nevada

"Hayley brings enthusiasm and excitement to southern Clark County, and we look forward to the expansion of programs she is developing." -Extension Southern Area Director Eric Killian

Meet Hayley

Support her work

New endowment grows University agriculture research

Alpers Family Trust establishes research endowment to support student success, Nevada agriculture

Tim Alpers ’71. Photo courtesy of Tim Alpers.

Established by the Alpers Family Trust in March 2020, this endowment will provide support for our College.

Tim Alpers ’71 received his degree in agriculture, specializing in renewable natural resources. He also minored in business administration and was a member of the Wolf Pack freshmen basketball team in the 1966-67 season.

The strong educational foundation Tim received while attending the University helped him achieve his goals to develop a state-of-the-art wilderness trout farm in Mammoth Lakes, California; become an NCAA Division 1 college basketball coach; and serve as a local elected official for 14 years.

Through this endowment, Tim and his wife, Pam, want to help ensure as many students as possible have superior educational opportunities while maintaining agriculture’s vitality.

Building a legacy with the power to change lives

When you create an endowment, you build a permanent resource that makes a difference now and for generations to come.

Meet with Mitch about giving

Make a donation online

Washoe County Related News Articles, Fact Sheets, Reports...


*Community instructor earns University award, citizenship* Extension's Lizeth Ramirez-Barroeta, a University classified employee of the month, was sworn in as a U.S. citizen Andrews, A. 2019, Nevada Today
*How to Complete a Community Wildfire Protection Plan for Washoe County Communities* A Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) describes the wildfire hazards and mitigation measures for a community. Completing and implementing a CWPP is an important means for residents of Washoe County’s wildfire-prone areas to address the wildfire threat. Smith, E., Sistare, S., Nejedlo, G. 2013, Extension \| University of Nevada, Reno, SP-13-06
*Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Intake with Reservation and Off-reservation Kindergarten Students in Nevada.* Emm, S., Harris, J., Halterman, J., Chvilicek, S., & Bishop, C. 2019, Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 9(B), 1-10.
*Make Your Home a Great Place to Play* The many forms of play enrich a child’s brain, body and life in important ways, and STEM in the early years makes a difference in children’s lives. Any time, even this time of coronavirus, can be the right time to make time for STEM. All families can learn more about STEM at home. Ramirez-Barroeta, L., and Andrews, A. 2020, Extension \| University of Nevada, Reno
*Towards wine grape (Vitis vinifera) vineyard establishment in Northern Nevada: varietal studies in the dry desert climate.* J. Evans, E.A.R. Tattersall, W. Johnson, and G.R. Cramer 2005, NAES publication #51055382
*Washoe County 4-H Market Livestock Record Book* 4-H Record Book form for Market Livestock Project. Writable PDF. For tracking weight gain, feed use, expenses and revenue. Plus lessons learned during process. Mitchell, S. 2020, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno
*Washoe County Radon Information \| 2020 National Radon Action Month* Get a FREE radon test kit and attend a free radon education presentation in Washoe County during National Radon Action Month. Howe, S 2019, Extension \| University of Nevada, Reno. IP
*Washoe County Radon Potential Map - 2018* Use this map to find out the potential of radon exposure in Washoe County homes. Howe, S. 2019, Extension \| University of Nevada, Reno. IP
*Washoe County Radon Potential Map for the Reno area - 2019* Use this map to find out the potential of radon exposure in Washoe County (Reno area) homes. Howe, S. 2019, Extension \| University of Nevada, Reno.

County Reports


*Washoe County Extension Annual Report \| July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020* Washoe County Extension Annual Report \| July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020 Gatzke, H. 2020, Extension \| University of Nevada, Reno, County Report FYI 2020
*Washoe County Extension Annual Report \| July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019* Washoe County Extension Annual Report \| July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019 Gatzke, H. 2019, Extension \| University of Nevada, Reno

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Washoe County

A message from Holly Gatzke, your Northern Area Director