1)  Kiowa County Extension Back in Business in Greensburg

GREENSBURG, Kan. -- Pam Muntz and Carmen Stauth are in the “help” business, and now their office in tornado-ravaged Greensburg, Kan., is back in business too.

Muntz is the director and the family and consumer sciences agent for Kiowa County’s K-State Research and Extension office. Stauth is the county’s agricultural and natural resources agent. Along with office professional Barbara Wingfield, they have served Kiowa’s citizens for years, providing free and low-cost programs on such topics as proper nutrition for children, improving agricultural producers’ competitive advantage to cattle herd health, and many others.

But the May 4th tornado that struck Greensburg heavily damaged the Kiowa County Courthouse where the Extension office was housed and destroyed Muntz’s home. Stauth’s home was left intact, but some of her family members who weren’t so fortunate have moved in with her family.

After being temporarily moved to Mullinville, the K-State Research and Extension Kiowa County office is now in a temporary office facility in Greensburg on the courthouse square. The office, which the Extension staff is sharing with the Kiowa County Health Department and the Office of Emergency Management, is expected to be housed in the double-wide trailer for about two years.

The address for the office is Kiowa County Extension Office, Courthouse, 211 E. Florida, Greensburg, Kan. 67054. The telephone number is 620-723-2156 and the fax number is 620-723-3223.  

 

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2)  Kansas’ Climatologist Explains What Determines Heat Index

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- When the temperature rises and the air begins to feel heavy, talk often turns to the “heat index.” But what exactly is that?

“The heat index is a combination of the temperature and relative humidity,” said Mary Knapp, who is the climatologist for Kansas. “It is an attempt to indicate how we perceive the outdoor environment. The higher the temperature and relative humidity, the higher the heat index.”

Because the human body cools itself through evaporation, factors that slow evaporation reduce the effectiveness of its natural cooling system. When the air’s humidity is high, the body’s cooling system has to work harder to maintain a desirable temperature level, explained Knapp, who heads the Weather Data Library based at Kansas State University.

“That’s why you often hear the phrase, ‘It’s not the heat; it’s the humidity,’” she said.

At 105 degrees F and 30 percent humidity, the heat index would be 114 degrees.  But, at 105 degrees F and only 10 percent humidity (as might be seen in the desert Southwest), the heat index is just 100 degrees -- cooler than the actual air temperature, Knapp said.

Knapp’s Weather Wonders audio reports are available on the K-State Research and Extension Kansas Radio Network Web site at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/radio/wxwonders.htm. Information about Kansas weather is available on the Kansas Weather Data Library Web site: http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/wdl/.



 

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3)  Fencing Can Make Livestock Producers Good Neighbors for Riparian Plants

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Sheep and goats can do more harm than cattle when browsing next to streams, rivers and lakes.

The reason isn’t their rubbing or sharp hooves. Rather, it’s that sheep and goats actually like woody plants – even when more tender greenery also is available for grazing, said Deborah Goard, watershed forester with the Kansas Forest Service.

But, any livestock’s unrestricted grazing will soon damage water resources, Goard said. Runoff rates, soil erosion and water pollution will increase. Bank instability and soil compaction may result, too.

“A good, healthy mix of trees, shrubs and grasses is an essential component of riparian areas that protect both land and water,” she said. “Trees are the major component that stabilize banks.

“If livestock do little more than destroy the ground cover, however, the shoreline won’t be able to trap and filter out sediments, nutrients, chemicals and bacteria. It won’t do much to slow down runoff or flooding, either, or to recharge the local aquifer.”

This doesn’t mean livestock producers must not use riparian areas for grazing or watering.

“Landowners just need to develop pasture management systems that take riparian areas into account,” the forester said. “Fencing is just one of the ways they can limit the damage to riparian plants and soils by controlling where and when livestock graze, drink and cross streams.”

Goard’s recently completed publication named “Fencing” is part of a new series: “Riparian Forest Buffer Best Management Practices.” It is available on the Kansas Forest Service Web site: (http://www.kansasforests.org/riparian/best_managment.shtml ) and at any county or district Kansas State University Research and Extension office.



 

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4)  Risk of Poison Ivy Exposure High and Growing

JUNCTION CITY, Kan. – This growing season’s rather damp beginning in the central High Plains is fostering rampant weedy vines – including poison ivy.

“In late May, female poison ivy plants produce flowers, too, which soon become berries that the birds love. That means new ‘plantings’ will soon be showing up all over the area,” said Chuck Otte, natural resources agent with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

Health experts estimate two-thirds of the population is susceptible to poison ivy’s sap. It holds an oily toxicant that causes reactions ranging from an itchy inflammation to a severe rash with water blisters.

“But, humans’ susceptibility can change – often gradually, but sometimes as a surprise after years of being ‘immune.’ So, always acting as if you’re at least somewhat sensitive is smart,” Otte said.

The sap easily becomes available for human touch every time a leaf, stem or other poison ivy part is bruised, torn or chewed. The clear fluid turns sooty black after just a few hours’ exposure to air.

Otte warned that the toxic oil in that fluid can remain active for years.

“It can spread on pet fur, clothing, tool handles, gloves – even steering wheels,” he said.

The only solid clue that a plant may be poison ivy is compound leaves, each with three leaflets. These “leaves of three” can be glossy or dull and 1 inch to 4 inches long. Their edges are often smooth but can be toothed or lobed. Leaf shape and shade of green can vary, too – sometimes on the same plant, Otte said.

The plant prefers damp shade with trees, shrubs and other vines. Yet, it can grow alone in full sun.

“Just to keep things interesting, poison ivy also can be a small to large shrub, a low-growing groundcover, or an aggressive vine that attaches itself to trees with lots of hairy aerial roots. The vine can grow more than 50 feet long,” he said. “Perhaps the oddest form I’ve seen in Kansas was growing on a fenceline as a solid shrub – 50 feet long and 12 feet tall. From a distance, it looked like a plum thicket.”



 

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5) Walking Trail Makes Exercise Fun

JUNCTION CITY, KAN. – By creating a walking trail on the prairie, the Kansas 4-H Foundation hoped to encourage visitors at the Rock Springs 4-H Center to enjoy health-promoting physical activity – and promote trail development and physical activity in their community, said Gordon Hibbard, Foundation president.

The picturesque quarter-mile trail highlights Kansas’ landscape, with a mix of native grasses (Indian, Big Bluestem, Little Bluestem and Switch Grass) and a wooded area with Native Sycamore, Bur Oak and Hackberry trees.

Why a quarter-mile walking trail?

“The compact trail has a moderate rolling terrain, which makes it interesting, but not difficult,” Hibbard said. “People who are in the habit of exercising can make several loops, while others, who might like to add physical activity, can start slowly and increase activity gradually.”

Message boards placed along the trail offer health tips and trivia, such as “Be active – have more energy.” “If walking a quarter mile burns 60 calories, how many quarter miles will it take to burn the calories in a 360-calorie milkshake?”

Some, like “Have you ever seen an overweight wild animal?” may bring a chuckle or two but still promote healthy physical activity because in nature the pursuit of food typically requires physical activity.

The new walking trail, completed with help from Kansas Sunflower Foundation and dedicated June 15, is named the Sunflower Walking Trail.

For more information on the health-promoting project, contact Hibbard at 785-532-5881.