MSU Extension Fall Extension Conference

Tuesday, Sept. 26 from 2:30-5:30 p.m.
(Concurrent with Breakout Sessions 1 and 2)

Birds of a Feather Flock Together

Join us for a walking tour of campus to look for migrating songbirds and other avian species. Bring binoculars if you have them and wear comfortable shoes. No prior bird knowledge necessary.

This tour will involve quite a bit of walking, so plan accordingly.

Botany Walking Tour

Botany walk with Dr. Tyler Bassett. Beal Garden and the floodplain of the Red Cedar will give us some options and lots to discuss (mission of the garden, ecology of the floodplain, etc.)

This tour will involve quite a bit of walking, so plan accordingly.

Discover Campus Sustainability Efforts 

MSU is recognized as a driving force in global sustainability and climate change. Every day, MSU Spartans work to create life-changing solutions for a better world. With state-of-the-art research and technology, MSU is making great strides at reducing campus waste. As one of the nation’s top five sustainable campuses, sustainability is an embedded culture. Take an enlightening tour through several sustainability programs on campus. The first stop will take you to the MSU Surplus Store and Recycling Center where you will learn how more than 50 percent of the waste on campus is being diverted from landfills. Then, visit the Bailey Greenhouse, a passive solar greenhouse (also known as a hoophouse) intended for the production of certified organic produce and several student projects including vermicomposting, urban farm production and management, sustainable agriculture and season extension, collaboration with campus dining, agricultural education, apiculture, and collaboration with MSU’s first student-run business, Land Grant Goods. The final stop will take you into Brody Square to learn more about food waste management. 

Explore the Wonders of Nature: Plants, Bugs and Creepy Crawlers

A place where children, plants, bugs and imaginations all come together. This tour was designed for the young at heart. Start off at the MSU Bug House, where your tour guide will introduce you to the fascinating world of insects. Take the chance to see, touch or even hold some real creepy crawlers! Head over to the MSU Children’s Garden to gain a greater understanding of plants and the role they play in our daily lives. Learn how the gardens can nurture a child’s imagination and curiosity. The garden is a perfect place to learn about horticulture, as it allows hands-on exploration along with several interactive activities. 

From Honey to Hoophouses

Do you like learning about innovative agriculture? Join us for a tour of the MSU Pollinator Performance Center and the MSU Student Organic Farm. MSU Extension Educator Ana Heck will discuss honey bees and honey production with the opportunity to sample locally produced honey. The tour will then move to the Student Organic Farm to visit manager Darby Anderson. You will learn how students interact with the space, its permaculture installation, and how its six hoop houses provide four seasons of growing to nourish students through MSU dining halls.

Out of this World: MSU FRIB Tour

If you have a love of science, this is the tour for you. Take a trip through the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory and learn what happens in a rare isotope facility and why. See demonstrations, hear an introduction to the goals and methods of nuclear science, and take a walk-through vaults where nuclei are accelerated, filtered and/or studied. Then, participate in a hands-on activity.

Closed toed shoes are required for this tour.

Sensory Adventures

Tour participants will visit the MSU Food Sensory Lab to learn about product sensory evaluation, sensory panel training, etc. and the MSU Fermentation Lab to participate in an educational craft beverage tasting.

Service Project: Greater Lansing Food Bank Garden Project

Join this hands-on workshop and travel to the Greater Lansing Food Bank to get your hands dirty volunteering in the Garden Project. The Greater Lansing Food Bank Garden Project supports nearly 90 community gardens (covering over 30 collective acres of growing space!) and over 500, income-eligible home gardeners within a 7-county region in mid-Michigan. The Garden Project works to help gardeners, at any stage and in any circumstance, grow their own food. This workshop on the move will include weeding and mulching garden paths and perimeters, general garden clean up, among other tasks. The Garden Project will provide all necessary tools and equipment. Volunteers should wear garden appropriate clothing and closed toed shoes, and should bring any food, drinks or insect protection needed.

Walking With Purpose

Take a stroll through Michigan State University’s beautiful and historic campus, located on 5,200 acres. Spend your time enjoying the crisp fall air, beautiful fall colors and all the beautiful and notable sights across campus. This self-guided tou, focuses on the campus hotspots. Partner up or go it alone, but walk with a purpose as you tour the campus.  Along your journey, be sure to snap photos of our favorite destinations and share them on the Fall Extension Conference mobile app (not required). This self-guided tour will take approximately 90 minutes. Prepare accordingly and bring your walking shoes.