If you’ve ever got advice on caring for your landscape from a Master Gardener, enrolled your child in a 4-H Youth Development Program, or picked up a Living With Fire handout on how to prepare your home for the threat of wildfire, you’ve interacted with Extension, a unit of University of Nevada, Reno that is engaged in communities across the state, presenting research-based knowledge to address critical community needs.

Periodically, Extension conducts surveys, or “needs assessments,” to get direct input at the community level on what programming is needed. Extension has launched a survey to assess needs in 12 Northern Nevada counties, and is asking citizens to go online to participate by Jan. 31.

“We really want to hear from our stakeholders, whether it’s families, teachers, businesses or local officials,” said Abbey Pike, Extension’s coordinator in Washoe County. “Needs and challenges are constantly changing and evolving. This is an opportunity for everyone to have their voices heard, and for us to step back and take a look at what our priority areas of programming should be over the next several years.”

Extension is unique in that it is a county-state-federal partnership with offices and programs throughout the state charged with providing needs-based, practical education to people, businesses and communities. It’s housed in the University’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources, as many of its programming areas overlap with that college’s areas of focus. Extension’s programming spans the fields of agriculture and horticulture, health and nutrition, natural resources, personal and family development, and community development.

For this particular survey, Extension is focused on obtaining input from residents in northern Nevada counties, including Carson City, Churchill, Elko, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lyon, Mineral, Pershing, Storey, Washoe and White Pine. Participants will have the chance to enter a drawing for one of the available $50 gift cards in each county.

Pike says Extension county leaders will analyze the survey responses, interview key stakeholders and review previous evaluations to determine the most urgent needs in each county. These findings will help guide Extension’s efforts to deliver programs that can have the most impact to strengthen Nevada communities. Email Pike or your local Extension office for more information.