Creating Outreach Materials on Environmental and Sustainability Topics

• Megan Murtaugh, Material Science, University of Delaware

• Jennifer Volk, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Delaware

A crucial part of creating a healthy and sustainable environment is spreading knowledge and resources amongst communities. As an intern for the University of Delaware’s Cooperative Extension program, my main focus was on outreach and creating materials for University students, as well as local Delaware communities.

This summer, I focused on creating resourceful fact sheets for the community. With the help of my mentor, Dr. Jennifer Volk, I was able to create six informational documents to share online. By researching topics and using a provided template that ensures final documents are accessible, I created fact sheets to provide readers with a baseline education on sustainable topics and directs them to additional resources. Fact sheets were shared with subject matter experts to review and provide feedback. Once completed, fact sheets were posted on the Extension website: www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/canr/cooperative-extension/fact-sheets/ 

In addition to writing articles, I visited a 4-H camp in early June to teach kids about rising sea levels as a result of climate, and also discussed water quality and watersheds. And, I helped run the Cooperative Extension table at the Delaware State Fair for a day, teaching the public about agriculture, 4-H, and Cooperative Extension. My research on Fast Fashion has led me to a possible collaboration with Phoenix Used Clothing; a program supplying clothing receptacles across Delaware to properly recycle usable, and unusable clothing garments.