ANNIE SCHLECHTER
24.07.2023 - 12:11 / hgic.clemson.edu
Prediabetes is a growing problem in the United States. In South Carolina alone, 31.2 percent of adults have prediabetes. Having prediabetes, or blood sugar levels higher than normal, can put you at an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Other risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes include:
Although we cannot control certain risk factors such as family history, race, or age, there are some things like weight and activity that can be controlled.
Did you know that making healthy lifestyle changes and losing 5-7% of your weight can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent?
The Diabetes Prevention Program seeks to help you make healthy lifestyle changes and lose 5-7 percent of your starting weight to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.
Throughout this program, you will learn about healthy eating, physical activity, stress management, coping with negative thoughts, and how to get support while making healthy lifestyle changes. Not only will you get educational content, but you will also get a chance to navigate challenges to implement these changes in your life. For each of the 27 sessions, you will meet with a Health Extension Agent and other members of your group to learn about the week’s topic and get support.
To participate, you must be at least 18 years old and have never been diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
Join the program today to learn more about healthy lifestyle changes to help lower your risk for type 2 diabetes! Sign up for free here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/diabetes-prevention-program-online-tickets-109222158416.
Check out some of our other programs to learn more about making healthy, sustainable lifestyle changes:
Review these resources for more information
ANNIE SCHLECHTER
Soil provides nutrients for plants as well as millions of microorganisms. However, this only applies if the soil is healthy. Soil conservation is the movement to keep soil healthy, fertile and productive, as well as protecting it from erosion and deterioration. Learn about different methods of soil conservation here.
No other plant native to South Carolina has such fragrant and beautiful spring blooms and stunning fall color as the witch-alders. Fothergilla was named after Dr. John Fothergill, an English physician and gardener who funded the travels of John Bartram through the Carolinas in the 1700’s. These beautiful shrubs have been planted in both American and English gardens for over 200 years, including gardens of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, is a popular celebration in the United States, due to the number of Americans, 10.5%, with Irish heritage. One million Irish emigrated to North America, Australia, or other parts of Great Britain in the mid-1800s because of the potato disease now known as late blight. Late blight, caused by the water mold, Phytophthora infestans, destroyed the Irish potato crops in 1845 through 1849 and caused the Irish Potato Famine. Another one million people died from hunger or disease.
Florida pusley is a low-branching, annual summer weed. Its pretty, white, star-shaped flowers produce an abundance of seeds, and a single plant can quickly turn into an infestation. This weed is extremely drought tolerant and can easily out compete lawns that are not irrigated during extended dry weather conditions.
Virginia creeper is a native North American, deciduous vine, which can easily climb 30 feet or higher. Its tendrils end in oval shaped disks that adhere to surfaces and can damage stucco, the mortar between bricks, and painted surfaces. This highly adaptable plant grows in full sun to full shade. Grown as a groundcover, it can provide erosion control on slopes. Virginia creeper is very drought tolerant and a vigorous grower. To control the spread of this somewhat aggressive vine, prune, mow, or weed whack in the spring.
Virginia copperleaf is a tall, branched summer annual that can grow three feet tall. It takes its name from the copper colored leaves of its late summer color. This weed is a North American native that is found from Maine to Georgia and as far west as Texas and north to South Dakota. It is a member of the spurge family and is poisonous, but it does not have the milky sap that is typical of other family members. The simple leaves are oppositely arranged on the stems when the plant is a young seedling, but they change to an alternate arrangement as the weed matures.
The study of native plants, the ecosystems of South Carolina, and sustainable landscaping practices form the focus of the South Carolina Native Plant Certificate Program. A partnership between the South Carolina Native Plant Society and the South Carolina Botanical Garden, this program gives participants insight into South Carolina’s rich and complex botanical heritage, and offers ways to bolster the states’ biodiversity. This program began in July 2015, and to-date over 300 participants from all over the state, from all walks of life, and of all different ages, have enrolled in the program.
2020 Master Gardener Training Course registration is OPEN
“Passion is lifted from the earth itself by the muddy hands of the young; it travels along grass-stained sleeves to the heart. If we are going to save environmentalism and the environment, we must also save an endangered indicator species: the child in nature.” Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
Garden Sprouts is a program I run at the South Carolina Botanical Garden that is designed for preschoolers and caregivers. This class takes place once a week for three months every spring and fall. The goal is to share age-appropriate nature-based activities with children, who are mostly three to five years old, but sometimes younger or older. Over time I have learned the caregivers also learn things they never knew, enjoy the activities immensely, and are able to connect more deeply to the natural world through this program. The structure of this hour-long program is three-fold, we begin inside with a book related to the theme of the day, a walk or outdoor activity, and finally a craft. In this blog, I would like to share some of the books, outdoor activities, and crafts we have done in this class.
Clemson University’s Cooperative Extension Service is proud to offer a brand new program to the citizens of South Carolina! Many landscape professionals, whether in the private industry, grounds-maintenance, or employed by government agencies, are in constant need of good training resources for themselves and their employees. Many homeowners also want to know that their landscape operators/providers have the skill set necessary to deliver consistent, high-quality service.