MEXICO, New York (March 5, 2008) - According to the American Heritage Dictionary ecology is defined as, “The science of the relationships between organisms and their environments.” When applied to the Human Ecology program of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Oswego County, the term embraces the many relationships individuals have to lifestyle, nutrition and health.

            “When people hear about the Human Ecology program they are often unsure of what we do,” said Cornell Cooperative Extension Human Ecology Coordinator Cindy Walsh. “It’s a broad spectrum of education and services. A collaboration with other area agencies and organizations that focus specifically on our environment, human development, and life skills.”

            Nutrition and health are some of the primary components of Human Ecology at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Oswego County. Through the Eat Smart New York (ESNY) Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension provides nutritional education to those participating in the state’s Food Stamp Program.

            “We educate people about the relationships between health and basic nutrition and how they can make positive choices on limited budgets,” Walsh said.

            Proper food storage techniques, nutritional value and food preparation are all a part of the program. Cornell Cooperative Extension also teaches participants how to connect with other community services to better meet their needs.

            “For those in certain situations, it is not always easy to find the services needed,” Walsh said. “We help facilitate a connection between people and the services that are available across the community.”

            The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is also part of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Human Ecology portfolio. EFNEP focuses on individuals with children and teaches through a series of six to 12 lessons delivered one-on-one. The program focuses on those who are 185% or lower than the national poverty index.

            “We teach people how to prepare easy, low-cost meals,” Walsh said. “And, we teach them how shop smart and stretch their food dollars. We also show them how to keep their food safe, plan for balanced diets and how to read package labels.”

            EFNEP also provides a program for prenatal nutrition called Project Stork. This program consists of educational mailers and follow-up calls to discuss the information. The food pyramid, foods for a healthy pregnancy, folic acid, vitamins A and C and healthy habits are all presented within the program.

            The program also participates and facilitates enrollment into state programs such as Child and Family Health Plus and programs like Partnerships after Separation and Divorce that teach parenting skills.

            The Human Ecology Department also focuses on food and nutrition with several different programs.

            “In our Human Ecology program we have three educational goals: Health, safety and nutrition,” CCE Executive Director Paul A. Forestiere II said. “Not only do we teach individuals about smart food and nutrition choices on a personal and family level, but we also educate businesses on nutritional value and healthy ways to prepare food. In today’s environment more and more restaurants are developing healthy menus for customers looking for alternative dietary choices and we can help business’ meet these new market demands.”

            All of these programs and services are possible as a result of the relationships Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County has established with many local organizations, healthcare providers and educational institutions.

            One important community group Cornell Cooperative Extension participates with is the Nutrition Collaborative of Oswego County. The collaborative includes other regional organizations such as: Oswego County Opportunities Senior Services, OCC WIC Program, the Oswego County Office for the Aging, the Child Care Council, several local school lunch directors and other local food pantries.

            “Our relationship with our surroundings and environment is all part of human ecology, but just as important is our relationships with other agencies,” Walsh said. “Without those partnerships it would be more difficult to find those individuals who need our services the most and have the quality of service we maintain every day. Many of these services have a defined target audience and working with other organizations allows us to reach out to these specific groups that would be difficult to reach otherwise.”

            Although the overall mission of Human Ecology can be difficult to understand at first, Forestiere, said it all comes down to education, which is the core mission of Cornell Cooperative Extension.

            Cornell Cooperative Extension is a key outreach system of Cornell University with a strong public mission and an extensive local presence that is responsive to needs in New York communities. The Cornell Cooperative Extension educational system enables people to improve their lives and communities through partnerships that put experience and research knowledge to work.

If you would to learn more about the Oswego Country Human Ecology program you can contact Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County at (315) 963-7286, or visit http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/oswego