If you’ve got any leftover blood to spare after being visited by the vampires on Halloween, consider donating it to a good cause at the CTAHR Blood Drive coming up on Tuesday, November 19! It runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (not 3:30, as indicated on flyer), and it’s in QLC 411/412. Donors will receive thank you gifts, food, and other treats at the blood drive, plus the satisfaction of knowing theyʻve helped to save a life.

Failing memory, disorientation, and the other symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s can be as hard on family members and other loved ones as they are on those with the disease. Michael Cheang, associate professor at Human Development and Family Studies, will present a workshop on different strategies to communicate more effectively with elders who have Alzheimer’s disease and explain similarities and differences between dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Feel like getting your hands in the soil and learning useful skills while you’re at it? Volunteers are needed to assist with fieldwork for a soil science project at UHM focusing on root competition between Pacific Island crops. Volunteers will be trained in root coring, biomass analysis, and other field techniques—a great opportunity for students who are interested in plant and soil science and are looking for more hands-on experience and technical training.

The Friends of the Family student club of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences hosted a booth at the 26th annual Children and Youth Day on the grounds of the Hawaii State Capitol. An estimated 50,000 people attended this free event for Hawai‘i’s families. The Friends of the Family members shared dehydration-prevention methods with children and parents and engaged the keiki in drawing pictures of how they stay hydrated every day.

A meeting of researchers in Koon-Hui Wangʻs (PEPS) multistate project on “Plant-Parasitic Nematode Management as a Component of Sustainable Soil Health Programs in Horticultural and Field Crop Production Systems” drew participants from California, Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, and West Virginia to discuss research and outreach activities relating to plant-parasitic nematode management and soil health enhancement.