Natrona County Extension

🍂 Fall is here, and it’s the perfect time to get outside! 🍁

Crisp air, colorful leaves, cozy traditions...what’s not to love? Fall gives us plenty of reasons to slow down, step outside, and enjoy a little more time with the people and places around us.

Whether you’re heading out for a family adventure, taking a walk on your own, or simply finding a quiet spot to enjoy the changing leaves, spending time outdoors can be good for your body, mind, and connections with others. 💛

And the best part? You don’t have to choose between wellness and fun! From seasonal activities to favorite fall traditions, there are lots of simple ways to enjoy the season while giving yourself a little boost along the way.

🍁 Get outside
🎃 Enjoy a fall tradition
🥾 Try something new
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Make memories with family and friends
🍂 Take a little time to simply enjoy the season

Check out our tips and resources for making the most of fall outdoors. Because sometimes the best way to enjoy the season is simply to get out there and soak it all in! 🍂🥾🎃

Fall Outdoor Activities for Health, Family Fun, and Wellness Enjoy the benefits of being outdoors this fall with simple activities that boost wellness, encourage connection, and make the most of the season.

🎃🍫 Pumpkin + chocolate + buttery crumbs...need we say more?

If you’re the kind of person who doubles the chocolate chips in pumpkin bread and believes there’s no such thing as too much streusel on coffee cake, this Pumpkin Crumb Cake is calling your name!

A tender layer of spiced pumpkin cake is topped with a generous blanket of buttery chocolate crumbs and finished with a sweet glaze. And the best part? The crumbs bring a bold chocolate flavor without making this recipe complicated.

There are three parts—crumbs, cake, and glaze—but everything comes together quickly and no mixer is needed!

Grab a fork (and probably a few napkins 😉) and enjoy a little pumpkin-season deliciousness. 🎃🍂

Chocolate-Pumpkin Crumb Cake If you love the combination of pumpkin and chocolate, you’ll adore this pumpkin crumb cake. Atop a thin layer of spiced pumpkin cake lays a heavy blanket of buttery crumbs with a bold chocolate flavor.

🎃 October is pumpkin season! 🎃

Whether you’re a pumpkin pie fan, can’t resist a pumpkin-spiced latte, love cute fall décor, or prefer a spooky jack-o’-lantern, pumpkins are definitely having their moment when autumn arrives!

But how much do you really know about pumpkins? 🤔

We’ve pulled together some helpful information on how to select pumpkins, how to grow and harvest them, and the best ways to store them at home.

And because we know you’re wondering...we’ve also answered some common pumpkin questions:

🎃 What exactly is a pumpkin?
🥫 What is canned pumpkin actually made from?
🍂 What is pumpkin spice?

Take a look and become a little more pumpkin savvy this fall! 🎃🍁

All about Pumpkins October is pumpkin season! Whether its pumpkin pie or pumpkin spiced lattes, cute décor or scary jack-o-lanterns, many of us enjoy pumpkins when autumn arrives. Below is information on how to select pupmkings, as well as how to grow, harvest, and store pumpkins at home. Answers to common pumpkin qu...

Looking for the queen bee? 👑🐝

Start by looking for the bee with the long, tapered abdomen that extends past her folded wings. Her back has a smooth, often darker shield and is usually less hairy than a worker bee.

She is longer than the other bees, but her slender shape can make her surprisingly easy to miss. Keep looking—you might just spot the queen! 🐝👑

How Can I Identify a Queen Bee? Learn how to identify a queen bee by her long abdomen and smooth back, where to look for her, and what to check when she is hard to find.

Registration is now open for the 2026 SE Wyoming Beef Symposium! This is a free event for anyone interested in the beef industry.
Date: 11.17.2026 - 9am-4pm
Location: Niobrara County Fairgrounds: 40080 US-20, Lusk, WY 82225
Lunch will be served for those who RSVP here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=rdfN-V2CAUaOnKMl4C1S2rb5RB7my15Gt0cid29YxZZUMjYyMlhBVUNHSDRJSDJZVTBUTEJENVVCMi4u

🐝 Registration is NOW OPEN for the 2026 Wyoming Bee College! Join us October 23–24 at Casper College for practical beekeeping education focused on science-based information, practical skills, and meaningful connections.
Learn from experienced beekeepers, researchers, Extension educators, and conservation professionals; ask questions and connect with others who share an interest in bees and pollinators.
🔗 Register and learn more:
https://wyomingbeecollege.org
📅 October 23–24, 2026
📍 Casper College | Casper, Wyoming
Registration options:
🍯 Beginner Beekeeping | Friday and/or Saturday
🐝 Intermediate Beekeeping | Friday and/or Saturday
🍴 Culinary Beekeepers | Friday
🌼 Pollinators | Saturday
Bringing a young beekeeper? Youth tickets are free with an adult ticket. There are no separate youth sessions. Youth participants attend the same tracks and sessions as adults.
We'll announce speaker and session details as they become available.
We’re buzzing to see you in Casper!

🍂 Fall is in the air, and you might be feeling ready to hang up the rake and call it a season!
But before you do, take a minute to remember how hard you’ve worked to get where you are. Keep showing up, keep moving forward, and give yourself credit for the progress you’ve already made. 💪🍁

Ask an Expert – Checklist for September Yard and Garden Tasks Fall is in the air, which may make you want to hang up the rake. But before you do, remember how hard you’ve worked to get to this point, and keep pushing forward. Consider these tips from the USU Extension Gardeners Almanac. JayDee Gunnell

💭 How do the words we use shape the way we think about aging?

“Elderly.” “Senior citizen.” “Older adult.” The labels we use can carry assumptions about what it means to grow older.

In this AGE (Adapt. Grow. Empower.) opinion piece, UWyo gerontologist Bernard Steinman explores ageism, the language we use to describe older people, and why reframing how we think about aging matters for our families, workplaces and communities.

💬 What do you think? What words do you prefer when talking about aging, and why?

🔗 Read the full article from AGE: Adapt. Grow. Empower.
https://wyoextension.org/age/age-what-do-we-call-old-people/