1553 Berger Drive, Bldg 1
2nd Floor
San Jose, CA 95112
vrroberts@ucanr.edu
Links
Biography
Ms. Roberts coordinates the Master Composter Volunteer Program which trains volunteers to teach public community composting workshops to the cities and schools of Santa Clara County and is compiling the resources to create a statewide curriculum for a wider UCANR Master Composter Program. Demonstrating its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by the Program ensures free access to composting education for a diverse range of community members. Priority is placed on participating in events that engage residents of Santa Clara County and selects locations for composting workshops based on population distribution, avoiding favoritism toward wealthier communities. In collaboration with Santa Clara County and local cities, Ms. Roberts promotes SB1383 landfill waste reduction requirements by providing research-based composting information, educational programs and technical assistance to residents, schools, local government employees, and businesses, with a strong emphasis on equity considerations.
Ms. Roberts manages the Martial Cottle Community Compost Demonstration site. Her expertise lies in program coordination and public environmental education, particularly about the implications of landfill waste reduction, climate change mitigation, and climate-smart agriculture practices. Ms. Roberts plays a crucial role in public education about organic waste separation, highlighting the closed-loop urban food cycle from food scraps disposal to municipal waste composting facilities, to the field, and back to food. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems from University of California, Davis.
Education
Specialty
Compost Education Program CoordinatorAreas of Expertise (click to see all ANR academics with this expertise)
- Conservation and Efficient Use of Water
- Soil
- Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships
- Agroforestry
- Alternative Uses of Land
- Weather and Climate
- Outdoor Recreation
- Waste Disposal, Recycling, and Reuse
- Individual and Family Resource Management
- Sociological and Technological Change Affecting Individuals, Families, and Communities
- Community Insitutions, Health, and Social Services
- Youth Development
- Community Development
- Natural Resource and Environmental Economics
- Community Resource Planning and Development
- Responding To Climate Change
ANR Workgroup Associations
- Waste Management and Compost - Member