County Agricultural Agent
Cooperative Extension of Somerset County
Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station
310 Milltown Rd.
Bridgewater, NJ 08807-3587

Phone: 908-526-6293
Fax: 908-704-1821
Email: polanin@njaes.rutgers.edu

As a faculty member of Rutgers Cooperative Extension (Somerset County) since 1999, Nick Polanin provides local and regional leadership and programming in agriculture and natural resource management, including watershed planning and management, urban and community forestry, statewide leadership of the RCE Master Gardener and New Jersey Certified Tree Expert training programs. Nick holds an MS in horticulture/urban forestry from Rutgers University (1989), and a BS from Cook College in natural resource management/forestry (1982). He was recently awarded The New Jersey Early Career Recognition Award and the National Silver Medal Program Award from Epsilon Sigma Phi, the Cooperative Extension Professional's Association. Other national recognition awards include the NACAA's Environmental Education Award for the "If Plants Could Talk" television show and their Communication Award for online pesticide safety education. Before joining Extension, Nick had 15 years experience in a combination of municipal, commercial and residential forestry, from the City Forester of Jersey City to local sales representative and PHC Specialist for private tree care companies. Nick currently serves as statewide coordinator for the RCE Master Gardener Volunteer Program and as a member of his department's Educational Resources Committee, of the Raritan Basin Watershed Alliance, and various county environmental committees.