April 2021 4-H Newsletter

Sherry, Independent — Sherry at the 2019 Style Revue

April 6, 2021 4-H News

4-H Happenings

A monthly newsletter for Hancock County 4-H Members

Download the PDF

Upcoming Dates to Remember

April 3 – Hancock County Food Drive Begins
April 6, 13 & 27 – 4:00 pm – Virtual Teen Science Cafe – See State News
April 9 – Deadline for Hancock County Homemakers’ Scholarship
April 13 – 4:30 pm – Leaders’ Meeting via Zoom
April 18 – 4:00 pm – Awards Ceremony for Public Speaking Tournament
April 19 – Patriot’s Day – Extension Office Closed
April 24 – 11:00 am – Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl Tryouts – See State News
April 28 – May 10 – Paper Clover Campaign at Tractor Supply
May 5 – June 9 – 3:30 pm – 4-H Citizen Science Club – See State News

County News

Sherry, Independent

Maine 4-H Youth Council – We would like to congratulate Sherry, Independent, on being nominated and selected to be a member of the Maine 4-H Youth Council, serving a minimum two-year term 2021-2023! The Maine 4-H Youth Council is a leadership opportunity for 4-H teens across the State of Maine to have a

voice. The Maine 4-H Youth Council will serve as a liaison between local 4-H programs and state 4-H programs. Maine 4-H Youth Council members will represent UMaine Extension at state and national events. We were very pleased that Sherry has accepted this position.

Leaders’ Meeting – The next Leaders’ Association meeting will be by Zoom on April 13, at 4:30 pm. Email carla.scocchi@maine.edu for the private link.

Current Open Programs – There are many ways to be involved with 4-H. Check them out to find which interests you!

The 2021 4-H Public Speaking Tournament – Family, friends, and the general public who wish to support youth can join the 4-H Public Speaking Awards Ceremony! The Awards Ceremony will be streamed live via Facebook Live, YouTube, and Zoom on Sunday, April 18, 2021 at 4:00pm. To join, visit the website.

Lone Spruce Farm in Dedham is excited to offer experiences inspired by our daily work on the farm, right in the comfort of your own home! Hands On Homestead is our new 4-H take home learning series that brings these experiences to life through thoughtfully curated packets, available for pick up on-site at the farm, or at the extension office. New locations at local libraries coming soon! Climate Study and Bread Making packets are currently available to sign out at Hands-On Homesteading and you can keep an eye out for packets on everything from wild foraging, composting, fermentation, micro greens and more! So what are you waiting for? Let’s get growing together! Submitted by 4-H leader Kristin Beauchamp

Photo Contest Scavenger Hunt – Are you an avid photographer? New to the hobby? No matter what skill level, we encourage you to get out and practice your photography skills. Feeling stumped? Not sure what to photograph? No worries — we’ve created a scavenger hunt just for you. To see the scavenger hunt categories, visit here. Here’s the exciting part: all scavenger hunt participants will receive a ribbon AND a little “door-prize.” If you take a photo of one item in each category, you’ll be submitted into a raffle to win a larger prize. And if you choose to, you can submit any (or all!) of these photos to the 2021 Photo Contest. Entries submitted to the 2021 photo contest will be judged and the highest scorers will get a cash prize.

The 2021 Photo Contest deadline is July 31st, 2021. For more information and to see past entries, visit our web page. The scavenger hunt will end at the same time.

Style Revue – Sometimes the simplest gifts are the best. For instance: a homemade dish cloth donated to the food pantry. All you have to do is knit a square, and you have made someone’s day! Participate in Hancock County’s 2021 Style Revue by completing a service project. Participants can choose to sew, knit, or crochet a project. The finished products will be donated to nonprofits and families in need.

Make one item or multiple — participants will have the flexibility to choose and do as much, or as little, as they are able. Projects will not be judged, but all participants will receive a participation ribbon. Those who submit a photo with their creation will be entered into a randomly drawn prize for each category. The more submissions you have, the more likely you’ll win the prize!

For patterns and project ideas, please visit here. All submissions are due to the office by May 17th. To schedule a drop-off, please contact the office at 207-667-8212. Submit photos to joyce.fortier@maine.edu.

Hancock County Jamboree – This year we will celebrate Hancock County Jamboree – a celebration of experiential learning opportunities for youth in Hancock County! Attend in-person workshops and demonstrations across the county, participate in virtual learning opportunities, and work on at-home, self-paced activity kits. If this sounds intriguing, GOOD! Follow us on facebook (@Hancock4H) for updates. If you’d like to lead a workshop, reach out to Zabet at zabet.neucollins@maine.edu. More information coming soon!

Paper Clover Campaign – April 28 – May 10 at Tractor Supply Co. in Ellsworth – Each Spring and Fall, Tractor Supply helps raise money for 4-H programs with the Paper Clover campaign where customers donate $1 to 4-H at the register. The funds are used for scholarships for camps and leadership events. You can contribute by:
1)Donating in the store
2)Donating online at checkout when you make a purchase

Hancock County Food Drive – is an annual month-long food collection and fundraising project that supports food pantries, free meal programs, and school backpack food programs across Hancock County. With the help of volunteers, these organizations work together to raise funds and collect food, providing critical assistance to Mainers at a time when food insecurity rates are at their highest.

Beginning April 3, 4-H Clubs are encouraged to participate in this county-wide event. One in five children in Hancock County live in food insecure households, which can have lifelong impacts on a child’s physical health, mental health, and education outcomes (Kids Count Data Center). Due to the pandemic, food insecurity rates are expected to increase. By building resources for food assistance programs, the Food Drive helps to ensure that all people in our community have access to nutritious, affordable food.

More information to come – Please check out their website.

Club News

Horse and Rider – Hey all you 4-H Horse Club members! Guess what? Spring is coming…soon we hope! Horse & Rider Club has held three meetings in 2021. We decided to start out with one meeting a month to see how that went. Well, it was better than nothing, but we found we were forgetting things that we learned at the last meeting and had to start all over again! So, beginning in April, we are hoping to go back to our two monthly meetings. So far, we have had only five out of the nine members here, but never the same five. This also makes it difficult to teach the lessons and have quizzes, but, for now, I guess “It is what it is”! We are trying to make plans for some “special” meetings later this summer, but, of course, we can’t plan too far ahead at this point. We are also looking forward to riding outside, but with the ice and mud, I think it will be a little while yet! Perhaps in the near future, we can get together with some of the other clubs, which is “good medicine” for all of us! So, for now, Happy Trails to You from all of us at Horse & Rider! Submitted by club leader, Heather Linnehan

Peninsula Explorers 4-H Club – Hancock County 4-H and Blue Hill Heritage Trust invite youth grades 3-8 to participate in the Peninsula Explorers Club!

Native Bees will be the theme of our next session. We will meet four times over the spring, covering learning all about Maine’s Native Bees, and what we can do to help this important species! We will learn about native bees, their threats, their jobs, build and install bee houses, and much more. Participants will even be invited to take a bee house home with them if they wish!

4-H Aquarium Club – In the wake of the natural disaster in Texas last month, the 4-H Aquarium Club members explored and discussed all of the different ways that they could prepare their aquaria and fish for emergencies. Power outages, extended cold periods, and more – all of these things threaten the safety of the animals that we care for, including our beloved tropical fish tanks!! The youth came up with lots of great ideas to share for emergency preparedness for their aquaria. This month they will be exploring how fish are collected in the wild for the ornamental fish trade.

4-H Bird Chats – In the March 4-H Bird Chats session, we talked about bird songs and how one can start identifying birds by the noises they make! We are hearing a lot more bird songs these days…. why? Because birds are at the beginning of their nesting cycle, in which they look for a mate and for a territory to raise their young. The warmer weather brings with it the “Dawn Chorus” — a cacophony of bird songs in the wee hours of the morning. You might hear the screech of the Red-Winged Blackbird or the drawn-out “sweeeeet-y” call of the Chickadee. One way that people can learn who is making what noise is by putting words to the sounds. This technique is called mnemonics, which is a memory tool that often helps people recognize information.

Common mnemonics:
Great Horned Owl- “Who’s Awake? Me too”
Chickadee- “Chick-a-dee-dee-dee”
Northern Cardinal- “Cheer- cheer-cheer-purty-purty-purty”

State News

1. Exciting Upcoming Maine 4-H Virtual Teen Science Cafes
Maine 4-H Virtual Teen Science cafes will take place on Tuesdays from 4:00 – 4:45 pm. Pre-registration is required, and registration links are online.

- April 6 – Let’s Talk About Sharks – join Dr. Scarlett Tudor for a fascinating talk about shark feeding and social behaviors.
- April 13 – Bogged Down with Dr. Erin McDonald – From wooden trackways to human remains (including hair and nails!), rare archaeological artifacts are often found preserved in the dark, wet bogs of Ireland. Come learn about the preservation powers of Ireland’s peatlands and the stories of the bog bodies found within them.
- April 27 – Learn about Ocean Acidification’s Impact on Lobster with Dr. Heather Hamlin.

2. 2021 4-H Public Speaking Tournament

The 2021 4-H Public Speaking Tournament will take place virtually over the weekend of April 17 – 18, 2021. If you are interested in participating in the Maine 4-H Public Speaking Program and need assistance in any way, please contact us to discuss your needs. We are committed to making 4-H programs accessible to all youth, regardless of internet or technology access.Family, friends, and the general public who wish to support youth can join us for the Awards Ceremony! The Awards Ceremony will be streamed live via Facebook Live, YouTube, and Zoom on Sunday, April 18, 2021 at 4:00pm. We encourage you to invite anyone you’d like — there is no limit on attendees!Questions about the Maine 4-H Public Speaking Program? Contact Sheila Norman, 207.942.7396.

3. Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl Tryouts
The Maine 4-H dairy quizbowl tryouts will be held virtually on April 24th at 11:00 am. This event will serve as the official tryout for the Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl Team. We do not know what the summer and fall look like for events and practice sessions, but those who make the team may have the opportunity to travel in-person or compete virtually at a regional competition.Maine 4-H dairy quizbowl tryouts are open to all enrolled 4-H dairy members age 9-18. Youth will be divided into two age categories, Jr. ages 9-11 and Sr. ages 12-18. Registration is required for the event. All youth are required to register prior to April 17th. Practice sessions will be required for youth to learn the event software and test their internet connection. Register Online.More information on the Maine 4-H dairy quizbowl tryout process and other 4-H dairy activities can be found online . Questions about the event can be directed to Tara Marble at marble@maine.edu or Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu.

4. 4-H Market Lamb Intent for Fryeburg Fair
Youth planning to participate in the Market Lamb program at Fryeburg Fair need to submit the 2021 Fryeburg Fair Market Lamb Intent form by May 17^th. Youth can print and mail a copy downloaded from the website.

5. Update Regarding Maine 4-H Days
The in-person event: Maine 4-H Days has been canceled for 2021. Information will be shared later in the spring about upcoming 4-H activities for the summer.

6. 4-H Passport Around the World SPIN Club
Join Maine 4-H and Greenheart Exchange as we travel around the world virtually and meet other teens from across the globe! Meetings will include a brief presentation from a Greenheart Exchange Student, an activity, and Q & A. This SPIN Club is best for ages 12-18 and open to all youth. A minimal supply list will be provided for each activity. Dates are Saturdays April 24th Lebanon, May 8th Armenia, May 22nd Slovakia, from 9:30-10:30 AM and Thursdays, April 29th Moldova, May 13th Romania and 27th Czech Republic from 4:00-5:00 PM register online.

7. 4-H Citizen Science Club
University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H will offer a citizen science club for grades 4–8 meeting weekly 3:30–4:30 p.m. from May 5–June 9.

This virtual 4-H citizen scientists club encourages youth to practice citizen science in their own backyard, with a variety of citizen science opportunities to consider, and report their observations while making connections with fellow citizen scientists in their community and around the state. Youth will need online access and the ability to take and share photos.

The club is free to join; enrollment is limited to 15 members. Register on the 4-H club webpage. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact 207.581.8206 or sarah.sparks@maine.edu.

Leaders Meeting Minutes

Hancock County 4-H Leaders’ Association
March 8th, 2021
–Zoom meeting due to COVID–

Attendance: Brenda Jordan, Terry Swazey, Carla Scoccchi and Zabet NeuCollins

Office Update

New Guidelines for gathering will be updated on 4/01. As of now, everything is still the same:

Outside gathering only (except Brenda’s club, which has an exception)
20 people maximum (including volunteers and leaders)
Keep it masked and socially distant
Fill out a contact tracing form each time you meet
IMPORTANT: Let Carla and Zabet know when you’re meeting!

Style Revue Update:

Everything is now on the website, including patterns and instructions of things to make.
Each kid who makes something and submits it to the office with a photo of themself holding the garment gets entered into a raffle prize
We will draw three prizes, valued at $20 each). The budget is $60. We need a vote on this.

Hancock Jamboree:

We floated the idea of a “Hancock Jamboree” this summer instead of the traditional June Jamboree. Spread out workshops throughout June and maybe into July, not all located at the BHFairgrounds but spread across the county. Partner with businesses around Hancock County? General enthusiasm for this idea, but we’ll bring it up with more details next meeting in April to vote.

NASA Grant:

Carla (and others from UMaine 4-H) were awarded a grant from NASA to help teach climate and data literacy to Maine youth, in partnership with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (and others). What it means:

o Zabet is taking 4 of Carla’s hours to devote to organizing county-wide events and programming

Cooperative Extension in Hancock County