Piscataquis County 4-H Newsletter, March 2025

March 4, 2025 4-H, News

Table of Contents

Piscataquis County 4-H Calendar

  • March 3: Maine 4-H Foundation Scholarship deadline
  • March 8: MEPC Engineering Expo, Orono
  • March 15: 1 pm, “Speak Up, Maine 4-H” at Central Hall Commons, Dover-Foxcroft. (Snow Date: March 16)
  • March 19-23: Maine Science Festival, Bangor
  • March 24: Piscataquis County Soil & Water Conservation District Teen wilderness Expedition application deadline
  • April 5: 10 am, “Speak Up, Maine 4-H!” State Public Speaking Showcase, DP Corbett Hall, Orono

Welcome to the Piscataquis County 4-H Newsletter

Welcome to the Piscataquis County 4-H online newsletter, where we’ll keep folks updated on what’s happening in 4-H around the county, state, and nation! We’ll promote nearby in-person events and online opportunities for youth and families offered through UMaine Extension and other trusted community partners.

County 4-H News

 

Speak Up, Maine 4-h! Public Speaking 2025. Image with text that reads: Speak Up, Maine 4-H! Showcase your Sparks, Maine 4-H Public Speaking Program

The Macaws 4-H Public Speaking Club has been meeting on Tuesday afternoons from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft. Our members are working on their presentations for the Speak Up Showcase on March 15 at Central Hall Commons.

At the Piscataquis County Speak Up, Maine 4-H Showcase, Cloverbuds age 5-8 and 4-H youth 9-18 will present either a demonstration or an illustrated talk to judges and the public. For a demonstration, the presenter explains how to do something while doing it, and has a finished product at the end. For illustrated talks, youth may use a variety of visual aids to enhance the presentation on their chosen topic.

Cloverbuds (age 5-8) who present at the Showcase will receive feedback from judges, but no numerical scores. Older youth will receive both feedback and numerical scores from the judges. Their scores may qualify them for the State Speak Up Showcase on April 5 in Orono. Last year, 3 Piscataquis County youth qualified for the State Showcase, and they all won ribbons. We’re looking forward to a great season, and hope to see lots of our friends, families, and neighbors at the Speak Up Showcase on March 15!

The Joy Truck Project

Some of you may remember a big white step-van rambling around Piscataquis County the past few warm seasons, bringing community resources and activities to various locations. Last summer, 4-H and the Joy Truck worked together in Brownville Junction on Friday afternoons, even after the truck itself broke down. The Joy Truck may be stalled, but the Joy Truck Project has a core of loyal friends in the Milo area who are determined to bring creative programming to life in Brownville Junction this summer!

We are seeking caring adults to join The Joy Truck Project 4-H Volunteer team. Please contact Trisha by email for more details: trisha.smith1@maine.edu 

Dominoes with Jewel 

Jewel’s dream of a Dominoes Class at the Jim Robinson Field House came true on February 19. First, we each built a hot dog out of dominoes, then we toppled them. It was fun to see how each person decided to make their hot dog. Only one person’s hot dog did not fall down! After the hot dog challenge, we built towers to topple. Two of the towers were taller than the people who built them. Domino towers take a steady hand and a long time to build, but hardly any time at all to fall to pieces. Jewel is planning another Dominoes Class at the Field House on April 23 from 9:30-noon.

Jewel will continue to bring her dominoes to Ms. Michelle’s Homeschool Drop-in, 1-2:30 on the third Wednesday of each month through May. Dates are March 19, April 16, and May 21. 

 

Icewings Community 4-H Club/Nightwings Archery Club

The Icewings Community 4-H Club is learning about 4-H Club meeting structure as well as doing activities together. Most of the older Icewings are also members of the Nightwings Archery Club. The Icewings/Nightwings have decided to hold a seasonal election of officers. Alec R. is the winter President, Luke S. is Vice President, and Aubrey R. is Treasurer. The club will work together to report on their activities. We learned that having youth provide photos is quite an involved process, so Colton R. is the official youth photographer for all of Piscataquis County 4-H. We’re so glad to have him documenting our growth!

The Icewings have been meeting at Central Hall Commons on the first and third Mondays of each month since November. Youth have explored soap carving, potato printing, card weaving, and the Wildlife STEM Toolkit (check out the complete guide to 4-H STEM Toolkits here). We are determined to have at least one outdoor adventure before the snow is gone!

The Nightwings 4-H Archery Club resumes weekly meetings at the Piscataquis Valley Fairgrounds on May 5. We hope to continue having activities available for younger club members while the Nightwings 4-H Archery Club is engaged in target practice. As always, we welcome adults willing to undergo the process of becoming 4-H volunteers to make more opportunities available for our youth. Contact Trisha by email (trisha.smith1@maine.edu) and make an appointment or stop by the office (hours: M, Th, F 8-4) to see Anette.

One Tomato

In Cherry Tomato Plant2014, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension staff and Executive Committee in Piscataquis County wanted to increase the number of households that grow food gardens, consume food produced in their garden, and recognize the UMaine Extension as a source of garden information, so they adopted the One TomatoTM project. Over the years, thousands of cherry tomato seedlings have been distributed around Piscataquis County by UMaine Extension staff and volunteers. The Executive Committee has committed to continuing the tradition of One Tomato in 2025, and Piscataquis 4-H youth are invited to participate.

The first opportunity for youth is planting the tomato seedlings at Leaves and Blooms Greenhouse in the third week of March. Interested families should contact Trisha (trisha.smith1@maine.edu) for the date and time.

Piscataquis County Soil & Water Conservation District Teen Wilderness Expedition

July 15-17, 2025
FMI & Registration: 207.564.2321 Ext. 3,
info@piscataquisswcd.org
www.piscataquisswcd.org
Application Deadline March 24th
Application

This 3-day, 2-night trip is created by the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District (PCSWCD) in collaboration with the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). The trip will take place at AMC’s Gorman Chairback Lodge and educational components will be led by AMC education staff. Thanks to a grant from the Onion Foundation, this year’s Teen Wilderness Expedition is FREE to all participants! Spaces for this program will be selected through a lottery system. If you are interested in participating, please fill out the forms below completely and submit them. You will only be considered for the lottery if your forms are complete, you are 12-16 years of age and live in Piscataquis County. We will select participants and contact them by April 1st, 2025. If you have any questions, please reach out to program coordinator, Kacey Weber, at katherine.weber@piscataquisswcd.org. The deadline to submit an application for the lottery is March 24th.

State 4-H News

Save the Date – 4-H Summer Learning Series. Summer Learning Series

This year, the 4-H Summer Learning Series will take place from July 7 – August 8. Volunteers and
staff work together to provide high-quality, hands-on, experiential learning experiences via Zoom.
For most workshops, materials are mailed to participants ahead of time, making it even easier
(and less expensive) to participate! Workshops and Registration will go live on May 23, 2025. For
volunteers interested in presenting workshops, information will be updated in early March. Sign up for updates on our website.

4-H Page Day in Augusta – Sign up Now!

Date: March 18, 2025

Where: Augusta Maine State Legislature

Time: 8:30 am – 12:30 pm

Deadline: First come, first serve, March 7

If you are interested in serving as a page – please complete this form.

An opportunity to participate in 4-H Page Day is being offered on Tuesday, March 18. It is Maine Agriculture Policy Day in the Maine Legislature, a time dedicated to celebrating the hardworking farmers, producers, and agricultural leaders who sustain Maine’s economy and rural heritage. It’s also a time for youth to get actively involved in their democracy, to see how and who makes decisions that impact our state, and to be involved in that process themselves. 4-Hers age 13 or older are encouraged to serve as Honorary Pages. The Maine 4-H program has up to 20 slots for Honorary Pages and registration is first come, first serve with a deadline of March 7.

What does a page do? Legislators are constantly communicating and making decisions while in session and pages make that communication possible. Pages hand out information packets or place the paper information on their desks. Pages will also run communication and documents directly from legislator to legislator. It’s fast paced and pages will be moving around the chambers quite a bit, taking direction from the Clerks. We will meet at 8:30 for pictures and an orientation. Then at 9:00 am we will divide our group with one going to the House and the other to the Senate where each group will receive their instructions. Session will begin by 10:00 am and will likely conclude around 12:30 pm, but the timing is never certain. Lunch will be on your own.

If you have questions or would like to request an accommodation, please do so by March 7 by contacting Karen Giles, karen.giles@maine.edu. Thank you!

Penobscot and Piscataquis County Speak Up, Maine 4-H!

The Penobscot and Piscataquis Counties’ Speak Up, Maine 4-H! Public Speaking Showcase will be held at Central Hall Commons, 152 East Main St, Dover-Foxcroft on March 15 at 1:00 pm (with a snow date of March 16 at 1:00 pm). Enrolled youth must register to participate by March 7, 2025 via ZSuite (you must be logged into ZSuite to go to the registration page).

For more information, contact Trisha Smith at trisha.smith1@maine.edu.

Maine 4-H Ag Ambassadors – Spring 2025

Maine 4-H is now accepting registrations for the spring 2025 Agriculture Ambassadors cohort! The program is designed for youth ages 14-18 who are interested in any aspect of agriculture. Youth spend time getting to know each other and learn both online and in-person in sessions facilitated by UMaine 4-H Staff and community partners. Sessions will focus on career exploration, exploring the Maine Food System with farm and production visits around the state, and building relationships with industry professionals.

This season we will visit local Maine Ag businesses like Mook Sea Farm and Aquaculture and the anaerobic digester at Stonyvale Farm (one of the largest in the US!). Check them both out!  Transportation assistance for these events may be available upon request.

In addition to the multi-week session, youth will serve in their ambassador role with Maine 4-H for at least 1 year. Youth will pick an agricultural area to focus on (ex. livestock, ag literacy/food systems, environmental stewardship, ag and health) during their term and explore leadership opportunities locally, statewide, and even nationally. Register today!

To register visit the Ag Leadership page. For more information or a reasonable accommodation, please contact Alisha Targonski at alisha.targonski@maine.edu or 207.622.7546.

Spring 2025 dates
  • Online: March 04, March 11, March 25, April 1 and April 15
  • In-person: March 22 and March 29

Save the Date: UMass Animal Science Academies

UMass 4-H is inviting Maine 4-H members to participate in two-weekend workshops for animal and veterinary science.

The  Explore Vet Science will take place on Saturday, June 14th and Sunday, June 15th at the UMASS Farm facilities in Hadley, MA. Participants will get hands-on animal experience, working with UMASS faculty and staff, to learn about the work of the veterinarian and career opportunities in animal and veterinary science. There will be an overnight dorm option available. This program is for youth ages 13-18.

The Animal Science Cattle Academy will take place on Friday, June 20th through Sunday, June 22nd at the Tri-County Fairgrounds in Northampton, MA. This event is for any 4-Her with a dairy, beef, or working steer project. Participants will learn fitting, showing, and other aspects of their project from several experts from across the northeast! Youth are invited to bring their projects to the academy. However, we may have a local dairy farm to provide dairy heifers this year!

A registration form will be sent out once schedules are finalized for both events. Cost and other program information will be provided with registration. To express interest in the program as well as provide feedback for planning, please visit the Forms page for the veterinary science academy and the Forms page for the animal science academy.

Public Speaking – Save the Date

The state Public Speaking event has a new name! Speak Up, Maine 4-H! A Public Speaking Showcase will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the University of Maine in Orono. The snow date is Sunday, April 6. Stay tuned for events and details on our website soon.  Please contact your local county office for information about your local events happening soon.

Become a 4-H Tick Project Mentor!

We are looking for volunteers to guide youth in learning about ticks and community science through the 4-H Tick Project.

Mentors will:

  • Facilitate hands-on learning experiences through 4-H activities in classrooms, after-school programs, and/or community events.
  • Model tick collection protocols and identification techniques.
  • Share best practices for tick safety with young people.
  • Make a valuable contribution to their communities.

No prior experience with tick science is required. The training will provide all the necessary knowledge and resources. This opportunity requires volunteers to work with educators and youth in various learning environments, including outdoors in tick habitat.

For more details and to register for the training, please visit the Tick Project Volunteer page.

The deadline to register for the training is March 30, 2025.

4-H Volunteer Connections: Register Today!

We are offering THREE virtual interactive sessions this winter for all 4-H volunteers! Join us for regional training and networking opportunities with 4-H volunteers from our 13 states in the North East Region! Session topics include the following:

  • Growing Beyond the Ribbon – March 19, 2025 – 6:30 – 8:00 pm

To read more about each session and register, visit 4-H’s Volunteer Connections page!

Sign up for one, two, or all three! Sessions are free, but you must register! Questions? Reach out to Jen Lobley at jennifer.lobley@maine.edu  We hope to see you there!

Summer Camp at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove

Registration for Summer Programs at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove 4-H Camps is now open! We would love to see you at one of our 4-H Camps this summer! 1 and 2-week overnight camps, day camps, outdoor trips, and teen leadership camps are open for anyone to attend. This is a great opportunity to diversify your 4-H experience and continue building awesome skills. Scholarships are available from the Camps and the 4-H Foundation to help with tuition costs.

Some sessions fill up fast! To start planning your summer experience, please check out the program pages on our website which have more information and dates. We are excited to welcome you to the Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove Family! For questions, please email or call Emma at the contact information below.

2025 Engineering Week Expo

The Maine Engineering Promotional Council (MEPC) Engineering Expo will be held Saturday, March 8th from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at the University of Maine Field House in Orono.  This family-friendly FREE event invites the community to explore the world of engineering through demonstrations and hands-on activities. The 4-H Science and Engineering Center will be there along with Maine engineering firms, schools, government agencies, and societies who are invested in engaging young minds in career pathways involving engineering. For more information, visit the Engineering Expo page.

Maine Science Festival

The Maine Science Festival will be held March 19-23 times TBD in February at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. This FREE event includes a Field Trip Day for 7th- 8th graders, a Teen Tech Night, and Exploration Stations that include demonstrations and hands-on activities involving the sciences. Be sure to put it on your calendar because it really is a fun event! For more information, visit the Maine Science Festival page.

The Piscataquis County 4-H Newsletter is published monthly.

For questions or more information, contact: Anette Moulton, Administrative Specialist, by email at anette.moulton@maine.edu, phone at 207.564.3301 or Trisha Smith, Positive Youth Development 4-H Professional, email trisha.smith1@maine.edu.

Office Hours: Monday, Thursday, and Friday from 8 am to 4 pm and Wednesdays from 8 am to 12 pm (Noon)

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Institutional Equity and Title IX Services, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).