Piscataquis County 4-H Newsletter, April 2025

April 1, 2025 4-H, News

Table of Contents

Piscataquis County 4-H Calendar

  • April 5: 10 am, “Speak Up, Maine 4-H!” State Public Speaking Showcase, DP Corbett Hall, Orono
  • April 10: Native Plants for the Ornamental Garden – Dover-Foxcroft, Thompson Free Library
    186 East Main Street, Dover-Foxcroft, Maine 04426. For more information and to register, visit the Native Plants for the Ornamental Garden Event post.
  • April 18-May 5: Tractor Supply Company, Paper Clover Campaign
  • April 19: Small Ruminant Parasite Management and FAMACHA Certification, Foxcroft Veterinary Services,1441 Dexter Road, Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. For more information and to register, visit the Small Ruminant Parasite Management and FAMACHA Certification page.
  • April 26: 8 am-4:40 pm, 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Training, Bryant Pond 4-H Camp & Learning Center
  • May 12: 3:30 pm, Needs Assessment for Piscataquis 4-H Families, Piscataquis Valley Fairgrounds, Dover-Foxcroft

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 met at Thompson Free Library to learn about Public Speaking and polish their presentations for the judges at the County Public Speaking Showcase. Club members have assisted, encouraged, and supported each other since their first meeting at the end of January. March 15 finally arrived, and once the projector at Central Hall Commons was fully revealed, the program proceeded from youngest to oldest. Rick Cabot, George McKay, and Dyan McCarthy-Clark provided excellent feedback for everyone. Six members of The Macaws qualified to make their presentations at the State Showcase on April 5!

Tractor Supply Company Paper Clover Campaign April 18-May 5

  • TSC Demo Days – A Big Opportunity! – One of the Paper Clover weekends coincides with TSC’s Demo Days, a high-traffic event where customers receive expert advice on topics like horticulture and chicken keeping. This is a fantastic opportunity for 4-H’ers to practice their presentation skills and engage with the public. If you’d like to participate, please coordinate with your TSC store manager.
  • Co-Branded TSC/4-H Hats – You may notice these hats in stores. Each location has received an initial shipment of four hats, and they may sell out quickly—but don’t worry, another order is on the way!

The Joy Truck Project

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.

Icewings Community 4-H Club/Nightwings Archery Club

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, the Wildlife STEM Toolkit (check out the complete guide to 4-H STEM Toolkits here), and making vegan Irish soda bread. In spite of an uncooperative weather schedule, we finally went snowshoeing at the Law Farm on March 3rd. This was the most-anticipated activity of the winter, and we had a beautiful day for it!

The third Monday of March fell on St. Patrick’s Day, and everyone had a great time making personal-sized vegan Irish soda bread.Each child also made themselves an Irish flag charcuterie plate with green grapes and celery sticks, white cauliflower florets, and orange carrot sticks. Club members are interested in more cooking activities, and club president Alec R. would like to try a bake sale fundraiser. 

The Icewings will meet two more times at Central Hall Commons: April 7th and 28th. On April 7, Lincoln S. will teach the Icewings how to make their own snack skewers! Lincoln earned a blue ribbon for his “How to Make Snack Skewers” demonstration at the Piscataquis County Speak Up 4-H Showcase and will make his presentation in Orono on April 5. The agenda and activity for April 28 will be determined at the April 7 meeting. 

Many of the Icewings will be working on various projects over the summer and will be encouraged to exhibit in the Piscataquis Valley Fair in August. Club Exhibits are another formerly popular opportunity for youth to share their 4-H experience and enthusiasm with the public. It’s not too early to think about the Fair! Check out the 4-H Exhibit Rules for guidelines.

Nightwings 4-H Archery Club

The Nightwings 4-H Archery Club resumes weekly meetings at the Piscataquis Valley Fairgrounds on May 5 at 3:30. Check ZSuite to update enrollments. Did someone in your family turn 9 before December 31, 2024? They are now eligible to be a Nightwing!

Have you considered getting certified in 4-H Archery to support the Nightwings? Bryant Pond 4-H Camp and Learning Center is offering a  4-H Shooting Sports Instructor training on April 26. You will be required to complete a volunteer application, introductory training, background check, and interview before you are fully certified to lead/instruct 4-H’ers and be covered by UMaine’s liability insurance. Learn more here.

Piscataquis County 4-H welcomes caring adults who want to make more opportunities available for our youth. Completing the application, introductory training, background check, and interview may be daunting, but we will help you through it. Get started here, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you hit a snag.

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.

Dominoes with Jewel 

Jewel is planning another Dominoes Class at the Field House on April 23 from 9:30-noon. Some Field House staff may be considering using a ladder to build a GIGANTIC Lego tower!

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. The dates are April 16 and May 21. Jewel is still deciding on summer dates and locations, so keep an eye out for posters!

Penquis Prevention Council’s Project Play!        Project Play, Sunday, April 13th 10 am-1 pm at the Piscataquis Ice Arena, 1049 W. Main St. Dover-Foxcroft. Play activities, resource fair, touch-a-truck, Free BBQ, and bounce house for children of all ages.

A Free Family Event!

Sunday, April 13th, 10 am – 1 pm at the Piscataquis Ice Arena 1049 W. Main St. Dover-Foxcroft, ME

Play activities, resource fair, touch-a-truck, free bbq, and bounce house for children of all ages.

State 4-H News

Save the Date – 4-H Summer Learning Series.

Summer Learning SeriesThis 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.

Ignite Your Passion, Inspire the Future: Become a Summer Learning 4-H Volunteer!

Are you ready to make a lasting impact on young minds while sharing your expertise? Join our Summer Learning 4-H program as a volunteer and experience the joy of nurturing the next generation!

Topics could include: science, engineering, art, photography, coding, baking, and more. Volunteers will work with a partner to design and deliver virtual programs sometime between July 7th – August 8th. Scheduling is flexible to meet your needs and availability. Learn more by visiting our presenter website or contact 4-hvirtual@maine.edu or call Sarah Sparks at 207.581.8206.

Maine Summer Transportation Institute (MSTI)

MSTI is a FREE residential camp offered at the University of Maine for current 6th – 8th graders from July 6 – 11, 2025. The camp focuses on transportation-related activities and fields. MSTI is a week-long residential program to allow students from all over the state to participate. This includes space, roads and bridges, ports, air, and environmental impacts. Activities include building rockets, cars, and bridges; field trips to the Bangor International Airport, Cole Transportation Museum, and Maine Maritime Academy; participating in shows from the Planetarium and the Physics Roadshow; 3D-printing activity (including a tour of the Advanced Structures and Composites Center to see the World’s largest 3D-Printer and the 3D-printed house); Soil/erosion and surveying activities; a Touch-a-truck event, and more. (Activities are subject to change based on weather and availability of funds.) Additionally, students will learn about the different career opportunities within the transportation field, including engineers (environmental, geotechnical, civil, mechanical, electrical, etc.), technicians, communications and media, human resources, and so much more.

Visit the MSTI website for more information about the program and registration.

4-H Dairy Judging May 10 th

The 2025 Maine 4-H Dairy Judging Contest will be held on May 10th at Lambert Run Farm in Norridgewock, ME. The event is open to all enrolled 4-H dairy members and will serve as the official tryouts for the 2025 Maine 4-H Eastern States Dairy Judging Team. For a complete schedule for the day please visit the 4-H Dairy Judging Contest webpage.

For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation please contact Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu or 207.342.5971.

Public Speaking Showcase

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.

Open House at the Lafayette and Rawcliffe 4-H Science and Engineering Learning Center

4-Hers and families of all ages are invited to learn about the opportunities 4-H has to offer right here in Orono, Maine! There will be fun activities – making seed paper you can plant at home, engineering and testing out straw rockets, and using chemistry to create groovy seaweed lava lamps! This is your chance to meet the Center’s fabulous red-ear slider turtle, Frances, and rumor has it Coral the Seahorse will be making an appearance! Learn all about our space, our touch tank, 4-H programs, 4-H STEM toolkits, and aquaponics. No registration is required – just show up on Saturday, April 19 between 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at 491 College Ave in Orono, Maine.

If you have any questions, or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Jessy Brainerd at jessica.brainerd@maine.edu or 207.581.3877.

Tri-County 4-H Sampler

Do you know someone who may be interested in 4-H? Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Somerset County staff are hosting workshops on the last Tuesday of each month from April to September. There will be different workshops for youth to attend each month; this month, it will be the Straw Rocket STEM Kit. Guardians will have a chance to talk to 4-H staff about youth enrollment and volunteer opportunities. Check back each month for the activity and location.

This is a free event. Registration is required via ZSuites, for 4-H members and non-4-H members.

Location: TBD

Date: April 29, 5:30 – 7:00 pm

For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Emily Pigeon at emily.pigeon@maine.edu or 207.942.7396.

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.

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

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).