Waldo County 4-H Newsletter – April 2020

March 30, 2020 Waldo County 4-H Newsletter

4-H on the Move

A Monthly Newsletter for Waldo County 4-H Members and Volunteers

Download the PDF: Waldo 4-H Newsletter 2020-04

Table of Contents

  • Upcoming Dates
  • County News
    • COVID-19 Update
    • 4-H Leaders’ Assoc.
    • Waldo County Public Speaking
    • Raffle Update
    • Animal Approval and Lease Forms
    • Volunteer Survey
  • State News
    • Learn at Home: Educational resources to use during school closures
    • Seclusion Showdown Online Horse Show
    • Camp Scholarships
    • All 4-H Club Meeting & Events Canceled
    • National 4-H Dairy Conference
    • Stress Less Workshop
    • 2020 Maine 4-H Days
    • Maine 4-H Days Planning Committee
    • National 4-H Day Conference

Upcoming Dates

4/16: Stress Less Online Workshop for teens
4/17: Waldo County 4-H public speaking video submissions due
5/1: ESE dairy animal approval forms due
5/1: Working steer animal approval forms due
5/23: 4-H Day at Tanglewood
5/29-5/30: 4-H @UMaine

County News

COVID-19 Update

Given the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation in Maine, UMaine Extension is cancelling all 4-H club meetings and events until further notice (no matter what size group).

University of Maine Cooperative Extension buildings are CLOSED until April 6, 2020 in an effort to ensure the health and safety of the community, and to help stem the spread of the coronavirus. However, please note that UMaine Extension is operating and staff are working remotely from their offices. To contact the Waldo County 4-H program staff, please call 207.342.5971 or email sadee.mehuren@maine.edu.

4-H Leaders’ Association

The Waldo County 4-H Leaders’ Association is a group of 4-H volunteers who work to promote 4-H by working with the Waldo County 4-H staff to disseminate content, support county projects, and provide consideration for problems, projects, and policies related to county 4-H work. All enrolled 4-H volunteers are part of the 4-H Leaders’ Association and are welcome to attend the monthly meetings. The Waldo County 4-H Leaders’ Association meets on the first Thursday of each month at the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office at 10:00 am.

Waldo County 4-H Public Speaking

Given the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation in Maine, UMaine Extension is cancelling all 4-H club meetings and events until further notice (no matter what size group). This means that we cannot hold the Waldo County 4-H public speaking contest in person. To give youth the opportunity to compete in the county contest and qualify for the state 4-H Public Speaking Tournament, 4-H members will be able to submit video submissions to be scored by the judges.

For instructions on submitting videos look for an email from Waldo County 4-H staff or contact the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office at 207.342.5971 or sadee.mehuren@maine.edu

Raffle Update

Thank you to everyone who helped put together our annual 4-H Fundraising raffle for Waldo County. Given the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation in Maine, UMaine Extension has canceled all 4-H club meetings and events until further notice, which means we cannot hold the raffle at the Waldo County Rural Living Day that was supposed to be held on April 4. Instead we will look to hold the auction at a later date to be determined when we get more guidance about when it can be held. We hope that you will still help us to use sell tickets for the future raffle. To anyone who has already sold tickets, please let the buyers know that the raffle will take place at a later date but their tickets will still be valid. Thank you again for your support of the Waldo County 4-H Program. We can be contacted at 207.342.5971 or sadee.mehuren@maine.edu. We hope that everyone is staying healthy during this challenging time.

Animal Approval and Lease Forms

Any 4-H member who plans on showing at 4-H livestock shows in 2020 will need to complete an animal approval form and lease form. Animal approval and lease forms are due at your local county extension office by June 30th unless you are attending Eastern States Exposition. Please see the dates below for Eastern States approval form deadlines.

ESE 4-H Horse Team: approval and lease forms due 4/1/2020
ESE 4-H Dairy Team: approval and lease forms due 5/1/2020
ESE 4-H Working Steer Team: approval and lease forms due 5/1/2020

Volunteer Survey

As a valued partner in the 4-H Youth Development Program, your time, energy and expertise are greatly appreciated. The support you give youth to learn valuable life skills, broaden their horizons and develop into kind, caring and contributing members of the community. We want to demonstrate your contribution to the 4-H Program and need your help in doing so.

Maine has collaborated with 10 other states in the Northeast Region to create a 4-H Volunteer Impact Survey. It is designed to gather data on a volunteer’s impact to youth, themselves, their community and the organization. You will receive an email next week, which will give you access to the survey.

The results of this survey will be used to develop informational and marketing resources to demonstrate the value of volunteer service to the Maine 4-H program and recruit future volunteers. Maine volunteers who complete the survey may choose to have their name put into a drawing for one of two 4-H folding camp chairs, courtesy of the Maine 4-H Foundation. Thank you for your support of this effort.

If you have any questions please contact me at Jennifer.lobley@maine.edu or 1-207-255-3345.

Learning at Home Activity!

Are you stuck at home, away from school, work, and friends? Take some time to get outdoors, enjoy nature, and practice life skills. Sound mapping is a great way to engage youth of all ages in an outdoor activity that can take place in a variety of weather conditions and locations. We challenge all of our 4-H families to complete a sound map and send us a picture or tag us in your post on Facebook. We love to see your work! Be sure to use the following hashtags: #4H #inspirekidstodo Example of a sound map, completed by Waldo County 4-H staff.

To complete the sound mapping challenge, you will need:

  • Paper
  • Writing Utensil

    example of a sound map completed by Waldo County 4-H staff

Sound Mapping Instructions:

  • Gather your materials. You will need a writing utensil and a piece of paper.
  • Find a spot outside where you can sit and listen to the sounds around you.
  • Using your paper as a map, mark on X on your map to identify your location.
  • While you sit in your spot, listen closely for sounds. When you here a sound, mark the sound on your map. Be sure to consider the location of the sound and the direction in which it came from.
  • Each sound can have a different, easy to replicate symbol on your map. For example, a birdsong might be represented by a music note on your map and you might use wavy lines to represent wind.
  • Test different listening techniques while you listen for sounds. Perhaps you might want to close your eyes or cup your hands around your ears.
  • Once you have finished listening and recording sounds on your map, share your map with others. Be sure to share it with Waldo County 4-H by sending us pictures of your maps or tagging us in your Facebook posts.
  • As you share your map with others, take time to discuss what sounds you heard, where they came from, and what sounds you liked best.
  • Challenge your families and friends to make a sound map at their house!

State News

Learn at Home: Educational Resources to Use During School Closures

With novel coronavirus closing schools across Maine for several weeks, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension has assembled this collection of helpful educational resources for parents and caregivers. From science to financial literacy, whether for toddlers or teenagers, we encourage you to take advantage of these activity books, guides, and other resources to help children remain engaged in educational experiences throughout their school closure. Find resources for every age group at: https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/learn-at-home/

“Seclusion Showdown” Online Horse Show

Horse shows may be postponed and cancelled across the country, but don’t let that stop you from competing! Join our sponsor, @SLTcom for their first ever “Seclusion Showdown” Online Horse Show. No entry fees, real judges, exciting prizes! Session #1 March 26th – April 1, 2020. https://www.statelinetack.com/content/events/seclusion-showdown/

Camp Scholarships Available

The Maine 4-H Foundation has camp scholarships ranging from $100-$200 available for 4-H members to any one week of 4-H camp. Try one of our University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Centers at Blueberry Cove, Bryant Pond, Greenland Point and Tanglewood. Call the camps to ask for a scholarship. Scholarships are based on need and first come, first serve. For more information, visit: extension.umaine.edu/4h/camps.

All 4-H Club Meetings and Events Canceled Until Further Notice

Given the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation in Maine, UMaine Extension is cancelling all 4-H club meetings and events until further notice (no matter what size group).

  • Coronavirus | Airborne Disease Surveillance Epidemiology Program | MeCDC
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–Coronavirus Summary
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–Coronavirus Fact Sheet
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–What the Public Should Do
  • S. Department of State–China Travel Advisory
  • We will continue to keep you updated as we learn more information. Please contact your county office if you have specific questions.

National 4-H Dairy Conference

The 66th National 4-H Dairy Conference will be held September 27 to September 30, 2020 in Madison, Wisconsin. It will be held in conjunction with World Dairy Expo and attendees will have the chance to visit Expo as part of the conference agenda. Additionally, the conference will offer opportunities to learn more about careers in agriculture, seminars on dairy topics, and a wealth of chances to interact with dairy 4-H members from across the country. More info about the conference can be found here (check back for updates as they happen): https://national4hdairyconference.org/2018/11/07/join-us-in-2019/

The Maine 4H Animal Science Dairy Committee would love to try and send/support a team of motivated kiddos who are involved with the Dairy Goat, or Dairy Cattle Project Areas for this very unique and meaningful opportunity.

The National 4H Dairy Conference requires that 4-H team members: have spent at least 3 years in those project areas, and be at least 15 years old but not yet older than 18 (4-H age).

We are also looking for potential VOLT Chaperones who might like to help organize and facilitate this trip. If we have an idea of how many kids are interested we can plan our fundraising efforts accordingly. Interested parties can contact Tara marble at tara.marble@maine.edu, or 207.778.4650 at the Franklin County Office.

Stress Less Online Workshop for Teens – #EmpoweringMEandYou

The National 4-H Healthy Living Summit Team from Maine will be presenting their Stress Less online workshop on Thursday, April 16, 6-7 p.m. Any youth ages 13-18 are welcome and encouraged to attend. 4-H participation is not required!

The team developed the lesson plan at the 2019 Summit and presented it at the 2020 Summit.

This hour-long lesson was designed by and for teens to educate others on the effects of stress and how they can combat and cope with stress in their daily lives, and the lives of others. Youth will start by identifying what the effects of stress are, and then have the opportunity to practice a variety of coping strategies that can help to reduce these effects on the body. Youth will also learn and practice how to reframe their own negative self-talk and redirect that of others as it relates to stress.

If you are interested in attending this workshop please RSVP here by Monday, April 13, 2020 to receive a reminder email and the Zoom link. For questions or information on offering this to your county or club, please email or call Sara Conant at sara.conant@maine.edu or 207-781-6099.

Save the Date for 2020 Maine 4-H Days

Maine 4-H Days will take place July 16-19, 2020 at the Windsor Fairgrounds. If you are interested in helping to plan next year’s event, please contact Jessy Brainerd at jessica.brainerd@maine.edu or 207.581.3877.

Maine 4-H Days Planning Committee

July will be here before you know it, and we are looking for a few good volunteers to join the fantastic current Maine 4-H Days Planning Committee. Joining this committee gives you the chance to help come up with ideas and plans for one of our biggest statewide events! If you are interested in joining the Maine 4-H Days Planning Committee, or have general questions/comments/recommendations about the event, please email jessica.brainerd@maine.edu, or call 207.581.3877.