Waldo County 4-H Newsletter – June 2020

June 4, 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: 4-H on the Move Newsletter

Table of Contents

  • Upcoming Dates
  • County News
    • COVID-19 Update
    • Hancock County June Jamboree
    • Waldo County Arts & Crafts Showcase
  • State News
    • COVID-19 Update
    • Virtual 4-H Offerings
    • 2020 Summer Programming
    • 4-H at Home Aquaponics Project
    • 4-H “Learn at Home” BINGO
    • Learn at Home Resources
    • Camp Scholarships Available
    • 2020 Maine 4-H Foundation Scholarship Winners
    • National 4-H Dairy Conference
    • Virtual UMaine Web Page
    • Volunteer Survey
  • 4-H at Home Activity
    • Backyard Camping

Upcoming Dates

06/12-06/30: Hancock County 4-H June Jamboree

07/17: Entry Deadline for Quarantine Arts & Crafts Showcase

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 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.

We encourage all 4-H clubs to get together virtually. For assistance planning and conducting a virtual 4-H meeting please reach out to Waldo County 4-H staff.

Get Outside for June Jamboree!

4-H June Jamboree is an annual event hosted by Hancock County

4-H. It is open to ALL 4-H members, friends, and family in Hancock and neighboring counties.

June Jamboree features a weekend of hands-on workshops for kids and is typically held at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds during the first weekend in June, with overnight camping available. This year, we’re celebrating June Jamboree from home (but together!) for the entire month, June 12th through the 30th. We hope that you and your household can join in on these 4-H activities to bring us a little closer across the social distance.

For more information or to register for participation visit http://extension.umaine.edu/hancock/4h/at-home-jamboree

Waldo County 4-H Quarantine Arts and Crafts Showcase

Arts and  Arts and Crafts Showcase Rules:

  • Entries must be submitted by July 17, 2020
  • All artwork must be created between June 1, 2020 and July 17, 2020.
  • All artwork must be original work and must be created with minimal adult assistance. Acceptable assistance includes: acquiring materials, safety precautions, choosing a feasible project.
  • Participants must be enrolled in 4-H and be between the ages of 5 and 18 (4-H age).
  • Artwork must be accompanied by a brief narrative describing the work, the materials and tools used, the process of creating the artwork (how long did it take to make or how was it made, etc.), why the you chose to create this particular piece of art/craft, and how the four H’s (head, heart, hands, health) were used in the process.
  • Participants may submit 1 piece of artwork for each category (see categories below).

 

 

Arts and Crafts Showcase Submission Instructions:

  • All entries must be emailed to Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu by July 17th.
  • Emails should contain an image of the artwork as well as the artists name, age, title of the art piece and narrative describing the artwork.
  • Entries should be submitted as a JPEG image of the original artwork. Sculpture entries may have 2-3 images, showing multiple sides of the artwork if necessary.
  • Narratives should be a JPEG image of a neatly handwritten page or typed into an attached word document.
  • All entries will be showcased on the Waldo County 4-H website and Facebook page.

 

Arts and Crafts Showcase Categories:

  • Fiber arts (knitting, crocheting, sewing, etc.)
  • Fine Arts (drawing, painting)
  • Sculpture (clay, woodworking, welding)
  • Non-traditional (sculptures or collages using materials not typically used in making art – plastic bottles, newspaper, toilet paper rolls, tin foil, etc.)

State 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).

We will continue to keep you updated as we learn more information. Please contact your county office if you have specific questions.

Daily Virtual 4-H Offerings!

As a part of UMaine Cooperative Extension’s response to the changes in the world due to the novel coronavirus, we have created a weekly schedule of activities to keep youth engaged in learning:

 2020 4-H Summer Programming

4-H Staff and volunteers are working hard to put together some non-traditional offerings for Maine 4-Hers this summer.  Registration and other information will be available online on June 19th.

4-H At-Home Aquaponics Project

For youth ages 9+ interested in fish, gardening, engineering, aquaculture, and/or simply learning something new – we have a summer project for you! The 4-H At-Home Aquaponics Project is an experiential learning program delivered virtually beginning in Summer 2020, in partnership with the UMaine Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research (CCAR). The program will include learning experiences in introductory aquaponic systems and design, fish husbandry, aquaponic gardening, cooking and nutrition, and more! Prior experience with aquaponics is not required. The program leaders will mentor youth through the stages of designing and building an aquaponics system through maintenance and harvest. Youth complete their project independently at home (with adult supervision), but they are also members of a state-wide group of youth who will meet regularly via Zoom from July – October 2020. More info and registration is online.

What is Aquaponics? Aquaponics is a type of farming that combines raising fish in tanks (aquaculture) and growing plants without soil (hydroponics). In an aquaponics system, the plants use nutrient-rich water from the fish tank while purifying the water for the fish. Aquaponic farming can be done year-round, indoors, and in any climate. It is a fun and different way to grow your own food that is safe, easy, and fresh!

4-H “Learn at Home” BINGO

Looking for some fun family activities you can do from your own home? Maine 4-H invites you to play 4-H Learn at Home BINGO! Register online to receive your Bingo Board for the month of June: https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/learn-at-home/bingo-registration/.

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: extension.umaine.edu/4h/learn-at-home

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.

2020 Maine 4-H Foundation Scholarship Winners

Celebrate our 2020 Maine 4-H Foundation scholarship winners. Check our Maine 4-H Foundation video awards presentation. https://extension.umaine.edu/4hfoundation/

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.

Virtual UMaine Webpage

If you’re interested in UMaine – there is a dedicated web page for students to learn more information because Accepted Student Days and Open House Programs have been canceled for the spring.  Check it out at: https://go.umaine.edu/admitted-fyr/.

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.

4-H at Home Activity

Backyard Camping Activity

Warmer weather will be here soon and that means that it is time to start planning your camping adventure! Camping is a great way to enjoy nature, learn about environment, and practice outdoor survival skills. If you cannot leave your home, do not worry! Camping can be done right in your backyard, or even your living room. In this backyard camping activity, families can experience the joys of camping while staying safe in their own homes. Backyard camping is great way to prepare your family for sleeping away from home or for a larger camping trip. What are you waiting for? Get outside and have some fun with backyard camping!

Visit http://extension.umaine.edu/waldo/2020/05/29/4-h-weekly-activity-backyard-camping for more information on planning your backyard camping trip!

Backyard Camping 2020          Ballards Campfire May 2020