Waldo County 4-H Newsletter – October 2023
Upcoming Dates:
10/9: Indigenous Peoples’ Day-office closed
10/11: Fall 2023 Maine 4-H Agricultural Ambassadors Program – registration due
10/16: 4-H Weaving SPIN Club-registration due
10/19: STEAM Team Ocean Xplorers series kick off at Belfast Free Library (pre-registration required)
Waldo County 4-H News:
New STEAM Team Ocean Xplorers Program
Explore, create, learn! Registration is now open for a new multi-session, interactive, ocean-focused STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) adventure series at the Belfast Free Library, 106 High Street.
STEAM Team Ocean Xplorers is a collaborative effort between the University of Maine’s Cooperative Extension Waldo County 4-H, the Belfast Free Library and the UMaine MARINE Initiative. This monthly series allows youth ages 8-12 an opportunity to explore and discover undersea and seaside wonders together with UMaine scientists and local field experts through hands-on learning experiences and activities.
The free program will kick off on Oct. 19, 2023 with Diving into Aquaponics. Held at the Belfast Free Library’s Abbott Room on the ground floor, participants will learn all about aquaponics, a type of sustainable farming that combines raising fish in tanks (aquaculture) and growing plants without soil (hydroponics). Youth participants will practice engineering and observation skills and have the opportunity to interact with an aquaponics system.
The series is designed to foster discovery, a sense of belonging, joy, and stewardship for Maine’s ocean and coastline, while introducing STEAM concepts through multi-sensorial engagement. By providing experiential STEAM lessons and activities led by scientists and practitioners, the program aims to inspire participants to envision their path to college and future career in STEAM. Throughout the program series, spanning until May, youth will explore diverse educational and culturally relevant themes, such as aquaponics, aquaculture, marine mammals and marine debris, deepening ocean literacy.
Space is limited to 30 children. Registration is required. To sign up visit the program webpage at extension.umaine.edu/waldo/4h/ocean-xplorers/ or Belfast Free Library website at belfastlibrary.org/.
For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, please contact Nita Frederick, nita.frederick@maine.edu, 207.581.8286.
Tractor Supply Company Paper Clover Campaign
It’s Paper Clover Campaign season! From October 4th – October 15th you can give donations to 4-H at a local Tractor Supply. Head over to the Tractor Supply in Belfast.
Since 2010 Tractor Supply Company and 4-H have partnered to raise over $14 million through the Paper Clover Campaign fundraiser to provide hands-on learning experiences to over 69,000 youth. 100% of funds raised through the campaign go directly back to 4-H youth — 90% of donations support 4-H youth in the state it was raised and 10% supports national 4-H programming.
Birthday Shoutout!
Happy birthday Kelsey S.!From Our Archive:
As we kick off our new STEAM Team program with the Belfast Free Library it is with great pride that we continue the pioneering efforts 4-H volunteers started in the early 1980’s when Marine Education was just being introduced to the “array of projects available to 4-H” members in Waldo County. In addition to the science of Marine Education the current program is infusing Art into the curriculum (the “A” in STEAM) as well as a nod to marine based food production such as kelp farms. Many of the workshop presenters are undergraduate, graduate student, and faculty scientists at the University of Maine who are participating to share their exciting projects and inspire future marine scientists.
If you participated in 4-H Beach Walks and Marine Education through 4-H or see yourself in this photo and would like to share your experience we would love to connect with you. Please contact Waldo County 4-H: Nita Frederick at nita.frederick@maine.edu or at 581-8286.
State 4-H News:
4-H Weaving SPIN Club
Calling all creative youth ages 9 & up! You are likely familiar with crochet or knitting – but have you ever thought about weaving? In this SPIN club, we will cover the basics – from understanding the mechanics of simple knitting – to investigating different types of fiber to know why you might choose to use wool rather than cotton. This will be a VERY hands-on club – we will provide all the necessary tools and materials to everyone attending – and club members will have the opportunity to work on a traditional tapestry loom and experiment with circular weaving!
Meetings will take place over Zoom October 24, and 26; November 2, 14 & 16; 4:00 – 5:00 pm. Find out more and register online at extension.umaine.edu/4h/virtual-learning-hub/4-h-weaving-spin-club/. This club is open to the first 10 participants who register by October 16th.
4-H Tick Project
The 4-H Tick Project is a community science project engaging K-12 youth and educators, made possible through a partnership between 4-H Youth Development, UMaine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab, Maine Forest Tick Survey, and members of the Learning Ecosystems Northeast partnership. The project provides youth an opportunity to explore ticks and tick-borne diseases, which is a connected story of climate, ecosystem change, and public health.
All educators interested in teaching about ticks in Maine are encouraged to participate in the project at no cost to you. This is a great project for 4-H clubs, SPIN clubs, homeschool groups, and more. For more information and to register, visit the 4-H Tick Project webpage at extension.umaine.edu/hancock/4h/tick-project/.
It’s Time to Enroll for the New 4-H Year!
If you manage your family’s account via ZSuite, reenrollment is just a few clicks away:
Login at 4h.zsuite.org
- Click on the PRIMARY profile and enter your 4-character PIN.
- Click on the name of the youth member you wish to enroll.
- Click on ENROLL MEMBER NOW.
- Review/update the requested member information. When you are done with that, click NEXT
- Here you will read and electronically sign the 4-H participation waiver(s), click NEXT
- Here is where you will select your club or clubs and desired projects. There may be clubs and projects listed that carried over from your enrollment during the last program year.
- To add clubs, select your county. This defaults to the county submitted when you created your account. You may need to select another county to find your desired club.
- Select your Club from the drop-down menu. Select ADD CLUB.
- To add projects for any of the clubs, select ADD PROJECT for the desired clubs. Select the desired project from the drop-down menu. Select ADD PROJECT and selection will be added to the club. Feel free to add additional clubs or projects. If you make a mistake or wish to remove a project, select the X and confirm you wish to delete the project.
- When done making your selections, click Submit. Enrollment records need to be active/green status before engaging in 4-H activities and to register for events.
Fall 2023 Maine 4-H Agricultural Ambassadors Program
Who: This program is for all Maine youth ages 14 – 18.
What: This hybrid program will provide youth with an opportunity to connect to local agriculture, build relationships with industry professionals, develop professional and advocacy skills, and explore careers in agriculture. The 2023 fall cohort will explore careers and local agriculture through in-person field trips (limited transportation available), and by attending virtual meetings to grow their professional skill set (e.g. resume writing and interviewing skills). Additionally, youth will complete a personal reflective project exploring the role of agriculture and their future. This program includes mentoring in post-secondary opportunities as well as exploring current issues around food systems, livestock, crop sciences, aquaculture, climate issues impacting food systems, food equity, and more.
Why: The goal of the Maine 4-H Ag Ambassador Program is to provide experiences for youth to explore their interest in agriculture. The program focuses on.
– connecting youth with their local food systems and industries
– exploring the richness and diversity of the Maine food system
– developing “ag-vocacy” skills
– increasing access to career and post-secondary opportunities in agri-science and food systems.
Where: Virtually and in-person throughout Maine.
When: – Virtual Meeting Dates: October 18 & 25, November 1 & 15
– In-Person Meeting Dates: October 21, November 10, and December 2.
How: Interested in Joining? Register Online at extension.umaine.edu/4h/youth/ag-leadership/registration-agricultural-leadership-ambassador-program/ by October 11th.