Waldo County 4-H Newsletter – November 2023

November 3, 2023 Waldo County 4-H Newsletter

Upcoming Dates:

11/8: 4-H Volunteer Connections – Building Strong 4-H Clubs

11/8 & 11/9: Office Closed due to Organizational Meeting

11/10: Veteran’s Day observed-Office closed

11/23 & 11/24: Thanksgiving Holiday-Office closed

11/30: STEAM Team Ocean Xplorers- What Makes A Fish A Fish?

12/31: 4-H Re-enrollment Deadline

Waldo County 4-H News:

Diving Into Aquaponics!

STEAM Team Ocean Xplorers very first monthly program, Diving into Aquaponics, was an incredible afternoon filled with learning, exploration and hands-on experiences as youth dove into the world of aquaponics and discovered the wonders of this innovative farming technique at the Belfast Free Library. With wide-eyed enthusiasm, youth from Waldo County witnessed the magic of nature’s interconnectedness as they learned about different tank systems and discovered the art of nutrient cycling, all while gaining a deeper appreciation for the ocean and its inhabitants.

The more than two dozen participants of the STEAM Team Ocean Xplorer multi-series program also eagerly took on the task of maintaining their own aquaponics system as each one got to take home their own mini tanks at the end of the event!
The next event, titled What Makes a Fish a Fish?, will be held Nov. 30 from 3:30-5 p.m. at the Belfast Free Library.

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.

4-H Re-enrollment Reminder!

Please remember to complete 4-H re-enrollment by December 31st.  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.

Volunteer Background Check Reminder

Our Maine 4-H program takes very seriously the safety of our program participants. As of October 1, 2018, all Maine 4-H volunteers are required to have a background check every three years. This includes currently enrolled volunteers. If a volunteer does not pass a background check or refuses to follow through with this policy, then the volunteer will no longer be able to serve as a UMaine Cooperative Extension Volunteer. This re-screening will be done at no cost to the volunteer.

As a currently enrolled 4-H volunteer in Waldo County you will have until December 31, 2023, to submit your background application online at client.verifiedcredentials.com/uofmaine-orono/. Please notify Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu once you have completed and submitted the form so county staff can complete the process.  For more information including an FAQ regarding the background checks please contact the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office.

State 4-H News:

4-H Volunteer Workshops for the 2023-2024 4-H Year

We invite you to participate in our 4-H Volunteer Connections virtual workshops! Join other 4-H volunteers from the North East region to learn, share and engage with one another on a variety of topics related to 4-H. All workshops are free and offered via Zoom in the evenings from 6:30 – 8:00 pm.

Topics include:
November 8 – Building Strong 4-H Clubs
January 10 – Creating LGBTQ+ Inclusive Programs
February 13 – Be a Positive Communicator
March 12 – Finding Space for Mental Wellness in Every Program
April 9 – Animal Science: Strong Relationships and Sportsmanship

Click here to register now! Come to one or come to all! We look forward to connecting with YOU!  

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/.