4-H News in Washington County – October 2023
Table of Contents
Dates to Remember
4-H Science Fridays
Cobscook Currents 4-H Club
Washington County Photo and Ribbon Pick Up Instructions
Project Records Final Reminder
4-H Professional, Gabby Brodek, Vacation
Community Service Opportunity
Paper Clover Campaign, Tractor Supply Co.
Learning Ecosystems Northeast (LENE) Fall Phenology Photo Contest!
Oh Yea! 4-H Grows True Leaders Youth Development Workshops in Princeton and Milbridge: “The Green Crab and Other Invasive Species”
News from the State
Dates to Remember
October 4-15: Paper Clover Campaign at Tractor Supply Co., Calais
October 7: Perry Harvest Festival, Town of Perry Municipal Building, 898 US-1, Perry, ME, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
October 9: Indigenous People’s Day – Extension Office Closed
October 9, 16, 23: Apple Gleaning Community Service Project, Lubec
October 12-November 9-Oh Yea! 4-H Grows True Leaders Youth Development Workshop in Princeton: “The Green Crab and Other Invasive Species”
October 13-November 10– Oh Yea! 4-H Grows True Leaders Youth Development Workshop in Milbridge: “The Green Crab and Other Invasive Species”
October 18–December 2: Fall 2023 Maine 4-H Agricultural Ambassadors Program
October 24-November 16: 4-H Weaving SPIN Club (virtual)
November 28: Phenology Photo Contest
November 30: Re-enrollment Deadline
From June through September Washington County 4-H hosted a new program series on the University of Maine at Machias Campus, 4-H Science Fridays, where about once a month youth and adults gathered to explore various science topics:
June – Plants Around Us
July – Kite Making
August – DNA, Strawberries and You
September – Fish Printing and Aquariums
September – Eclipse Investigations
30 youth from 14 families participated across the programs. Across the five programs we also had help from 9 different community members, represented by UMM faculty and students, 4-H volunteers, and Washington County 4-H and EFENP staff.
Keep an eye out for the return of 4-H Science Fridays!
Cobscook Currents 4-H Club reports that they have been working with legos and invasive species projects at their recent club meetings! They are looking forward to a community service project helping a local resident.
Washington County Photo and Ribbon Pick Up Instructions
Photos and ribbons from the Washington County 4-H Photo Contest will be ready to pick up at the Extension office in Machias after October 10. To ensure that the office is open, please call ahead at 207.255.3345 to schedule a pick up time.
4-H Project Records Final Reminder
Last reminder to submit project records! 4-H Project Records can be found here: UMaine 4-H Project Records.
4-H Professional, Gabby Brodek, Vacation
Gabby will be on vacation and will have limited access to the internet from October 25th through November 13th. If you need assistance from her, please plan accordingly. While she is out of the office, you can contact Tara Wood, Administrative Specialist by email at tara.a.wood@maine.edu or by phone at 207.255.3345 or 1.800.287.1542 (toll-free within Maine).
Join Master Gardener Volunteers, Healthy Acadia, and 4-H staff for apple gleaning in Lubec on Monday, October 9th 12-3pm, as well as potentially October 16th and 23rd. Gleaning is the act of collecting a harvest that otherwise would have gone to waste. Please contact Gabby Brodek, 4-H Professional, at 207.255.3345 or by email at gabrielle.brodek@maine.edu for more information.
Tractor Supply Company Paper Clover Campaign
‘Tis the season…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 Calais to check out the Washington County 4-H display.
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.
Learning Ecosystems Northeast (LENE) Fall Phenology Photo Contest!
“We are looking for original images that capture essential fall features in your environment. The main image must be a photo you have taken in panorama or 360 mode, that displays fall phenology: cyclic changes tied to a certain natural phenomenon. There will be separate educator and youth submission divisions. Prizes range from $20 (3rd place) to $100 (1st place). Deadline for submission is November 28th, 2023. Click here for more details.” Media must be submitted by November 28th, 7pm ET.
Oh Yea! 4-H Grows True Leaders Youth Development Workshop in Princeton and Milbridge: “The Green Crab and Other Invasive Species”
Oct. 13, 2023: What are food webs and ecosystems?
Oct. 20, 2023: What is an invasive species?
Oct. 21, 2023: Tidepool visit (optional Saturday field trip)
Oct. 27, 2023: How are invasive crabs different from native crabs?
Nov. 3, 2023: How fast do invasives multiply?
Nov. 10, 2023: How have invasives changed the Maine coast?
For more information, please contact Jason Palomo, Oh Yea! 4-H Youth Development Professional at 207.255.3345 or by email at jason.palomo@maine.edu.
News from the State
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. This club is open to the first 10 participants who register by October 16th.
4-H Tick Project
The 4-H Tick Projectis 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 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.
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 zsuite.org
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- 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 by October 11th.