4-H News in Washington County – February 2025
Dates to Remember
4-H Crafting for a Cause
Speak Up, Washington County 4-H: Showcase Your Sparks! A Public Speaking Event
Egg Business Project
4-H Youth Embark on Virtual Moon Mission with The Challenger Center
Support 4-H’er at Washington Academy Craft Fair
Cobscook Currents 4-H Club
Conservation Career 4-H Club
Crafting Clovers 4-H Club
4-H Science Fridays
Oh Yea 4-H Grows True Leaders
News from the State
Dates to Remember
February 13: Maple Sugaring 101 begins
February 18: Family Day, Mano de Mano, Milbridge, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
February 19: 4-H Volunteer Connections: Building Connections for Success
February 21: Deadline to register for Speak Up, Washington County 4-H: Showcase Your Sparks! A Public Speaking Event
February 21 & 28: Start Your 4-H Volunteer Journey
February 22: Winter Family Fun Day by Downeast Coastal Conservancy, Middle River Park, Machias, 10:00 a.m.
February 24: 4-H Crafting for a Cause, Calais
February 24: Egg Business Project Information Session
February 28: 4-H Science Friday: Ecobots
February 28: Nuestra Voz / Stargazing Workshop, Mano en Mano, Milbridge, 6:00 p.m.
March 1: Speak Up, Washington County 4-H: Showcase Your Sparks! A Public Speaking Event
March 1: 2025 Maine 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl tryouts
March 1: 2025 Maine 4-H Dairy Eastern States intent to participate form deadline
March 3: Maine 4-H Foundation Scholarship deadline
March 4: Maine 4-H Ag Ambassadors begins
March 8: Snow Date, Speak Up, Washington County 4-H Event
March 8: MEPC Engineering Expo, Orono
March 12-16: Ignite by 4-H Conference in Washington DC
March 19-23: Maine Science Festival, Bangor
March 19: 4-H Volunteer Connections: Growing Beyond the Ribbon
April 5: Speak Up, Maine 4-H: Showcase Your Sparks! A Public Speaking Event in Orono
April 11-16: 4-H Conference in Washington DC
May 16-18: Northeast Livestock Expo (NELE)
June 14-15: Explore Vet Science, UMASS Farm facilities in Hadley, MA
November 28 – December 2, 2025: 4-H Congress in Atlanta, GA
4-H Crafting for a Cause
Do you love to create homemade items? Do you like to use your imagination? Do you like doing things for others? University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H Crafting for a Cause will be making fleece tie blankets for the Calais Community Hospital Emergency Department on Monday, February 24 from 3-4:30 p.m. at the Calais Veterans Center at 255 Main Street, Calais.
Join 4-H member, Quinn Rollins, each month to craft and often “crafting for a cause”. This is a unique opportunity for individuals of all ages; however, if you are under eight, an adult needs to accompany you. Quinn is using this monthly craft and “crafting for a cause” as her community service project for the year. This 4-H project fosters compassion, responsibility and a heart for giving back.
During the first session, the group made homemade and unique Valentine cards for the Machias Veterans’ Home and local veterans. Their mission is to continue to create homemade items to give to organizations like the hospitals, veteran and senior homes, food pantries, and more.
The group is looking for ideas of crafts to do and where to send them. They are asking for donations of fleece (one yard or more) or new extra lap-size tie blankets. Please contact 4-H Volunteer, Sherry Sivret at 207-214-5754 to donate or for more information about 4-H Crafting for a Cause.
Speak Up, Washington County 4-H! : A Public Speaking Event
Maine 4-H is rebranding our public speaking program to better capture the heart of the program. We want youth to know that the skills they build through Public Speaking will support them throughout their lives and aren’t solely utilized behind a podium, on a stage or with a microphone. We want to encourage youth to showcase their sparks, share their passions, and be proud of their connection to 4-H. With that being said, Washington County 4-H’ers are invited to participate in our county event!
When: Saturday, March 1st from 1:00-4:00pm. Snow date is Saturday, March 8th 1:00-4:00pm (same location)
Where: Reynolds Center Conference Room at the University of Maine at Machias , 116 O’Brien Ave, Machias
How: Register on our webpage by Friday, February 21, 2025
For questions or to request a reasonable accommodation contact Gabby Brodek at gabrielle.brodek@maine.edu or 207.255.3345
Egg Business Project
Washington and Hancock Counties are teaming up to bring back the Egg Business Project! This is an opportunity for youth to learn how to run a business, entrepreneurship, animal husbandry and more. Through the experience, youth learn to face challenges and develop problem-solving skills, both necessary for budding entrepreneurs, with the support of 4-H staff and local experts.
This club is open to ages 11-18, with a maximum of five families per county. For more information about the club please visit our Egg Business Project website and fill out an interest form. By filling out the form, you will be invited to an information session on Monday, February 24th 6-7pm.
4-H Youth Embark on Virtual Moon Mission with The Challenger Center
One 4-H’ers spark of rocketry and aerospace launched an exciting new collaboration with Washington County 4-H and The Challenger Center. Seven youth from Hancock and Washington Counties participated in a virtual Destination Moon Mission facilitated by The Challenger Center in Bangor, Maine. Youth had a chance to get to know each other before the mission, which required youth to take on various roles to successfully initiate the launch of a vehicle into orbit, then land a lunar lander on the moon’s surface. They had to monitor for weather and space debris, conduct safety checks, deploy satellites and launch payloads. But that would be too easy, right? Youth had to work as a team to find a timely solution to an oxygen leak, yikes! Stay tuned to see where else this spark will take 4-H.
Support 4-H’er at Washington Academy Craft Fair
Théo, an active member of Cobscook Currents 4-H Club, will be at the Washington Academy Craft Fair on Saturday, February 8th from 9:00-2:00pm selling his handmade fly fishing ties. They are great gifts for fly fishing enthusiasts! Please consider stopping by and supporting his small business.
Club Updates
Cobscook Currents 4-H Club


Conservation Career Club
Teens toured the Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research (CCAR) to learn about the different facilities that they have on campus and current research projects. Youth saw juvenile lumpfish and sea urchins at different developmental stages and learned what equipment is needed to keep them alive, safe and thriving. In true learn-by-doing fashion, youth tested water samples for the tanks and sampled biomass of fish, thanks to dedicated, hands-on staff.
Crafting Clovers 4-H Club
4-H Science Fridays
During the first program of the year, youth became engineers as they planned, designed, and improved their own catapult designs and tested them. “I was really impressed with the variety of designs and ingenuity. They did a really good job working through frustrations and design failures.” said Gabby Brodek, 4-H Professional, who supports youth learning at Science Fridays. Youth got to test out their designs with marshmallows at the end of the program to see whose designs worked and launched the farthest.
The next 4-H Science Friday: EcoBots is Friday, February 28th 3:00-4:30pm. Youth will ensemble their own bot, learn how it functions, and use the robot to perform a simulated environmental cleanup project. Register on our webpage.
Oh Yea 4-H Grows True Leaders
As promised in last month’s newsletter, Oh Yea 4-H Grows True Leaders has a calendar of upcoming events to get your child involved in our youth development programs. We started the month of February with our first Regional Youth Council retreat held at the Falmouth Cooperative Extension office. All five Oh Yea 4-H sites from Maine and Vermont sent a few representatives from their club to partake in the planning of how the Northeast region of the United States will represent Oh Yea at national 4-H meetings and conference. It was a weekend filled with great strides in leadership by our youth. We participated in interactive workshops, shared our program’s progress, played games, swam, screen printed, hiked, and had a good time planning the future of our collaboration with each other.
For the immediate future, please refer to our calendar of activities that run until Blueberry Harvest School begins in July.
Oh Yea! 4-H Grows True Leaders
Calendar of Events, Spring 2025
February
Family Day; Feb. 18th, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.; Mano de Mano, Milbridge, ME
Winter Family Fun Day by Downeast Coastal Conservancy; Feb. 22nd, 10:00 a.m.; Middle River Park, Machias, ME
Nuestra Voz / Stargazing Workshop; Feb. 28th, 6:00 p.m.; Mano en Mano, Milbridge, ME
March
Public Speaking Tournament; Mar. 1st, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.; UMaine Machias, Reynolds Center, Machias, ME
Hike – Crisscrossing Paths with Maine Coast Heritage Trust; Mar. 8th, 10:00 a.m.; Long Point Preserve Trailhead, Machiasport, ME
Ignite Teen Summit; Mar. 12th – 16th; Washington, D.C.
Family Ice Skating; Mar. 22nd, 2:30 p.m.; Penobscot Ice Area, Brewer, ME
April
Crisscrossing Paths – Beach Clean-up with MCHT (Community Service Project); April 12th, 10:00 p.m.; Bog Brook Cove Trailhead, Cutler, ME
Dia de los Niños / Cooking Workshop; April 19th, 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.; Mano en Mano, Milbridge, ME
May
Hike – Crisscrossing Paths with MCHT; May 3rd, 10:00 a.m.; Sipp Bay Preserve Trailhead, Perry, ME
Dia de las Madres; May 10th, 5:00 p.m.; Milbridge Elementary, Milbridge, ME
June
Dia de los Padres – Football Field Day; June 14th, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Possibly the 15th); Milbridge Elementary, Milbridge, ME
Canoeing / Kayaking; June 21st, 10:00 a.m.; Orange River Trailhead, Whiting, ME
Dia de los Padres – Football Field Day (alternate); June 28th, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Milbridge Elementary, Milbridge, ME
July
Boat Trip; July 12th, 10:00 a.m.; Treat Island, Lubec, ME
Time and locations are subject to change slightly, so please make sure to confirm with Jason Palomo at University of Maine Cooperative Extension by emailing. jason.palomo@maine.edu or with Maria Paniagua at Mano en Mano by emailing mpaniagua@manomaine.org.
Maine State News
Maine 4-H Ag Ambassadors-Spring 2025
Maine 4-H is now accepting registrations for the spring 2025 Agriculture Ambassadors cohort! The program is designed for youth ages 14-18 who are interested in any aspect of agriculture. Youth spend time getting to know each other and learn both online and in-person in sessions facilitated by UMaine 4-H Staff and community partners. Sessions will focus on career exploration, exploring the Maine Food System with farm and production visits around the state, and building relationships with industry professionals.
This season we will visit local Maine Ag businesses like Mook Sea Farm and Aquaculture and the anaerobic digester at Stonyvale Farm (one of the largest in the US!). Check them both out! Transportation assistance for these events may be available upon request.
In addition to the multi-week session, youth will serve in their ambassador role with Maine 4-H for at least 1 year. Youth will pick an agricultural area to focus on (ex. livestock, ag literacy/food systems, environmental stewardship, ag and health) during their term and explore leadership opportunities locally, statewide, and even nationally. Register today!
To register visit extension.umaine.edu/4h/youth/ag-leadership. For more information or a reasonable accommodation, please contact Alisha Targonski at alisha.targonski@maine.edu or 207.622.7546.
Spring 2025 dates
Online: March 04, March 11, March 25, April 1 & April 15
In-person: March 22 and March 29
Maine Agriculture Symposium at the University of Maine: April 21-22 (optional overnight) No cost paid and transportation assistance may be available.
Save the Date: UMass Animal Science Academies
UMass 4-H is inviting Maine 4-H members to participate in two weekend workshops for animal and veterinary science.
The Explore Vet Science will take place on Saturday, June 14th and Sunday, June 15th at the UMASS Farm facilities in Hadley, MA. Participants will get hands-on animal experience, working with UMASS faculty and staff, to learn about the work of the veterinarian and career opportunities in animal and veterinary science. There will be an overnight dorm option available. This program is for youth ages 13-18.
The Animal Science Cattle Academy will take place on Friday, June 20th through Sunday, June 22nd at the Tri-County Fairgrounds in Northampton, MA. This event is for any 4-Her with a dairy, beef, or working steer project. Participants will learn fitting, showing, and other aspects of their project from several experts from across the northeast! Youth are invited to bring their projects to the academy. However, we may have a local dairy farm to provide dairy heifers this year!
A registration form will be sent out once schedules are finalized for both events. Cost and other program information will be provided with registration. To express interest in the program as well as provide feedback for planning please visit https://forms.office.com/r/Wec5U3Bncafor the veterinary science academy and https://forms.office.com/r/5TNYM5wjwh for the animal science academy.
Foundations of Maple Sugaring Enterprise: From Sap, to Syrup, to Sales
Maple Sugaring 101, also known as Foundations of Maple Sugaring Enterprise, is a 7-week hybrid program open to Maine youth ages 9 to 18 who are interested in learning about the entire maple sugaring process and how to create a commercial grade syrup. Participants will learn about forest management, tapping trees, transporting sap, using an evaporator, grading and storing syrup, and operating a maple sugaring business.
Each week, participants will learn about the process and connect with other young maple sugar makers through online meetings and in-person workshops led by University of Maine Cooperative Extension experts. Online meetings are scheduled for weekday evenings, 5pm-6pm on February 13, February 27, and March 13. On-site workshops will be held at participating sugarhouses at times available for sugarhouse hosts and volunteers.
This program will also prepare youth for a new Level 1 digital badge called Foundations of Maple Sugaring Enterprise. Youth who complete the program will get free access to the learning modules to earn the digital badge.
Club leaders who would like to have their club participate in this program, please contact your Andrew Hudacs by Friday, February 7, 2025 (extended!): hudacs@maine.edu, 207.581.8204.
Youth who are interested in the program but are not a member of a participating club are welcome to register. Travel beyond their home county may be required to attend onsite sessions if a sugarhouse is not available locally. Please contact andrew.hudacs@maine.edu, 207.581.8204 as soon as possible if you do not already have a host sugarhouse that are planning to visit for the program.
For more information, please visit the Maple Sugaring 101 webpage: https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/annual-events/maple-sugaring-101/.
Become a 4-H Tick Project Mentor!
We are looking for volunteers to guide youth in learning about ticks and community science through the 4-H Tick Project.
Mentors will:
- Facilitate hands-on learning experiences through 4-H activities in classrooms, after-school programs, and/or community events.
- Model tick collection protocols and identification techniques.
- Share best practices for tick safety with young people.
- Make a valuable contribution to their communities.
- No prior experience with tick science is required. The training will provide all the necessary knowledge and resources. This opportunity requires volunteers to work with educators and youth in various learning environments, including outdoors in tick habitat.
For more details and to register for the training, please visit: extension.umaine.edu/hancock/tick-project/volunteer. The deadline to register for the training is March 30, 2025.
Do You Know Someone Who is Interested in Becoming a 4-H Volunteer? Tell them about Start Your 4-H Journey!
University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer a two-part online informational session for adults interested in becoming Maine 4-H volunteers on February 21 & 28 from 12 – 1 p.m. “Start Your 4-H Volunteer Journey” will provide participants with information about the UMaine Extension 4-H youth development program through four short e-Learning modules. Attendees will also participate in an experimental learning activity, learn about the key aspects of positive youth development, and be introduced to ages and stages of youth. The two one-hour virtual sessions will wrap up with an outline of next steps and an introduction to a county staff contact to help with the application process if desired.
Registration is required. The sessions are free. To register, visit our website. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Jennifer Lobley, jennifer.lobley@maine.edu, 207.255.3345.
Summer Camp at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove
Registration for Summer Programs at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove 4-H Camps is now open! We would love to see you at one of our 4-H Camps this summer! 1 and 2-week overnight camps, day camps, outdoor trips, and teen leadership camps are open for anyone to attend. This is a great opportunity to diversify your 4-H experience and continue building awesome skills. Scholarships are available from the Camps and the 4-H Foundation to help with tuition costs.
Some sessions fill up fast! To start planning your summer experience, please check out the program pages on our website which have more information and dates. We are excited to welcome you to the Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove Family! For questions, please email or call Emma at the contact information below.
Website: umaine.edu/tanglewood
Email: extension.tanglewood4h@maine.edu
Phone: 207.789.5868
4-H Volunteer Connections: Register Today!
We are offering THREE virtual interactive sessions this winter for all 4-H volunteers! Join us for regional training and networking opportunities with 4-H volunteers from our 13 states in the North East Region! Session topics include the following:
– Building Connections for Success – February 19, 2025 – 6:30 – 8:00 pm
– Growing Beyond the Ribbon – March 19, 2025 – 6:30 – 8:00 pm
To read more about each session and register, go to this link! https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/volunteer-connections/
Sign up for one, two, or all three! Sessions are free, but you must register! Questions? Reach out to Jen Lobley at lobley@maine.edu We hope to see you there!
2025 Engineering Week Expo
The Maine Engineering Promotional Council (MEPC) Engineering Expo will be held Saturday, March 8th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the University of Maine Field House in Orono. This family-friendly FREE event invites the community to explore the world of engineering through demonstrations and hands-on activities. The 4-H Science and Engineering Center will be there along with Maine engineering firms, schools, government agencies, and societies who are invested in engaging young minds in career pathways involving engineering. For more information on the Engineering Expo please go to the website: https://www.engineeringme.com/expo.
Maine Science Festival
The Maine Science Festival will be held March 19-23 times TBD in February at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. This FREE event includes a Field Trip Day for 7th- 8th graders, a Teen Tech Night, and Exploration Stations that include demonstrations and hands-on activities involving the sciences. Be sure to put it on your calendar because it really is a fun event! For more information on the Maine Science Festival please go to the website: https://www.mainesciencefestival.org/.
Public Speaking Workshops
As we move into 2025, many counties will be hosting workshops for youth who are interested in participating in Public Speaking. As more information is available, it will be posted on the public speaking website.
Explore Maine’s Aquaculture Industry with Virtual Field Trips from 4-H
Virtual Field Trips (VFTs) are an innovative way for youth to explore and learn about places and people that would otherwise be infeasible! These immersive, online experiences bring Maine’s thriving aquaculture industry to life—no travel required.
Accessible at no cost, the Virtual Field Trips are designed to break down geographical and financial barriers, making high-quality, hands-on learning available to all. Register online to receive a link to the VFTs. Each field trip also comes with complementary 4-H activity guides and lesson plans to help facilitate meaningful engagement with youth.
The first VFT currently available features the University of Maine’s Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research (CCAR), a large-scale, land-based aquaculture facility in Franklin, Maine. Additional virtual field trips are in development and will be rolled out throughout 2025 and 2026. These experiences offer insight into seafood production, workforce development, career exploration, and STEM concepts related to aquaculture technologies.
To register for a virtual field trip, visit umaine.edu/hancock/aquaculture/vft.
For more information: contact Carla Scocchi, 4-H Youth Development Professional, carla.scocchi@maine.edu.
4-H Science Toolkits
Maine 4-H has a lending library of 4-H Science toolkits. These come with activities and materials around a variety of topics. Recent additions include:
– eBird Explorers, exploring Ornithology for Cloverbuds
– Harmful and Shifting Species, which examines species impacting the Maine coast
– Power Protectors, which involves exploring energy use and an introduction to renewable energy through engineering design challenges.
Reach out to your local 4-H staff person or email 4-HScience@maine.edu to make a reservation or with any questions.
4-H Dairy Quizbowl – Save the Date!
The 2025 Maine 4-H dairy quizbowl tryouts will be held on March 1st at the Randall Student Center at the University of Maine Augusta. The contest will start at 10:00 AM with the written exam, followed by the individual questions portion and then the buzzer rounds.
This event will serve as the official tryout for the Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl Team. The top four eligible 4-H members will be selected to represent Maine 4-H at The Big E in the regional dairy quizbowl contest in September.
Maine 4-H dairy quizbowl tryouts are open to all enrolled 4-H dairy members ages 9-18. Youth will be divided into two age categories, Jr. ages 9-11 and Sr. ages 12-18. If you plan on attending please notify Sadee Mehurenvia email at mehuren@maine.eduso that we can prepare for the event.
For more information on the event including the contest rules, please visit extension.umaine.edu/4h/dairy-quizbowl/.
ESE 4-H Dairy Intent Forms Available Now!
The 2025 Maine 4-H Dairy Eastern States intent to participate form is available online at https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/dairy/. In order to be eligible for participation on the Maine 4-H Dairy Eastern States Team next fall, 4-H members must submit their completed intent form online or to the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office before March 1, 2025.
Please contact Sadee Mehuren at mehuren@maine.eduor 207.342.5971 with any questions.
Maine 4-H Foundation Scholarships
Every year, the Maine 4-H Foundation awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to participants in the Maine 4-H Program pursuing higher education, this participation includes traditional club membership, as well as the many other ways youth can engage with 4-H, including at our Camp and Learning Centers. Dozens of different scholarships are available to applicants, and a single application is used for all.
To find out more about available scholarships, and access the application and templates, visit the Maine 4-H Foundation website. Applications are due to your local UMaine Extension county office or one of our 4-H Learning Centers by March 3, 2025.
Save the Date: Northeast Livestock Expo (NELE)
The Northeast Livestock Expo (NELE) will take place from May 16 – 18, 2025 at the Windsor Fairgrounds in Windsor, Maine. More information can be found on their website, and entry forms and schedules will be available in 2025.