4-H News in Washington County – August 2022
Dates to Remember
August 11: Skowhegan Fair Working Steer Show
August 19: Registration Deadline Washington County Fair
August 27-28: Washington County Fair, Pembroke Fairgrounds
September 1-5: Blue Hill Fair
October 22 & November 11: 4-H Unconference for Volunteers (more information in the State News below)
Register Now for “Come Grow with 4-H” at the Washington County Fair
Calling all 4-H members -are you growing something in your garden? Please remember to register for the “Come Grow with 4-H” Garden Exhibit at the Washington County Fair by Friday, August 19.
Find more information and register on the website.
Welcome Gabby Brodek, Statewide 4-H Science Professional
Please join us in welcoming Gabby Brodek to UMaine Extension. Gabby recently started her 4-H Science Professional- Learning Ecosystems Northeast (LENE) position on August 1. In her position Gabby will be working directly with a multi-year grant funded project by NASA and led by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI). A very broad goal of the project is to support place-based explorations of climate and data literacy for youth. The approach to achieving the goal is centered on the idea that connected learning for youth begins with connecting the educators who influence them. Gabby is familiar with UMaine and 4-H. She just received her Teaching (Life Sciences) Masters Degree from UMaine in May of 2022 and finished up a semester of student teaching in Washington County. Prior to that she worked with the 4-H team in the state office as a Graduate Assistant with the EPSCoR project and developed a curriculum around sustainable fishing and eDNA as part of the workforce and development Maine eDNA project.
Gabby’s office will be in the Washington County Extension office that will be moving onto the UMaine Machias campus soon.
News from the State
- Looking for 4-H Alumni & Members Attending UMaine!
If you are a current or former 4-H member planning to attend UMaine this fall, know of a 4-H member currently attending UMaine, or know of a recent 4-H alumni attending UMaine, read this! Collegiate 4-H is an opportunity for 4-H alumni and college students interested in supporting the mission of 4-H to be involved in 4-H after high school. We are currently exploring starting a Collegiate 4-H Club at UMaine with an anticipated start date for the 2022 fall semester. Simply fill out this short form to let us know if you think you might be interested! - Save the Date for the 4-H Unconference
UMaine 4-H Unconference will be an organized forum for 4-H volunteers, club leaders, afterschool providers, teachers, parents and teen leaders to gather. UMaine 4-H Unconference is intentionally designed to have YOU teach and learn from each other. There is no agenda; you come with 4-H ideas and topics you want to talk about or learn more about, and we’ll guide the process to get folks into groups where YOU are the experts. Save the dates: Saturday, October 22nd and Friday, November 11th. Come to one or both. Watch this website for more information as it becomes available. - Maine 4-H Survey Request
From: Andrew Hudacs, the new member of the Maine 4-H team, whose work supports 4-H teen leadership and career exploration statewide:If you are 11 years old or older, please help me learn more about your interests in 4-H activities by completing the following SHORT survey(about 30 questions/7 minutes). The survey results will be used to improve statewide 4-H program planning. If you are a parent of a 4-H child receiving this message, please have each child 11+ years old complete one survey.If you have any questions, I can be contacted at hudacs@maine.edu, (207) 581-8204, 24 Main Street Lisbon Falls, ME 04252. Thank you in advance for your support! - EFNEP Recipe of the Month: Flavored Water
After the long cold winters here in Maine, the summer sun is a welcome sight and feeling. Many of us are out enjoying the beaches, lakes, mountains, and sports camps. With the hot weather comes the need to stay hydrated, and drinking plenty of fluids is important all year long, but so much more so in the heat. General guidelines state that it is important to drink eight glasses of water a day, as this will keep the average person doing average activity adequately hydrated throughout the day. Remember, if it is hot or if you are staying active, you may need to drink more water throughout the day. Here is a great recipe for Flavored Water that is very refreshing and enjoyable on hot summer days.For more delicious recipes, check out our UMaine EFNEP Mainely Dish Video Series. By Debbie Barnett (EFNEP CEA in Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, and Waldo counties – barnett@maine.edu)
Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) offers FREE nutrition education classes to income-eligible adults with children, or young adults 19-25 years old, and if you are eligible for programs such as SNAP, WIC, or Head Start. Find out more online.