4-H News in Washington County - December 2020 - Cooperative Extension in Washington County - University of Maine Cooperative Extension

4-H News in Washington County – December 2020

December 4, 2020 4-H News, News

Dates to Remember

Tuesdays in December: 4-H Tuesday Trivia

Thursdays– Virtual Teen Science Cafes

Dec. 5: Kick-Off Meeting for 4-H Aquarium Club

Dec. 11: Application Deadline for Virtual National Youth Agri-Science and Healthy Living Summits

Dec. 25: Office Closed- Christmas

Dec. 31: Final Deadline for Reenrollment Paperwork

Dec. 31: Deadline for Volunteers to Complete Background Check

Jan. 1: Office Closed- New Years Day

Feb. 11-14: Virtual National Youth Healthy Living Summit

March 1- Maine 4-H Foundation Post-Secondary Scholarship Application Due

March 4-7: Virtual National Youth Agri-Science Summit

4-H Tech Changemakers Community Feast

When the grant project started three years ago, we had no idea the project would grow beyond our webpage that featured stories about local farmers and how people could help with the issue of food insecurity. The teens who served on the leadership team were passionate about wanting to go beyond the technology and worked to bring a garden space at Washington Academy back to life as they worked in partnership with UMaine Extension Master Gardener volunteers and Healthy Acadia. In the summer of 2019, the garden produced 3,000 pounds of food that were donated to the Machias Food Pantry. Each week as the students harvested and delivered the fresh produce, they saw the need to do more. With help from WA teacher Brian Campbell and his students, the work began to rebuild the greenhouse that was once standing on the property. As the project took a bit longer and the weather got cold last fall, the project was put on hold until spring…and then COVID hit. A special thanks to Regina Grabrovac and Marjorie Peronto for continuing to work in the garden all summer long to keep the garden going. Over 1,300 pounds of produce was grown, harvested and distributed to the pantries in Machias and Jonesport. It was not until this fall, Mr. Campbell and his students were able to get back to work on the greenhouse project. The week before Thanksgiving, they completed the work, covering the structure with two layers of plastic, building end walls and installing doors. We are so excited to extend the growing season and be able to grow even more food beginning next spring! A special thank you to all who have helped- you have truly made the best better!

Wobble and Gobble 5K to Benefit 4-H Camp and Learning Centers

Our 4-H Youth Development Professional, Brittany Foster, took advantage of the beautiful weather at the end of November and completed the Wobble and Gobble 5k. This event was a fundraiser for the 4-H Camp and Learning Centers at Bryant Pond and Greenland Point (here in Washington County). The camps have had a challenging year financially with all spring and summer programming being canceled due to COVID-19. If you weren’t able to participate in the 5K, but would like to contribute to the future of the camps, please visit the Wobble and Gobble 5K Race website.

4-H Aquarium Club
The 4-H Aquarium Club is open to youth ages 5-18 who are interested in being members of a community of youth aquarium hobbyists! This group is for Maine youth who already have an aquarium hobby, or who are looking to start one, to come together to talk about their love for fish and aquaria. The club is led by aquaculture experts Dr. Scarlett Tudor from UMaine’s Aquaculture Research Institute, and Melissa Malmstedt from the UMaine Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research (CCAR).

The club meets during the first week of each month, and there are two options: Thursday evenings OR Saturday afternoons. You choose the day that works best for you, just join when you can. The Kick-Off Club Meeting is Saturday, December 5th so register today! Register here!

4-H Bird Chats — a Statewide Youth Birding Club!

you like to watch your bird feeder? Observe the antics of various chickadees, nuthatches, blue jays, and more? You’re not alone! Join 4-H staff and birding enthusiasts for a statewide youth birding club. This is an exciting opportunity for youth ages 9 – 18! The birding club will meet virtually once a month, starting in December through April. Participants will observe birds, learn how to contribute their observations and data to Project FeederWatch, share and discuss their observations with their peers, and more. Please visit the 4-H Bird Chats website to register.

Final Reminder: Re-enrollment
A reminder that re-enrollment paperwork is due in the office by Thursday, December 31st!

Final Reminder: Volunteer Background Check
Thank you to all the volunteers who have completed the background check! There are a few individuals who still need to complete the background check or show proof that it has been completed within the last three years. This needs to be completed by Thursday, December 31 or your volunteer status will be in jeopardy. Please contact Tara Wood at 207.255.3345 or by email at tara.a.wood@maine.edu if you need assistance with this process.

News from the State

LAST 4-H Virtual Teen Science Cafe of 2020!
The last 4-H Virtual Teen Science Cafe happening in 2020 will take place on December 9th. Dr. Pauline Kamath will teach about how to be a Genetic Detective tracing the source of an outbreak. The program will be running again in Spring of 2021, if you have ideas of new topics, please email Alice Philbrick. Register today!
Every Wednesday, you have the opportunity to participate in The University of Vermont’s VTeen Science Exploration – these are a similar format and run from 3:30 – 4:45 pm. On their announcements page, scroll down to VTeen Science Exploration for details about the different offerings, and registration links.
To view spring session webinars, visit the Maine QuaranTEEN Virtual Science Cafe Recordings website.

4-H Tuesday Trivia

Come join the fun and test your knowledge in a variety of topic areas, including your knowledge of 4-H and our land-grant university, the University of Maine!
When? Every Tuesday in December! Register to play and each Tuesday at 12:00 noon you will get an email with your link to the week’s trivia game. The quiz will close at 11:59 pm that night. Each game will have questions about 4-H, the University of Maine, and one of these themes: Disney, Winter, Animals, Star Wars, and the State of Maine.
Who Can Play? Any 4-H member, family, or volunteer can play. We will have four age categories: Cloverbuds (age 5-8), Juniors, (9-12), Seniors (13-18), and Adults (4-H volunteers, parents, and 4-H staff) In addition, you can invite your non-4-H friends to join the fun and play along too!
Does it cost anything? Nope, it’s free! AND, you can win prizes!
Did you say prizes? Yes! Prizes include t-shirts, 4-H swag, gift cards, and a 4-H Camp and Learning Center scholarship! Each week we will draw random winners. Top scores at the end of December in each age group will receive prizes. You can even receive an award for recruiting the most non-4-H friends to play! Each week youth play, their name will go into a drawing that will take place at the end of the month for a partial 4-H Camp and Learning Center scholarship up to a $150 value.
How do I sign up? Head to the Maine 4-H Tuesday Trivia website and click on the form. Then, each Tuesday in December, watch your email for your link to your trivia game. Submit your answers. Speed and accuracy count. Check back on the webpage to follow the leader board and see who the weekly prize winners are.

Maine 4-H Foundation Scholarships
Graduating seniors can apply for a 4-H scholarship from the Maine 4-H Foundation. Applications are due on March 1, 2021 to the local county office and on March 8, 2021 to the Maine 4-H Foundation. For more information please go to the Maine 4-H Foundation Funding website.

Virtual National Youth Agri-Science and Healthy Living Summit Applications for 2021 are Available Now!
The National Youth Summits on Agri-Science and Healthy Living will be held virtually this year allowing us to add more youth to our teams. Attendees will learn more about their area of interest by attending interactive workshops, and pitching their own action plan ideas. The Summits were created to empower youth to be well-informed citizens, expand engineering and agriculture experience, and increase connections to living a healthy lifestyle, all while being actively engaged in their communities.
Healthy Living: February 11 – 14, 2021
Agri-Science: March 4 – 7, 2021
Eligibility: Youth ages 14-18, enrolled in 4-H by December 31, 2020 – this year youth may enroll in Maine 4-H solely in order to attend the Summits and participate on the team.
Cost: $75.00 – we are currently working on funding sources and expect the participant cost to be closer to $25.00 per youth.
Agri-Science and Healthy Living Summits Application – This is a combined application for both the Agri-Science and Healthy Living Summits. Please note that references are not required this year.
For more information about the National Youth Summits please visit the website or check out the application for more details. Email or call Sara, sara.conant@maine.edu, 207-781-6099, with any questions. Applications are due by December 11, 2020.