4-H Entertains 2009 & 100 “Green” Foods Drive March 31, 2009

This year’s 4-H Entertains Talent Show was full of youthful talent and enthusiasm. The judges had an extremely hard time picking the best out of a field of sixteen “super stars”. Winners were Joshua and Mary Ellen playing a mandolin and violin duet. Also winning this year were Bryan and Justin as they “jammed” on the keyboard and drums. Alternate this year is Sammi who sang.  The two acts will advance to District Activity Day.  All the acts were great including singers, Katie and Alexis; clarinet duo, Hayley and Savanna ; a piano medley by Carlyn; dancers, Sammi and Janzen; jump-roping Bobbi Jane and cheerleaders, Amber and Rosie. Also, thanks to our judges; Susan Morgan, Jill Puckett & Nicole Mitchell, from the Extension Office.

Bryan on the Keyboard

Sammi Sings

Katie Sings "I Like It, I Love It"

Carlyn on the Keyboard

Joshua and Mary Ellen Advance to District Activity Day.

100 “Green” Foods Drive

It was not hard to collect 100 food items for this project. Actually 148 items were turned in and the winning club was Silver Spurs with 59 items. The Silver Spurs will receive a pizza party at one of their 4-H meetings.  There were a lot of contributions from the Brunswick County Master Gardener Volunteer Association and the office. Donors were very creative in finding “green” food! Favorites include; green salad dressing and green (pistachio) pudding. At the talent show, the collection was presented to Lock Newlin, a representative from Brunswick Family Assistance for distribution to families in need.

Brunswick County 4-H Presents 148 "Green" Foods for the NC 4-H Centennial

Local 4-H’ers Compete in Coastal Envirothon March 30, 2009

        Brunswick County 4-H Enviro-Warriors 1&A, lead by Angie Lawrence, competed in the Coastal Envirothon on March 17, 2009 at the Weyerhaeuser’s Cool Springs Environmental Center in New Bern, NC.   Envirothon is a fun, hands-on, natural science academic event that challenges and engages students to think critically about the natural world and their role in it.  The Envirothon combines an in-class curriculum with outdoor training to help students learn and to experience more about Aquatic Ecology, Forestry, Soils & Land Use, Wildlife and Current Environmental Issues.  Sammi Lawrence, Janzen Jones (SBMS), Jordan Taylor, Cody Huff, and John Macon Michaux (SBMS) competed as Enviro-Warriors1. Enviro-Warriors A included Savanna Michaux (SBMS), Grant Wallace, Rhen Huff, Maggie Bowen, and ChristiAna Lorezel.  Both teams performed well and had a great time competing.  Members of Brunswick County 4-H Enviro-Warriors will compete at the NC Envirothon Competition at Cedarock Park, Burlington NC on April 24-25, 2009.

Submitted by Janzen Jones, Enviro-Warriors

NC 4-H International Exchange Program March 27, 2009

North Carolina 4-H needs to find 22 host families for Japanese delegates and their chaperones by April 30, 2009. The Japanese delegates will be here July 24- August 20, 2009. Visit the 4-H International web site to find out more information about this exciting opportunity.

 

This year we also have the opportunity to host Norwegian, Costa Rican and Finnish students. Each country’s 4-H program has selected approximately 10-15 youth to send to America. Delegates from these countries tend to be older, usually 15-19 years old. The dates that these delegates will be arriving also vary according to country. Norwegian students will be here July1-30 and are required to attend NC 4-H Congress. (Cost for Congress is paid by Norway 4-H). Finnish youth will be here June 14- July 12 and Costa Rican students will be here June 21- July 18.

Another opportunity we have for 4-H families is the opportunity to host a yearlong high school exchange student. This year, we are assigned just two students to find homes for.

 

A bit of information:

In order to be a host family, the family must have a child within 2 years in age of the child they will host and also be of the same gender. All international delegates must have their own bed. Families are responsible for all meals and transportation including pick up and return for the child. Health insurance is provided.

 

Families must complete an application, submit 3 non-family references, and sign a disclosure in order to have a criminal background check for all family members 18 years old or older living in the home. In addition, local Extension staff must conduct an in-home interview with the family (all members present) and submit a written report with approval indicated. ALL paperwork should be completed by April 30 and must be completed before a child can be permanently assigned to the family.

 

Another opportunity we have for 4-H families is the opportunity to host a yearlong high school exchange student. This year, we are assigned just two students to find homes for.

Bladen County 4-H Family Featured in FamilyFun Magazine

A Bladen County 4-H Family are featured in the April issue of FamilyFun Magazine. The Hill Family (Randy, Kelli, Luke and Jeralyn) of Elizabethtown, NC are winners of the FamilyFun Volunteers Contest: Green Edition. The article is entitled “The Best Oven Under the Sun,” and highlights one of Luke’s 4-H projects.

As part of the contest, the Hill’s won $5,000 for the charity of their choice from The Walt Disney Company. We are excited to announce that the Hill’s have chosen Bladen County 4-H as the recipient of this prize to support our 4-H Scholarship program.

Submitted by Angela Shaver on behalf of the Bladen County 4-H Program

CLIMBE Program & more – Check it out! March 25, 2009

Last summer Stephanie Zapf and I participated in a program called CLIMBE (Center for Learning and Investigation in Mountain Backcountry Ecosystems).  The camp was a week a long with the first two days being spent in preparation for backpacking and learning about climate systems.  We were even given a tour of the NOAA(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)  National Climactic Data Center.  On the backpacking portion of the trip, we hiked fairly slowly with numerous breaks to take various readings from weather instruments or to do another activity.  The focus of the camp was climate change and was collecting data for a study. This year Montreat is offering an exciting new group of camps: Caves, Climate, Forests, Rivers, Rocks, and Renew which are the names of the six titles of this year’s programs.  An awesome part is the financial assistance which can lower the cost of a weeklong camp to $50.  They also will let you borrow most of the necessary equipment for backpacking which also lightens the financial load.  For more information, check out their website at http://climbe.org/. 

– Perry Grosch

 

 

 

 

4-H on TV! March 23, 2009

UNC-TV will show a third 4-H feature on the North Carolina NOW program tonight. The spotlight feature will take place during the prime time NC NOW program. This feature spotlights NC 4-H Dropout Prevention Programs. The North Carolina NOW program airs during prime time (7:30 pm). In addition to it’s prime time slot (7:30 pm on UNC-TV) NC Now airs several times throughout the evening on UNC-TV’s digital channels. Please check local listings for additional air times.

New Robotics 4-H Club March 18, 2009

Interested in how robotics work? Do you like competitions? If so, then the new Robotics 4-H Club is for you!!  The first meeting is scheduled for April 4th from 2-3:30pm at the Cooperative Extension Office.  This is an informational meeting for parents and youth. To join this club, email club leader Julia Zapf at zapfjulia@hotmail.com.

Traditions and Symbols of St. Patrick’s Day March 17, 2009

By Alecia Dixon with additional reporting by Laura Young

What Are the Traditions of St. Patrick’s Day?
There are many traditions and symbols associated with St. Patrick’s Day and Ireland. Here are a handful of the most popular practices.

Shamrock
The shamrock as symbol of Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day is partly due to the natural abundance of clover plants in the country, but largely due to its strong association with Christianity. According to Robert Mahony, Professor of English and member of the Center for Irish Studies at Catholic University, legend has it that St. Patrick used the shamrock to visually illustrate the concept of the Trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) when trying to convert polytheistic pagans to Christianity.

“A clover is one plant with three leaves, but the three leaves are necessary to make it [complete],” explains Prof. Mahony. “[In Christianity,] God is three persons, but it’s not the same as three gods.” The simple analogy is thought to have helped non-Christians understand a fundamental element of the Christian religion, facilitating conversion.

It was through the retelling of this story that the shamrock became associated with St. Patrick and Ireland’s conversion to Christianity. As a result, the shamrock is a widely used to commemorate Saint Patrick’s Day, and in modern times has been appropriated by secular institutions as a symbol for the Irish.

Four-Leaf Clover
Although clovers are most often found in nature with three leaves, rare four-leaf clovers do exist. Finding one is thought to bring someone extreme luck. The folklore for four-leaf clovers differs from that of the Shamrock due to the fact that it has no religious allusions associated with it. It is believed that each leaf of a four-leaf clover represents something different: first is hope, the second is faith, the third is love, and the fourth is happiness.

Leprechauns
Just what does a mythical leprechaun look like and why are they so special? A leprechaun looks like a little old man and dresses like a shoemaker with a cocked hat and leather apron. A Leprechaun’s personality is described as aloof and unfriendly. They live alone and pass the time by mending the shoes of Irish fairies.

According to St. Patrick’s Day: Parades, Shamrocks, and Leprechauns by Elaine Landau, the legend is that the fairies pay the leprechauns for their work with golden coins, which the “little people” collect in large pots–the famous “pots of gold” often associated with leprechauns.

If you listen closely for the sound of their hammer you might be able to capture one. If you do you can force him (with the threat of bodily violence) to reveal where he’s hidden his treasure. Be careful! Do not take your eyes off him for if you do he will surely vanish and your hopes of finding his treasure will vanish with him.

Green
So why do we all wear green?

Probably because you’ll be pinched if you don’t! School children started this tradition. Green is also the color of spring, the shamrock, and is connected with hope and nature. Historically, green has been a color used in the flags of several revolutionary groups in Ireland and as a result it appears in the official tri-color country flag, adopted in 1919.

In addition to that, Ireland is often called the “Emerald Isle” due to the lush natural greenery found on the island. Says Prof. Mahony, “One of the things that strikes people all the time is how Ireland is incredibly green–it’s very far north, but it doesn’t get frozen. When people say that ‘Ireland has 40 shades of green,’ they are right!”

Click here to view the entire article!

4-H Photography Contest March 16, 2009

It’s that time of year again, when we begin preparations for the 2009 North Carolina 4-H Photography Contest! This year’s new category will be “4-H Centennial” and can include any images from events or celebrations related to the year’s centennial activities.

We will begin accepting entries for the 2009 4-H Photography Contest now and will continue through Tuesday, June 9, 2009. Winning entries will be displayed at 4-H Congress in July. The purpose of this exhibition is to provide a showcase of 4-H members’ photographic accomplishments. After Congress, the winning photos will be displayed at selected meetings and events throughout the year. Winning entries from past years can be viewed online.

Contest categories this year include our standard “4-H in Action” and “Nature’s Beauty” categories, with a new category this year of “4-H Centennial.” Each category will be divided into a Junior (Ages 9-12) and Senior (Ages 13-19) division. Entries should be original images created from June 2008 to June 2009. Copies will be made of the winning entries and all original materials will be returned by September 2009.

For more information, including rules, entry forms and winning entries from previous years, please visit the following website.

The deadline for submitting entries is Thursday June 4, 2009.

We can’t wait to see all the fine photography produced by this year’s participants!

 

Sincerely,

Becky Kirkland
Coordinator, NC 4-H Congress Photography Contest

4-H Horticulture Weekend March 13, 2009

 

I would like to invite youth & volunteers to an exciting NEW event for 2009!  There will be a horticulture weekend brimming with hands-on workshops, speakers and field trips.  Many of the details are getting ironed out, but I wanted to give this to you send out in order to save the date!

The weekend has special emphasis on the state 4-H Horticulture Contest with workshops that will be focused on the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in the contest. Workshops might include plant identification utilizing plants in the unique collection of the JC Raulston Arboretum. Other workshop topics will be drawn from the NJHA study manual like turf topiaries or plant propagation.  Read on below for some other workshop ideas.

Everyone (not just the youth interested in the contest) is invited and encouraged to attend! The weekend is intended for youth ages 8-19 with accompanying adults.  The program will take place on the campus of NC State, primarily in Kilgore Hall (the horticulture bldg), Marye Anne Fox Undergraduate Student Teaching Labs (the greenhouses) and at the JC Raulston Arboretum. Lodging will be at the Fairfield Inn & Suites near Crabtree Mall. All lodging and registration will be done together.

For more information on the 4-H Horticulture Weekend: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/4hplantandsoils/hortweekend.html

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: The 2009 4-H Horticulture Contest will be Monday, July 20th at 1:00 pm http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/4hplantandsoils/hortcontest.html

Registration
Registration is $50 due by April 15th.  It includes registration fees, lodging on Saturday, April 25th, lunch and dinner on Saturday and a continental breakfast Sunday. Please see attached registration document.

Workshops
The workshops are still being finalized, but potential topics will include:

Propagation
Introductory Plant ID
Advanced Plant ID
Judging workshop
Heirloom tomato grafting
Plant Nutrition- ie soils lab and setting up plant nutrition experiment
Turf Topiaries—grow different turfgrasses (turf ID) and make topiary structures covered with grass
Landscape Design course use design studio to create a project
Nursery Management

(Please email leslie_wilson@ncsu.edu for registration form)