4-H Public Service Announcement on TV and DC Website

We're excited to announce that we recently filmed a 4-H public service announcement that will soon be aired on DC8. It's also posted on the Douglas County website and we'd like you to take a look: http://www.douglas.co.us/

As soon as we know the DC8 schedule, we'll post it to the blog. In the meantime, our 4-H spokespersons did a great job! Thank you for helping us let the public know all that 4-H has to offer kids.

Melody

4-H goes to Douglas County Take Your Child to Work Day

Every year Douglas County hosts a big Take Your Child to Work Day event. Nearly every department is represented, and this year Extension had a booth there too. We focused on several Extension services, but the main one was spreading the word about the 4-H program.

We had a craft activity, a worm composting bin, farm animal figures as give-aways, coloring pages and word finds, a make-your-own-trail-mix table, and by far the most popular - three 4-H bunnies. 191 kids had signed up to attend and most of those made it to our booth. Several parents asked about joining 4-H too.

I'd like to thank the volunteers who helped with all the booth activities as well as those who brought their rabbits and patiently allowed kids to pet them and ask lots of questions. Other Extension staff contributed time and effort shopping for supplies, setting up and tearing down, helping with activities, and keeping the office going during the event.

Watch this blog to see pictures of the event. Thank you and let's do it again next year!

Melody

Community service opportunity in Castle Rock

Since giving back to the community is such an important part of 4-H, I keep my eye out for opportunities. Here's a great community service project scheduled for Saturday May 3rd from 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. in Castle Rock:

Spring Up the Creek Cleanup
Usher in the season of growth and renewal by participating in Spring Up the Creek Cleanup, a joint project of the Town of Castle Rock, Rotary Clubs of Castle Rock, Douglas County andPhilip S. Miller Library. Enjoy local artist booths sponsored by Castle Rock Arts Guild.After the opening dedication of Festival Park, participants will collect trash along Sellars Gulch and East Plum Creek, followed by a small celebration at Festival Park.

Meet at Festival Park Second and Perry streets at 9:00 a.m. After receiving instructions and maps, participants will fan out from Festival Park to collect trash along Sellars Gulch. The cleanup work will be followed by a small celebration featuring treats and goodie bags for the whole family. Work gloves and trash bags will be provided for volunteers.

For more information about the Spring Up the Creek Day, call the Utilities Department, 720-733-6011.

Your blog host, Melody

Douglas County Makes an Impact at National Conference

Each year, the Secretary of Agriculture hosts the National 4-H Conference. This year, Maggie Weinroth, one of our very own here in Douglas County, was chosen to go! You can see her in the picture above with Senator Ken Salazar.

The National 4-H Conference is the premier youth development opportunity to engage youth in developing recommendations for the national 4-H Youth Development Program. Colorado is allowed to send six 4-H members, along with a state specialist. Youth are chosen through county nominations, followed by interviews at the Colorado State Fair.

Each year, they choose a program that youth focus on throughout the week. The theme in 2008 "GREEN AID" reflects the question, “As society becomes more environmentally conscious, how can the 4-H Youth Development Program “aid” in enhancing socially significant and relevant programming to increase the environmental awareness of our clubs, our communities, our country, and our world.

Here in Colorado, you can get your trip paid for through sponsorships and grants. Both the Colorado 4-H Foundation along with our local Douglas County 4-H Foundation sponsored Maggie's trip this year. Maggie is happy to come talk to your 4-H club or group about her experiences. Just contact the 4-H Office to set something up.

The 2009 National 4-H Conference will be held March 28-April 2, 2009 at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center. The Center is located in a quiet, 12-acre campus-like setting in Maryland, one mile from the nation's capital, making it the perfect gateway to Washington, D.C.'s leaders, monuments and museums. If you are interested in getting involved, information comes out in the June newsletter, so keep your eyes open!

Seedling Tree Program successful

The annual Seedling Tree fundraising event drew in a steady stream of customers this year. Even though sales were down statewide, the event proved to remain popular here in Douglas County.

HUGE thanks go to those that volunteered this year including 4-H members, parents, and Master Gardeners. Your assistance was invaluable. 4-H members pulled tree orders for customers, helped set up and tear down, and brought smiles to customer's faces. Parents helped with the polymer sales table as well as clean-up. The Master Gardeners not only ran the tree store, but also provided education and advice to many customers wanting to know more about trees.

And last but not least - Kathe minded the office while literally everybody was gone during this event. Thanks Kathe!

I'm not able to give a total amount earned this year as we are still earning money on left over trees. In fact - PLEASE COME BUY SOME!

Looking forward to next year's event.

Your blog host, Melody

A Heads Up!

A quick update from the Douglas County Fairboard:

We just wanted to let you know that the Douglas County Fair Premium Book (the one with all the rules & regulations for shows/exhibits) will NOT be printed and mailed out this year. The entire premium book will be available on-line next month at the Douglas County Fair Web Site: www.douglascountyfairandrodeo.com.

We will try to save each department separately, so that you won't have to download the entire book to print off the sections you need.

Along with this, we will be printing a few hundred copies that will be available at the Extension Office, local libraries, feed stores, etc. Following State Fair's lead, this will make the book easier to update and change, should the need arise. Thank you for working with us on making everything even more accessible for this year's fair!

Thanks!

Don't forget! April is volunteer appreciation month. So if you're involved in 4-H in any way, there are TONS of volunteers that help you out every year, month, week and day. So be sure to say "thanks" for all that they do. One of the best ways to do this is to say thanks at a meeting or pick up the phone and call someone to tell them how much they mean to you.

Other than saying thank you in person, what can you do? Some other ways to reach out and appreciate those around you are:

• Send them a note or card - it can even just be an e-mail message or an e-card. Make sure you say something specific. Highlight something that you remember being meaningful to you. I gaurantee it will mean a lot to them.
• Make them something - a craft or some cookies. Homemade items are always appreciated no matter how small.
• Invite them to the Leader's Appreciation Dinner - April 18th at 6:30pm in Kirk Hall. Sure they got an invitation, but it's always good to double check and make sure they know YOU want them there.

So, the 4-H Office would like to send out a BIG THANKS to all of our 4-H volunteers - leaders, resource leaders, chaperones, superintendents, Fairboard members, 4-H Foundation members, Horse Committee volunteers, Livestock Sale Committee members, Exchange leaders, coaches and everyone else that gives to 4-H each and every day.

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and make a trail."

You are all fantastic!

First poll results are in

Our first non-scientific, strictly subjective poll is done. The question polled was: What is the most important 2008 goal for Douglas County 4-H? We had a total of 30 votes. Here are the results:

• Increase enrollment: 16 (53%)
• Establish new clubs: 3 (10%)
• Better utilize technology for education: 7 (23%)
• Other: 4 (13%)

Interesting results. The highest one, increasing enrollment, is always a top goal. However, the lowest one - establishing new clubs - seems nearly as important. We're finding that as we recruit for 4-H, particularly in northern Douglas County, we are not able to offer enough clubs for interested people - and we've lost their interest because of this. Highlands Ranch could use a few more clubs!

In terms of technology, we are making strides in utilizing tools already available, such as this blog, and are researching ways to teach skills and have club meetings in the virtual world. In fact, Douglas County has spear-headed the virtual world idea and now several front-range 4-H programs are interested. We hope to make Colorado one of the first states to utilize this technology! It's an exciting time for technology and 4-H.

A new poll is up now, aimed primarily toward members who have participated in various contests. Take a look on your right.

Your blog host, Melody

From Sea to Shining Sea

Alaska, New York, and Minnesota - those are a few of the states the Douglas County 4-H Exchange group has visited in the past decade. Friends, experiences, and fun have all been gained from the travel to states throughout the country.

The 4-H exchange is a great way to learn about 4-H in other places. As a member of the group, a 4-Her earns money through fundraising activites to pay for travel every other year and to host 4-Hers from another state on the opposite years. The biggest fundraisers are the Annual Spaghetti Dinner and Auction held each February and the Peach Sale in July and August.
This year our group will host ten 4-H members and their chaperones from Delaware. Our members are learning a lot about organizing travel through studying different parts of Colorado and then making plans to take our guests to the mountains and also entertain them in Douglas County. Our 4-H friends will arrive on June 16 and they will be staying with our Douglas County exchange families in order to see what 4-H is like in Colorado. We'll bid them good-bye on June 21.

Next year our ten Douglas County exchange members will travel to Delaware, see historic landmarks, visit the Atlantic Ocean, and learn about living in another beautiful part of our country. Along the way some great friendships will be made and many lessons will be learned.

If you have an interesting story to tell about a 4-H exchange you participated in, please post a comment. If you are interested in learning more about the exchange program, give the extension office a call.

Thanks for reading,

Mary Baldwin