Pesticide Collection Day

 RAIN or SHINE – Any pesticides (insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, etc.) in original containers and are clearly labeled can be collected. Individuals with materials of unknown identity should contact North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County center, at 910-671-3276 for more details.

Mini-bulks, gas cylinders, and household materials such as paints, oils, gas, and explosives will NOT be accepted.

There is no charge to the public for this service. Preregister by April14. An estimated volume of products if containers are larger than 5 gallons.

Robeson County Fairgrounds – 3750 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive

Wednesday, April 24 ,2024

10:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m.

Citizen Science Program Needs Your Help Observing the Weather!

Have you ever wondered how much rain fell during a recent thunderstorm? How about snowfall during a winter storm? If so, an important volunteer weather observing program needs your help!

 

The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow network, or CoCoRaHS, is looking for new volunteers across North Carolina. The grassroots effort is part of a growing national network of home-based and amateur weather spotters with a goal of providing a high density precipitation network across the country.

 

CoCoRaHS came about as a result of a devastating flash flood that hit Fort Collins, Colorado, in July 1997. A local severe thunderstorm dumped over a foot of rain in several hours while other portions of the city had only modest rainfall. The ensuing flood caught many by surprise and caused $200 million in damages. CoCoRaHS was born in 1998 with the intent of doing a better job of mapping and reporting intense storms. As more volunteers participated, rain, hail, and snow maps were produced for every storm showing fascinating local patterns that were of great interest to scientists and the public. Recently, drought reporting has also become an important observation within the CoCoRaHS program across the nation. In fact, drought observations from CoCoRaHS are now being included in the National Integrated Drought Information System.

 

North Carolina became the twenty-first state to join the CoCoRaHS program in 2007, and by 2010, the CoCoRaHS network had reached all 50 states with nearly 10,000 daily observations. Through CoCoRaHS, thousands of volunteers, young and old, document the size, intensity, duration and patterns of rain, hail, and snow by taking simple measurements in their own backyards.

 

Volunteers may obtain an official rain gauge through the CoCoRaHS website (www.cocorahs.org) for about $35 plus shipping. Besides the need for an official 4 inch plastic rain gauge, volunteers are asked to review simple training modules online and use the CoCoRaHS website to submit their reports. The process takes only five minutes a day, but the impact to the community is tenfold: by providing high quality, accurate measurements, the observers are able to supplement existing networks and provide useful data to scientists, resource managers, decision makers and others.

 

“CoCoRaHS observers provided valuable data for both Hurricane Florence and Dorian,” said Sean Heuser, CoCoRaHS State Co-Coordinator and Manager of the NC ECONet at the State Climate Office of NC. “For these high intensity events, whether they are tropical systems or afternoon thunderstorms, CoCoRaHS observers are able to fill in gaps and provide a clearer picture of where we see precipitation maximums. We also use CoCoRaHS Condition Monitoring reports every week to determine drought conditions across the state and give recommendations to the U.S. Drought Monitor authors.”

 

"Monitoring weather and climate conditions in North Carolina is no easy feat," said Heather Aldridge, CoCoRaHS State Co-Coordinator. "CoCoRaHS volunteers help by painting a better picture of precipitation patterns across North Carolina, filling in data gaps where there are no nearby stations. Reporting rain, hail, snow, and drought conditions is a fun activity for all ages!"

“An additional benefit of the program for the National Weather Service is the ability to receive timely reports of significant weather such as hail, intense rainfall, or localized flooding from CoCoRaHS observers that can assist meteorologists in issuing and verifying warnings for severe thunderstorms,” says David Glenn, CoCoRaHS State Co-Coordinator and meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Newport/Morehead City.

 

How does one become a CoCoRaHS observer? Go to the CoCoRaHS website and click on the “Join CoCoRaHS” emblem on the upper right side of the website. After registering, take the simple online training, order your 4 inch rain gauge and start reporting!

 

“We are in need of new observers across the entire state. We would like to emphasize rural locations, areas of higher terrain, and locations near the coast,” added Glenn.

Calling All 4-H Volunteers!

I know our 4-H Adult volunteers love a good training and feeling the love from the 4-H staff so we have created a communication for you that encompasses all of that.  Please read on and register today!

Volunteer Training

The first opportunity is for our 9 County Volunteer Training which will be hybrid again this year. As you know all volunteers are required to have at least two hours of training. We have joined forces with our other 8 neighboring (and not so neighboring) counties to offer a hybrid series of three trainings. The first training is in Cumberland county and will include dinner. We will provide transportation from our office to Cumberland for those who would like to attend. This training is March 25 so please register today for this great opportunity.

Our second training will be in New Hanover County and you are more than welcome to attend in person, however we will not be offering transportation to that training.

The last workshop will be at our office in September, and we will be providing dinner that night for those attending in person at the Robeson County Center.

You can also join us via zoom from home if you prefer. More information is below on the flyer about each workshop topic. You can register for one or all by using this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/9-county4-h-volunteer-training-tickets-863781011257

4-H Volunteer Appreciation Event

Please join us on April 24 for a special 4-H Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. The week of April 22 is National Volunteer Week and we think this is the perfect time to recognize you for all that you do for 4-H, the community, and for just being you! We will start our Garden Party program promptly at 12:15 and make sure to finish in a timely manner for those of you needing to get back to work. During this event we will recognize you, our 4-H Volunteer of the Year, and have lots of surprises blooming for you. Please register by clicking this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/4-h-volunteer-appreciation-luncheon-tickets-857103548787 Deadline to register will be April 17. Please see the flyer below with more information or go to our blog at: https://robeson4-h.blogspot.com/2024/03/4-h-volunteer-appreciation-lunch.html If you have any questions about any of these programs please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette at Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu or Jade McNeill at Jade_McNeill@ncsu.edu.

New Summer Opportunities thru NCSU

Summer Adventure Awaits!

From cooking up a mess of good farm-grown grub to saving our streams from sediment, a summer with North Carolina 4-H and NC State University promises opportunities for learning for teens through adults!

Horticultural Science Summer Institute July 7-12, 2024 | Applications are open and due April 1st. High school students are invited to spend a week at NC State University climbing trees, grafting tomatoes, snacking on raspberries, discovering new genes and so much more. The Horticultural Science Summer Institute is a residential, hands-on, pre-college program designed to engage youth into the many career opportunities within horticulture. Students will dig into workshops led by faculty, staff and students on topics ranging from breeding better vegetables, propagating ornamental shrubs, lengthening the life of cut flowers, learning sustainable production and design practices and delving into practical tools that enhance our understanding of plant processes. Students will visit unique and innovative North Carolina farms, nurseries, greenhouses and gardens.  The cost for the week is $650 and includes on-campus lodging in the dorms, all meals, field trips, workshop materials, and a t-shirt. There may be some scholarships for 4-H youth, underserved youth and participants with financial need, or payment plans can be arranged. Applications are due April 1st and application acceptances will be made by April 15th. Please contact Liz Driscoll at liz_driscoll@ncsu.edu or 919.513.7346 | 919.886.3424 with any questions or comments.  Scholarships for every enrolled 4-H’er brings the cost to $550. We also have scholarships for our friends with the Juntos program Perhaps you have a young person who is a perfect fit and has a strong financial need, let's figure something out. Apply Now

Resource Conservation Workshop June 16-21st, 2024 | Apply Now with your local SWCD The Resource Conservation Workshop is a weeklong intensive study and hands-on conservation workshop requiring student application and participation in a wide range of conservation topics. The workshop is intended to engage students to learn about natural resources and their management in today’s environment. Students participate in field study, tours, hands-on sessions as well as evening activities that focus on college-decision making and career decisions. Awards and scholarships are won and presented to the students under several awards programs. The Resource Conservation Workshop students stay on campus at NC State in dormitories and attend workshop sessions on campus in Williams Hall, Lake Wheeler Research Field Labs as well as field studies at Falls Lake State Recreation Area and Clemmons State Educational Forest in Clayton. For a sneak peak of past programs watch this video! The Resource Conservation Workshop is fully sponsored for youth that are accepted! Students are sponsored by their local Soil and Water Conservation District (find yours here) to attend and all applications are done through the local SWCD.  The Resource Conservation Workshop is a partnership between the N.C. Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Hugh Hammond Bennett Chapter - Soil and Water Conservation Society of America, N.C. Soil and Water Conservation Commission, Division of Soil and Water Conservation and the Crop and Soil Sciences Department at N.C. State University. Apply Now

Howling with CALS Camp The Howling with CALS Camp is a 4-day residential camp (Sunday, June 9 - Thursday, June 15, 2024 ) for a small group of rising high school freshmen from rural and/or underrepresented communities and backgrounds in North Carolina to reside on North Carolina State University’s campus to learn more about opportunities within agriculture and life sciences. From checking out our dairy cows and having a taste of howling cow ice cream to propagating weird and wonderful plants, this week promises a lot of fun discovery. They are seeking students who are interested in learning more about agriculture and life sciences disciplines, have a passion for making a difference, understanding the science behind these fields, and participating in hands-on learning - in particular those students who have not had a lot of exposure already to these disciplines. This is a grant-funded opportunity. Eligible and selected campers do not need to pay a registration or camper fee (travel costs to and from NC State’s campus not included). Our goal is to expose young people to many of the academic, career, and professional opportunities within our College, and to support them even further in thinking through preparing to be a successful and well-balanced high school student ready to apply to college in the future. Campers will be led by trained NC State undergraduate and graduate student Camp Counselors, alongside CALS staff and faculty, through a number of different activities during their stay on campus.  Applications are open now! Click here to Apply. We are accepting applications until April 22, 2024 and families will be notified shortly thereafter. CONTACT: Please contact their Howling with CALS Camp Planning Team at cals_recruiting@ncsu Apply Now

Contact Please feel free to reach out Liz Driscoll, 4-H Specialist (Plant Systems Agriculture), Departments of Crop and Soil Sciences, Entomology and Plant Pathology and Horticultural Science at liz_driscoll@ncsu.edu or I love a good phone call: 919.886.3424

4-H Volunteer Appreciation Lunch

 

    We would like to invite our 4-H Volunteers and their plus one to attend our first ever 4-H Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon.  Our event will appropriately be held during National Volunteer Week.  During the event we will recognize our volunteers for their years of service, their commitment to the 4-H program and even have lunch!  So please come to our first ever garden party and allow us to plant those seeds in you, that will allow you to nourish our youth and allow them to bloom.

To register for the lunch please click on the following link, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/4-h-volunteer-appreciation-luncheon-tickets-857103548787 or you can find it on our app under programs.   For more information please contact Jade McNeill at jade_mcneill@ncsu.edu.

Day of Caring with Lumber River United Way

 

Lumber River United Way’s annual Day of Caring is scheduled for Friday, May 10, 2024. Lumber River United Way Day of Caring is an annual day of service that takes place on the Friday of Mother’s Day weekend. United Way invites organizations across Bladen, Hoke, and Robeson to come together to complete various projects that benefit the community. This is our biggest corporate volunteer event, with over 350 volunteers completing over 1,166 hours of volunteer service. Looking for a meaningful team bonding or building experience? Want to give back to the community?

 

A complete list of projects can be found at https://www.lumberriveruw.org/day-caring and on a first registered first served basis for signing up. Individuals and businesses unable to volunteer for larger projects may consider stopping by Lumberton Chevrolet Buick GMC Hummer, Bladen, or Hoke County Extension offices to sew pillowcases for patients, homeless students, and seniors for a 15-minute volunteer project!

 

 

Contact our Day of Caring liaison Tomeika Munn to learn more about how to incorporate Day of Caring into your organization’s community involvement plan.

This year Robeson County 4-H will be assisting with a pillowcase sewing project.  If you can't join us on the day of caring you can pick up a kit and complete it prior to the day of caring and drop it off at our office.  For more information on kits please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette or Jade McNeill at (910) 671-3276.

Cooking with Ms. JoJo

 

Join Joanna Rogers, 4-H Expanded Foods and Nutrition Program Assistant who will lead this awesome opportunity.  Youth will arrive first thing in the morning and have the chance to make snacks and lunch as they gain valuable skills that will last a lifetime.  As part of this hands on cooking program youth will learn how to make healthy snacks, learn about food safety, and how to use various kitchen tools and implements.  This is always a fun and tasty club that meets once a year for various age groups.  This session will be for our 9-13 year olds and next time it will be for our 14-18 year olds.

You can register today for this tasty program by going to our app under programs or by clicking this link.  All youth must be registered in 4-H Online to participate.  This opportunity is limited to the first ten youth who register.  Deadline to register is April 1.  For more information please contact Jade McNeill at jade_mcneill@ncsu.edu.

4-H Top 4

 County Activity Day

Registration:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/851082108497?aff=oddtdtcreator

County Activity Day (CAD) is an opportunity for young people to meet other youth in the county and share their passions through a public speaking competition.

-CAD is open to youth ages 8-18 as of January 1, 2024. Youth ages 5-7 can also participate in CAD non-competitively.

-Back again this year...In addition to presentations, there will also be a 4-H Entertains Talent Showcase in which youth can demonstrate their talents. Acts can be either individual or group and should be no longer than 5 minutes.

-Presentations is a demonstration: DOING, SHOWING HOW, MAKING – has a finished product to show at the end of the presentation.

Public Speaking: Shares information on a topic without using any visuals, props or materials. Sometimes this is a speech that a young person has memorized.

-First and Second place winners in each age division and category will have the opportunity to move forward to District Activity Day where they will compete against youth from 18 counties in our district. That will be held on June 14 at Mount Olive University.

-Youth may register for Presentations (public speaking is category in presentations) and Entertains. Please note youth may only register for one type of presentation. They are not required to do presentations to sign up for Entertains.

-If you cannot attend in person for competition on April 6 you can submit a video. Video has to be 1 take unedited and will be judged along with the in persons presentations on April 6th. All videos are due by April 3rd. Please email videos to jade_mcneill@ncsu.edu

4-H Club Meetings Coming Up

Dirty Rascals JMG Club

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/818405401587?aff=oddtdtcreator

Young Leaders Club

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/852929293477?aff=oddtdtcreator

Cooking with Ms. JoJo SPIN Club

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/853637712377?aff=oddtdtcreator

Titans Club

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/853635295147?aff=oddtdtcreator

Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon

This is for our adult 4-H Volunteers to be recognized for their hard work in 2023. We will be providing lunch and awards! We are looking forward to celebrating our wonderful volunteers!

Date - Wednesday April 24, 2024

Time - 12:15PM-1:15PM

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/4-h-volunteer-appreciation-luncheon-tickets-857103548787?aff=oddtdtcreator

Summer Fun!

Summer Fun is currently open for 4-H members and will open up to the public April 1st, 2024! You can register at go.ncsu.edu/robeson4-hsummerfun

Summer Opportunities

Sewing Mini Camp: June 17- 18: 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 pm : Ages 10– 18:Cost: $25

Ever want to learn to sew? Mastering a sewing machine and being able to create things is an art. This sewing opportunity is meant for youth beginners to advance. We will provde the sewing machines, we just need the youth wanting to learn through hands on exploration. The price includes supplies, lunch, and one snack each day.

The deadline to register is June 7.

Limit 8 youth

Junior Chef Day Camp: June 24- 28, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.: Ages 9 – 13: Cost: $125

Who is hungry? We are excited to offer this farm-to-table camp to our youth again this year. The menu will include youth learning how to cook a variety of styles from International selections and we will study food businesses. We will also take field trips to learn more about the career opportunities in this growing field. The cost includes lunches, two snacks a day, supplies, and field trips.

The deadline to register is June 12.

Limit 10 youth.

4-H Coding Day Camp: July 8 - 12, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.: Ages 9 – 13: Cost: $125

Writing the instructions for computers and determining how they think is the future of technology. During this week our youth will learn strategy, coding, and learn to problem solve using coding. They will have the opportunity to get hands on in these science and technology topics that are part of a 95 billion dollar industry. We will explore careers, visit educational facilities, and have the opportunity to learn strategy and how that translates into games. Fee covers lunch, snacks, drinks, supplies, and field trips.

The deadline to register is July 3.

Limit is 12 youth.

Biotech: July 15 - 19, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.: Ages 9 – 13: Cost: $100

This year we will explore a variety of sciences, from environmental and animal sciences to drones and technology. We will learn about science in art, food, and our daily lives. We will travel to new places to conduct experiments and see animals. This is a hands-on camp where youth will have fun and accidentally learn along the way. The fee covers lunch each day, snacks, supplies, and all field trip costs.

The deadline to register is July 24.

Limit 10 youth.

Congress: July 22 - 26: Ages 14 – 18: Cost: $350

4-H Congress is the ultimate teen leadership opportunity for 4-H members. We will spend five days in Raleigh with youth taking part in workshops, cultural opportunities, and social events. Youth will have the opportunity to take on leadership roles, complete community service projects, and just have fun making new friends with their peers. Scholarship opportunities are available for this event based on the 4-H member's participation in 4-H over the past year. That information will be shared with families of eligible youth after District Activity Day.

The deadline to register is July 8.

Limit is 14 youth.

Betsy-Jeff Penn Overnight Camp: July 28 - August 2, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.: Ages 9 – 14: Cost: $560

For youth interested in a traditional camping experience. Youth will travel to Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H Center in Reidsville, NC for the week and take part in activities such as archery, rock wall climbing, and swimming. They will also have the opportunity to learn to take care of themselves and make decisions in a safe, nurturing environment. The cost covers all meals, lodging, and transportation. A $150 nonrefundable deposit will reserve your child’s slot.

Limit is 50 youth.

Millstone Day Camp: August 5- August 9, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.: Ages 9 – 14: Cost: $225

For youth interested in a traditional camping experience but not quite ready to spend the night this is the perfect camp for you. Youth will travel to Millstone 4-H Camp in Ellerbee, NC each day for a week and take part in activities such as archery, ropes courses, and swimming. The cost covers lunch, camp store, and transportation.

Limit is 12 youth.

Cloverbud Day Camp: August 12 - 16, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.: Ages 5 – 8: Cost: $75

Our Cloverbud day camp is for our youngest members and is meant to help them transition back to school schedules in a fun way. Each day we will have theme days such as Arts and Crafts, Science Day, Cooking day. Our youth will be immersed in fun hands-on activities that will have them accidentally learning along the way. The camp runs from 8:30 am until 3:30 pm. The fee covers lunch each day, two snacks a day, and supplies.

The deadline to register is July 29.

Limit is 15 youth.