Lots-O-4-H-Fun!

The first day of Cloverbud day camp is a treat every year and needless to say this year is no different. For those of you not familiar with the 4-H lingo, Cloverbuds are our 5 to 8 year old youth. In the 4-H world they get a chance to see and experience a lot of what our older youth do but not in a competitive role. Often the cloverbuds try it out and receive ribbons, and ideas on how to improve and by the time they are juniors (ages 9-13). However Cloverbud day camp is a little different because this is often the first introduction these youth have to 4-H and the experience that can lie ahead.

The cloverbud day camp has a set schedule each day. The difference for them is that different volunteers come in to visit and we do all sorts of fun hands on projects everyday. Today being the first day we started with the normal get to know you games, making our rules and consequences, and just trying to figure out where we all fit in. We are also lucky that we have two teen leaders helping this week Chris and Tierra. They will probably show up in our pictures each day and we are excited that they are helping with all the fun.

One of their favorite projects are working with Christy and Janice. Christy Strickland, a Family and Consumer Science Agent will be working with the youth all week on green crafts. They will learn all about recycling, leaving a smaller carbon foot print, and how to have fun find another purpose for every day items. Today they used potatoes, carrots and celery as paint stamps to create their own green frogs on their own reusable bags. They will get their finished bags on Friday along with all the others things they will make with Christy this week.

Janice Fields is also a Family and Consumer Science Agent and her speciality is teaching healthy cooking and nutrition. She worked with our cloverbuds talking about whole grains and they got a chance to make their own afternoon snack, a whole grain shake snack. They mixed all sorts of whole grain goodies together like cheerios, wheat chex and pretzels add some homemade taco seasoning and had a yummy treat to snack on in the afternoon.

After lunch we played all sorts of neat games with Mrs. Stacie from Exploration Station. We even made animal collages and made our own animal boogie oogie dance moves up. She had soo much fun that she even gave us tickets to visit her at the Exploration Station after our Cloverbud day camp. We had tons of fun.

Then Ms. Shelly and Miss Scarlet from the library came to visit. We heard all about the library and the different programs going on at all the libraries around the county. Then we made tie-dye handkerchief by drawing designs with sharpie markers. After we were done drawing we painted them with rubbing alcohol which made the designs run and looked like tie-dye designs. They were so cool. Ms. Shelly also gave everyone a pencil which will help us get ready for school in a couple of weeks.

After our yummy snack time we got ready to do a community service project. We created some really neat art work and with a little help we cut it out and pasted it to the bottom of a clear gem. Then Miss. Shea Ann helped us attach a magnet. We chose one to give away to someone we don't know and brighten their day, and got to take the rest of them home with us. they were really neat.

After processing our day we got a little play time and we are looking forward to tomorrow. who knows what is in store? Can't wait until tomorrow to see.

Up to our Shins in Biotech

It might have been our last day for 4-H Biotech camp but it was a doosy. Today we travelled to Fort Fisher Aquarium to learn about the biology of crabs, and other marine animals. Of course it didn't hurt that we got to get wet too.

The morning started with salt water crabbing, at the Fort Fisher Aquarium. Our staff leaders gave us instructions on equipment and helped us split up into pairs, before our hike toward the ocean. We stopped at a little inlet and baited our safety pin hooks with little fish and cast it near us in the water. As something nibbled on our fish we tried to scoop it up in our nets. We had several crabs caught by our wiley crab catchers. After catching the crabs we examined them and learned weather or not they were male or female and why. We saw one that only had one claw and learned that crabs have a defense mechanism that allows them to drop a leg or claw if something has hold of it so they can get away. Their leg or claw will grow back over time and they can function well with out it in the meantime. All the crabs we caught were released back into the inlet without being harmed.

After leaving the water, and changing into dry shoes and clothes we had lunch and then headed back into the aquarium. There we got to see an albino alligator like we heard about at the science museum on Monday. We also got see poisonous tree frogs, all sorts of marine life like fish, stingrays, and sharks. We learned about lobsters and whales and got to see the diver in the big fish tank as he talked to us about the fish he was swimming with. There were eels and seahorses, and stuff we just don't normally see. It was a fun filled day that gave us learning, opened up new avenues, and made us think about our future.

We are hoping to have another program next year with new adventures and new opportunities to see what the world of biotech has in store for us now and in the future.

CSI: Team 4-H

Who do you call when there is a crime? In the future it might be someone from our team 4-H. That's right today our youth got a chance to take everything they have learned so far this week and apply it to their very own crime scene. Their conclusions were very interesting.

We started the day working on exercises that made them think about the details and working on their logical and critical thinking skills. We also shared examples of how science can be used in fun ways to prove or disprove everyday myths, solve crimes, and enhance our lives. Then Corporal Mark Graham with the Robeson County Sheriff's office stopped by and let our youth swarm his patrol car. They were full of questions, wanted to see his handcuffs, try on his traffic vest and uniform hat and wanted to know what all the switches in his car did. It was almost like touring a James Bond car for them.

Lt. Bruce Meares with the Sheriff's office stopped by with two of his colleagues, Forest Obershea and Brandon Patterson. Lt. Meares
talked to the youth about processing a crime scene. They talked about collecting evidence, what needs to be done when he first gets to the crime scene and then reminded them that there are no solutions in the back of a book like in math class, that the evidence will lead him to the solution. He also said that he has to take lots of notes because it could be years before the case comes to trail and he has to try to remember everything because he does not know what will be important.

After lunch, fixed by our wonderful 4-H volunteer, Larry Russ, with a little help from some of our hungry Extension staff members we took to our crime scene. When we started all we knew was that a body had been found on a patio of a beach house, and the body had been sent to the hospital for an autopsy. The side of our Extension office served as our beach house patio for our mock crime scene. After observing what was there our group broke up into eight teams to process grids of the crime scene. They had evidence to collect such as foot prints, cups, cans, a trash can possible full of evidence and red splotches that looked like blood.

After returning from processing the crime scene they learned more about what happened. The victim was rich and not liked. He had just bought the house where the crime occurred and invited four friends. Actually he thought they were his best friends and named them equally in his will but they did not like him much. Each had a motive and an alibi that ranged from walking on the beach to taking a nap. Also to compound things the body had disappeared so there would be no way to determine the cause of death. So we did not know if we had a murder or not. The 4-H members went to the task of processing their evidence. They looked for fingerprints, did smell tests, and foot print analysis. It was an amazing to see them in action. They even filled the chalk board with clues that they uncovered from the evidence they processed. After presenting their evidence, they sat down and tried to figure out the solution. Each team came up with a possible scenario and presented it. Independently they agreed that there was one suspect that most of the evidence pointed to, however we did not have a definitive conclusion.

The neat thing about this exercise was just as in real like there was no definitive solution. It was all a product of where the evidence leads you. To read the evidence you have to understand and use science.

We have one last day to go. To help celebrate our accomplishments we thought we would take this day to the beach, Kure beach to be exact, and explore the world of marine biology at Fort Fisher Aquarium. Stay tuned for the rest of the fun.

Back to the Classroom=Learning How to Grow Better Food At Home

Today we switched campuses and learned even more while attending Robeson Community College. Their Biotech interns worked with our youth to expand our learning base and help clarify some of the other learning from our first two days this week.

Our youth descended on the classrooms and were quickly divided into two groups. During the morning they had the chance to do some really cool experiments. One had to do with the spread of a virus. They were each given a test tube filled with a liquid. They used pipettes to share a few drops of their liquid with three other youth at random in the classroom. They tracked their sharing patterns on a piece of paper and then their student interns placed a few drops of a solution in each of their test tubes. The ones that turned purple had a "virus" the ones that did not change were considered clean. They were able to track who started the virus and how it spread around the room. The results were interesting and caused a lot of hand washing during the rest of the day. The youth also got a chance to extract DNA from, of all things, a banana. They worked in teams and crushed half a banana and mixed it with a solution of shampoo and salt. After straining the mixture through a coffee filter they put some of the strained solution into a test tube of ice cold rubbing alcohol and were able to swirl DNA strands so that they could see it. The experiment proved DNA exists in more than animals and humans and was really cool to see. They also got a chance to view bacteria on their hands and learn the best way to keep their hands really clean.

After a very filling lunch at Ryan's we headed back to the college and played scientist some more. We had the chance to view cell structures of plants, blood, mold and more under various microscopes. We also saw how they chance used cooking oil into fuel it was really cool. We also learned about how soap used to be made by using hog fat and lie. The samples they had were also made with orange juice for the citric acid balance (but it still didn't smell very good). After all of that we wrapped up with a video on how biotech research can help us with crop production. It is important because the more research done the more likely we are to find bug resistant plants which means less chemicals on our food, in our soil, and ingested in our bodies. It means bigger yields for farmers, and more reasonably priced food for us (with great taste).

It was a great day with huge ramifications for our future, because we learned that we can all do this. All it takes is imagination, asking questions, and a willingness to find the answer. It is a world that is unending in its applications and the need is great and will be there for years to come. Stay tuned as tomorrow we will continue our science adventure and apply what we have learned to a crime scene and try to solve a possible crime.

Trying the Lessons of Day One

Day two of Biotech day camp found us in Raleigh again. This time we started on N.C. State's centennial Campus. There we took a tour of the Golden Leaf Biotech center and had a hands on opportunity that colored us purple. We started by splitting into two groups of 15. The first group hit the tour trail while the rest got a chance to change their appearance and their minds about science.

Our youth had the opportunity to tour the building and see where research and real life come together. Our tour showed us how they do research on DNA and cells to create medicines and find useful links between the research and businesses. After learning about clean rooms and super clean rooms, centrifuges, and how they get into cells without destroying what they need it was time for a little experimenting.

4-H took over one of the really neat classroom and learned how to gown up for our experiment, which we understand is one of the first things the college students learn. we started with our heads, because you certainly don't want hair all over your clean lab coat (which is what would happen if you did that at the end). Then we got into our lab coats, booties, gloves and safety goggles. Then we sat down for some serious experimentation. Based on a simple test to check for thyroid disease our youth had the opportunity to pour two chemicals together and count. Very quickly the liquid turned yellow, pink and finally purple (all of this took place in about three seconds). For one duo they repeated the experiment several times before our host determined that the chemicals we were using must be too old to be useful anymore, and must be destroyed. We also got to see how a product that they make there can filter out certain colors like taking the red and blue out of a grape soda and showing us the water that is left behind. It was really neat.

After all of that we watched an animated movie on what happens when you get a little cut and how your blood, especially white cells react. It was really cool to see everything that is in a microscopic cell and how it all works together. It is a smooth process that we are not even conscious of, it gave us a whole new appreciation for how truly amazing our human bodies are.

Of course after all this fun we were a bit hungry. So we hit the campus dinning hall for an amazing lunch. As part of that we got to try the milk and ice cream (again) that we saw how they make the day before at the N. C. State Dairy. I don't think I have ever seen so much milk consumed at one meal in a long time. The food was incredible as we all went back for seconds and even thirds, enjoying the variety of things that they have there.

After being stuffed we took a little drive to the solar house
also on the N.C. State campus near the McKimmon Center. There we toured an amazing house built 27 years ago and shows how relevant solar power was then and today. With the research they do at this house they can advise people what does and does not work, how to best build and position their house to maximize the solar energy potential. This utility bills on this hours run $200-$300 for the entire summer cooling the home and $100 for the winter to heat the home. The home is just over 1,800 square feet and a marvel in solar architecture. Even the garage is a test area for new solar panels and inside there are all different types of alternative fuels and alternative powered items. We learned about everything from facing a house south to maximize the solar potential to the best type of water heater and light bulbs to use. When we left we were thinking of new ways to reduce our carbon footprint and how to create test vehicles for their contests in the spring. It was a lot to think about.

Tomorrow we are off to Robeson Community College to work with their Biotech department and learn how they can turn cooking oil into fuel, the importance of bees, etc. Stay tuned for more of our scientific experiment of how science can be fun!

Biotech Day Camp Starts with the Big Freeze

Did you know a college education can including learning how to make milk and ice cream? As our biotech day campers found out today there is a sweet side to a college education at North Carolina State University and it involves science.

Three counties have joined together for this unique first time opportunity. The 4-H Biotech Day Camp explores the present and future of careers in the up and coming biotech industry and the role science may play in their futures. Hoke, Bladen and Robeson County 4-H programs are joining together for this wonderful summer opportunity for youth between the ages of 9-13. For those of you wondering what biotech is, it is it stands for biotechnology. Biotechnology encompasses a wide range of sciences including biology, chemistry, genetic engineering, microbiology, molecular biology, embryology, information technology, and much more. As part of this day camp we will explore the ways biotechnology and science impacts our lives from everything from cell structures to crops and food. Biotechnology is considered an up and coming industry in life sciences and the future is endless for our imaginative youth.

Today we kicked off the day camp with a special tour of the dairy at N. C. State University. Did you know that they make their own milk for the campus and ice cream? The process is a bit more complex than milking a cow and heating the milk so bacteria is killed. As we learned today what you do determines if you are making milk (whole, skim, 2%) chocolate milk, ice cream, and different flavors of ice cream. We learned what happens from the time a cow is milked until the milk or ice cream shows up on your table, including packaging, refrigeration and the security required around food processing to protect what we eat from terrorist attacks. Our youth asked questions about codes on pipes and machinery to what the difference is between pasteurized and homogenized. Of course their favorite part (after visiting the milk refrigerator and ice cream freezers) was testing the ice cream. Mr. Gary offered to let them test the new liver and onion flavored ice cream (but then fessed up that he was just kidding) but settled on the old stand-by of chocolate and vanilla. Although he bragged that it was the best ice cream ever, our 4-H'ers said it was truly awesome!

After learning about all the different sciences that go into our milk and ice cream we travelled to the North Carolina Natural Science Museum.
There we explored a variety of natural sciences and even attended a special program on alligators. Our youth not only learned about the importance of alligators, and their habitats but why it is important to study creatures of the wild. The best part of the program must have been having the opportunity to pet a young alligator (yes it was very much alive) and learning what it felt like. We learned a great lesson about respecting nature, and why it is important to decrease our carbon footprint and take care of the world around us. Science can help with that.

On the way back everyone was tuckered out as they napped, snored and well entertained the few of us who were awake. Tomorrow is another action packed day as we head to Centennial Campus and the Solar House. Tune in tomorrow to learn about our adventures, fun, and what we learned as we continue our scientific adventure this week.

We're Home!

I admit we got home yesterday afternoon and somewhere in there I took a long nap until this morning, which is why our last camp post for 2009 is delayed.

We started our last morning packing and cleaning up cabins. After our our egg and cheese biscuit breakfast we headed into the rec hall for awards. Counselors gave everyone in the cabin awards based on their work and personality during the week. We had the jeopardy award for those who asked the most questions, an adventurer awards for the most adventurous ones in the cabin, funny bone awards for the group jokesters, and even a hairspray award for those who used the most hairspray during the week. After that we were treated to a slide show of our adventures during the week.

Then we said our good-byes and thank yous and headed to buses. There were a few tears shed as all of our stuff was loaded onto the buses. May of us did not want to say good-bye. Others made plans to go back next year. Then we travelled back to Robeson County and greeted parents and family. As hugs were given, camp t-shirts collected, and cars loaded with everything we brought back the 4-H staff and volunteers sighed, thought about showers and sleep, and just like the campers we made plans to go back next year.

I would be remiss if I did not thank Julia and Missy our fine volunteers who went with us. They were fantastic and I think they had a great time too. Also the other counties that attended camp Chatham and Richmond counties and their volunteers Julia (yes we had two), Chris and Tiff as well as their agents Lauren and Michelle. We had a great time together and the BJP staff was fantastic too. See all the fun Richmond County had at camp, as well as their photos on the Richmond County Blog. You can check out Lauren Irby's photos as well. Also we partnered with the S.O.S. program and Indian Education to sponser youth for camp as well as some wonderful sponsers like Libby Burnery, and a few other who wish to remain anomyous. They feel that the camping experience is important for youth and in a short week can change their lives. We can not thank them enough. To add to the generosity our United Way dollars help pay for transportation for every camper which allows us to off camp at a reduced rate for everyone. It is a network of partnerships that allows this opportunity to happen for our Robeson County youth and thank you does not seem like enough for the impacts this program has.

We should be able to announce our dates for camp in 2010 in October of this year. Please stay tuned as we will make that announcement right here on our 4-H blog as soon as we know.