April 10 through May 31, 2020 Members of your club (4th grade and above) can earn points each week over the next two months, through the end of May. The 5 clubs with the most points per member after seven weeks will earn $200 to support their club’s efforts to learn or teach animal science. In addition, up to 10 clubs from throughout New Jersey 4-H will earn $100 … [Read more...]
East Brunswick, NJ Shuts Down Road For Salamander Migration
Originally posted February 11, 2020 | Updated Feb 12, 2020 at Patch.com. Re-posted with permission from author, Carly Baldwin, Patch Staff. Yup, you read that correctly. One of the earliest signs of spring in central New Jersey is the annual salamander and frog migration. EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — New Jersey residents are used to roads closing for flooding, downed trees … [Read more...]
Helping Youth Understand the Vocabulary of Zoonotic Diseases
The understanding of zoonotic diseases, those that can transfer between animals and people, is one important topic within Animal Science. Still, it can be challenging to instruct youth in ways to prevent the spread of such illnesses; lessons are in-depth, vocabulary is challenging, and as educators we may worry that the material is dry. Michigan State University Extension … [Read more...]
4-H Animal Science Video Contest – Expanded to Include ALL Animal Projects
The informational flyer and entry form for the 4-H Animal Science Video Contest and Film Festival are available on our website. New Jersey 4-H, in cooperation with the New Jersey Junior Breeder Symposium, is sponsoring the contest and film festival, now expanded to include ALL 4-H animal project areas - including ALPACA, CAT, CATTLE (BEEF/DAIRY), DOG, GOAT, HERPETOLOGY, HORSE, … [Read more...]
Poachers and habitat loss are endangering these N.J. snakes. This professor works to keep the reptiles safe.
Originally posted Sep 29, 2019 at NJ.com. Re-posted with permission from author, Avalon Zoppo, NJ Advance Media. Deep in the Pine Barrens, poachers can wander for hours at a time. Their eyes scan the forest floor for dull orange, camouflaged corn snakes, a state-endangered reptile long threatened by a combination of encroaching development and collectors who sell … [Read more...]
Rutgers Herpetologist Shares 2019 Travels!
Dr. Sara Ruane, Rutgers Herpetologist and Evolutionary Biologist, shares her awesome 2019 travels with us. Louisiana In April, I went to Louisiana to collect genetic samples from snakes with my former PhD advisor, Frank, a curator at the American Museum of Natural History, and his postdoc, Skip. This collecting was for some projects that we are working on together and to … [Read more...]
Animal Science at Fair: Our Chance to Showcase
While County Fair season may be months away, 4-Hers know that now is the time to plan for this annual showcase of our project year, which provides a great opportunity for public engagement. Animals are an integral part of our fairs - 4-H members care for and exhibit their livestock, horses, poultry, and small animals (a major draw for fairgoers). We show animals under tents … [Read more...]
Making the World Your Office: Traveling for Research
There are many avenues of work that a research-type occupation or program can, and most likely will, take you in. As you enter into a research career, especially one in the realm of biology, you will find yourself in an actual office environment, but you may also find yourself in a lab, trying to get the data that your thesis or dissertation is dependent on (and for graduate … [Read more...]
Virginia Tech paleontologist finds, names new 3-foot-tall relative of Tyrannosaurus rex
This article was first published in the May 7, 2019 Virginia Tech News https://vtnews.vt.edu/ A new relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex – much smaller than the huge, ferocious dinosaur made famous in countless books and films, including, yes, "Jurassic Park" - has been discovered and named by a Virginia Tech paleontologist and an international team of scientists. The … [Read more...]
Emergency Preparedness and 4-H Animal Projects
September is National Preparedness Month - a great time to build awareness of the need for emergency planning. New Jersey 4-H now offers a disaster preparedness program for youth, which teaches young people how to plan to shelter in place or evacuate with their families during an emergency. This program is in line with FEMA guidelines for youth emergency preparedness and can … [Read more...]