Since we can’t get together in person for our annual celebration of all things related to the goat project, we have decided to host a virtual quiz bowl contest using Zoom and Kahoot! Here are the details – we hope you’ll join us. Saturday, February 13, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Registration due February 1 (no entry fee) The contest is for individuals, not teams. Any … [Read more...]
Ideas to Make Virtual Club Meetings Fun and Educational
In this year of the coronavirus pandemic all 4-H staff and volunteers have had to pivot from in-person programs to virtual programs, AND so did the school system. Our 4-H members have had a double whammy of virtual programs and spend a lot of time on their computers. So, how do you continue to keep your members engaged in this environment? They might really want in-person 4-H … [Read more...]
Club Support: Three Online Courses on Food Safety and Microbiology
If you are looking for ways to supplement your 4-H club or other youth program in the area of Animal Science, Animal U by the Iowa State University has a wealth of interactive and educational resources. The web trainings here are educational yet highly accessible to youth audiences. Production livestock projects may benefit from asking youth to complete the Food Safety and … [Read more...]
Livestock and Poultry Identification Resources and Bingo Game
Do you know why it is important to identify your animals? Do you know how to properly identify animals? Storms may take down trees and cause damage to barns allowing livestock to walk through downed fences or an electric fence that is no longer hot. If a barn or chicken coop were to become damaged, it is possible that scared animals run quite far from their own home and your … [Read more...]
Club Support: Animal Vital Signs Activity
Pennsylvania 4-H has a resource page of at-home 4-H activities that can be useful to 4-H clubs meeting remotely during COVID-19 social distancing. One series of at-home activities that may be assigned to club members this year is appropriate for companion animal projects as well as livestock: the Animal Vital Signs series: "Vital Information" - What is Normal? … [Read more...]
So You Want to Work in a Zoo?
This past July, 4-H Program Associates Amelia Valente and Brittany Rigg held a S.T.E.P (Short Term Exploratory Program) called Career Detectives. The mission of this program was to expose youth to zoo careers they might be interested in pursuing. Participants virtually connected with several professionals in the field, including Zoo Keepers, Behavioral Specialists, Water … [Read more...]
What can snakes on Madagascar teach us about evolution?
Arianna Kuhn, PhD Candidate, City University of New York, American Museum of Natural History As a PhD candidate at the City University of New York, my current work aims to understand the evolutionary events that cause new species to form, but my career in herpetology actually began with geckos from Africa! As an undergraduate at Villanova University, I knew that I … [Read more...]
Virtual Zoos Offer Animal Science at Home
Just because you and the kids are cooped up in the house doesn’t mean you can’t experience the fun of catching up with your favorite furry friends at your favorite zoo or animal conservatory. Zoos and animal habitats have also moved their program online during the COVID-19 pandemic. When visiting a zoo, online or in-person, you can confirm the organization is kind to and … [Read more...]
4-H Entries for Statewide Virtual Fair!
Calling all those in 4-H animal projects - there are multiple classes for each of you at the New Jersey 4-H Virtual Fair, but you only have a few more days to enter! All information (and a link for entries) is available at the 4-H fair's website. The many categories for project entries are outlined in the exhibitor’s guide, also available at the same site. While we hope … [Read more...]
The Search for Urban Snakes in NJ
Written by Tianqi Huang, a PhD student majoring in Ecology and Evolution at Rutgers University - New Brunswick , currently working on urban snake ecology. Tianqi is co-advised by Dr. Peter Morin and Dr. Sara Ruane. Nowadays, a large proportion of world’s population lives in urban areas, but we know that cities are not only home to … [Read more...]