- Author: Emily Jackson
Siskiyou County is one of California's most rural counties. Forest fires and other natural disasters are often a concern for our communities. Many of our residents own pets and livestock, but we lack the agency resources to help with pet/livestock emergency evacuation.
With fire season already starting, Siskiyou County's Hi 4-H project wanted to help people prepare for emergency evacuations that included plans for pets and livestock. It was important that we inform the public about how to prepare for a disaster. To do this, we created PEEP (Pet Emergency Evacuation Plan) pamphlets.
The main objective of this project was to inform and teach 4-Hers and the public about how to keep pets and livestock safe in case of evacuation. We worked with Siskiyou County's Animal Control and used resources from the Office of Emergency Services (OES) while we researched on our own in preparation for this project. We learned about important things to have prepared if animals need to be evacuated, and what to do if animals need to be left behind or let loose. In our pamphlets, we included information about how to evacuate small and large animals, important items to have prepared in case of an emergency, and the importance of pre-planning.
How we're sharing the information
Our pamphlets will be handed out at the Siskiyou Golden Fair and a PDF version will be available on our county's Animal Control and Office of Emergency Services (OES) websites. We have also given presentations on our project and supplied information pamphlets to local 4-H clubs, as well as shared our project with attendees of this year's California Focus conference.
After completing this project, we have gained knowledge about how to evacuate both large and small animals and we know that it is our responsibility to make sure we have a plan. Our animals are counting on us. We hope that our project will help 4-Hers and members of our community be prepared for future disasters.
Don't forget your PEEP's in an emergency!
Download a copy of the pamphlet
- Author: Donovan Hill
Who wouldn't want to spend a week at a hotel with a pool? Until last August, I never could have imagined feeling anything but relaxation and happiness at a hotel. But when the Ponderosa Fire started near our family ranch in Feather Falls, my parents, grandparents and I found ourselves evacuated, sitting in our hotel rooms with only the clothes we had been wearing the day the fire started. For more than a week, we waited inside with the windows shut against the smoke, trying not to worry.
My family was very lucky to be able to evacuate and very fortunate that CalFire was able to stop the fire about 900 feet from our ranch. When we finally drove home, we were shocked to see the devastation in our mountain community. We immediately wanted to do something to help.
Every member of our 4-H Club also had been affected directly or indirectly by the wildfires of 2017.
Oroville Foothill 4-H Fire Recovery Project
We decided to create a Fire Recovery Project in Oroville Foothill 4-H Club and invite all 4-H Clubs in Butte County to join us.
Kickoff event: Erosion Control Project
For our kickoff event on October 14, 2017, we volunteered to help the Yankee Hill Fire Safe Council on an erosion control project in the Wall Fire. We visited three properties and spread rice straw on some steeper slopes to prevent soil erosion and mudslides. The homeowners were thrilled with the help and materials they received.
Spring project: Tree Planting
For the spring, Oroville Foothill 4-H Fire Recovery Project planned three tree-planting dates in early 2018. Then, we discovered that there is a shortage of tree seedlings because of all the fires in California this year. After talking to families at the Mountain Springs Grange in Feather Falls who had received some fir and pine seedlings, but no other native trees, we realized that we have thousands of small cedar and other conifer “wildlings” on our ranch that we could transplant to neighboring properties that burned.
On February 24, 2018, we transplanted 300 cedars to Bruce and Leslie Steidl's place that burned in the Ponderosa Fire. During a lunch break, Leslie Steidl talked to us about women in science and her career as a geologist and archaeologist. We learned that the land we replanted has been occupied by people for at least 6000 years.
Join Oroville Foothill 4-H's Fire Recovery Project!
Oroville Foothill 4-H also is extending invitations to other service organizations to join us in the Fire Recovery Project, including Boy Scouts, Sea Cadets and the YMCA. The more volunteers we have, the more we can do to help our communities recover from the devastation of the wildfires of 2017.
We look forward to many years of watching our local forests grow and return to the beautiful life-supporting ecosystem that we enjoy.
For more information about the 4-H Youth Develpment Program in Butte County, please contact 4-H Program Representative Nicole Marshall-Wheeler at nmarshall@ucanr.edu.
- Author: Suzanne Morikawa
4-H is launching an annual True Leaders in Service initiative in honor of National Volunteer Appreciation Month. True Leaders in Service, a month-long community service activation, officially kicked-off the first day of April, and will culminate with the National 4-H Day of Service on Saturday, April 29.
Thousands of 4-H'ers will venture out into their communities throughout the month of April to do what 4-H'ers do best: lead in service to tackle community challenges and help meet the needs of others.
The first National 4-H Day of Service on April 29 will take place in every county across the country. 4-H members, adult volunteers and friends will help improve their communities by adopting a service project. These projects can be done as individuals, as an entire county 4-H program, or anything in between. No matter the project, this is a day that will make a difference!
California 4-H has a history of True Leaders in Service
Million Trees Project
California 4-H'ers do outstanding projects in their communities. We have had the Million Trees Project, started by a 4-H'er from San Mateo County. Originally a club project, it grew to an international campaign because of the sheer magnitude of numbers!
Beautify Stockton
Elliot from San Joaquin County got involved in several other service-oriented organizations and started up Beautify Stockton, where he organized monthly clean-ups in different areas of his hometown in order to make it look better and help residents feel more proud of where they live. Unsung Hero: Elliott Stenzler; RecordNet.com
Incorporating service projects into other activities
As noted in our recent blog post, Health Grows in 4-H, 4-H'er Christian incorporated service projects to provide lunches for the homeless and smile dolls for children with cleft palates into the Southern Area Healthy Living Summit. Our 4-H'ers are good at finding ways to support the community in different ways!
Even the holiday projects, such as delivering pajamas and presents to children in the hospital, are making a difference in the community.
What to do next
We encourage all 4-H clubs, members and volunteers to plan a service project in April and register it on the National 4-H website at 4-H.org/true-leaders-in-service. Your project will be added to the national map to show how 4-H is supporting communities all across the nation. Go to our True Leaders in Service resource page for resources for planning and promoting your event - and don't forget to share it on social media! Use #TrueLeaders in your posts and tag California 4-H so we can share it too.
- Author: Suzanne Morikawa
- Author & Photographer: Christian Redman
4-H'ers throughout California are practicing and supporting healthy lifestyles in their communities. The Sparks Surveys taken by California 4-H youth show that more than 87% of 4-H'ers are learning about nutrition and making healthy choices. They are sharing their knowledge with their communities by organizing health fairs, hosting Color Me Green 5K Runs and doing service projects to support people in their communities.
Southern Area Healthy Living Summit
The Healthy Living Summit in the Southern Area was chaired by 4-H'er Christian Redman. This is the second year of the Summit, and Christian involved several 4-H clubs to support the event with interactive booths and activities.
Christian shares highlights of the Summit
The CA Southern Area had a very successful “Healthy Living Summit” with 50 plus participants.
4-H'ers danced, ran, sewed, did yoga, listened and snacked all afternoon.
Service to Others
We served others by making 100 lunch bags for the homeless and 25 smile dolls for children who have cleft lip and cleft palate.
Color Me Green 1K Run
The DSOC Super Kids 4-H Club enthusiastically participated and stole the show.
- Author: Anne Iaccopucci
- Photographer: Photos by Sarah Burton
Over the past few years Color Runs have gained popularity with young people. The original five kilometer run was designed to encourage novice runners to improve their physical activity while also having fun.
Combining Service Learning and Healthy Living
The Color Me Green 5K Runs provide youth with a statewide service learning opportunity specific to the improvement of health. With the support of adult leaders, youth organize and execute 5K runs in their communities. Youth are trained in nutrition and physical activity best practices and also develop partnerships where they aspire to increase the health habits of their community through participation in the Color Me Green 5K Run. 4-H Clubs may choose to host a Color Me Green 5K Run as a county fundraiser. Additional funds from individuals and local businesses can be raised to underwrite costs related to the event. These funds can also be leveraged to aid clubs in securing additional funds at the local level for future runs and health promotion efforts.
Healthy Living Officers
Currently, 4-H has nearly 100 youth serving as Healthy Living Officers in local clubs, serving as the club's ambassador for health. Healthy Living officers are the leaders for all health activities including: providing ideas on how to incorporate physical activities and healthy eating into each club meeting, writing Healthy Living articles for the club newsletter, and adopting and promoting a club Wellness Plan. In this role, teens act as role models while also growing into confident leaders and educators themselves. This process supports teens with opportunities to practice leadership in the arena of health. These officers will be beneficial in the promotion and planning of the Color Me Green 5K Runs. These Officers will also support the continuation of these runs in future years.
Engaging youth, adults and the community at large
County sites receive promotional materials (posters and flyer templates); a Host Guide; and health education materials. These materials will include basic information about injury prevention when running, hydration, the MyPlate dietary guidelines, and tips for staying motivated.
Color Me Green 5K Run planning resources
It is our hope that through participation in the Color Me Green 5K Runs both individuals and communities will aspire to increase their health habits.
Be a health advocate for your community and host a Color Me Green 5K Run!
This year, Color Me Green Runs will take place in the following counties:
|
El Dorado |
April 1, 2017 |
Shingle Springs Wellness Center |
|
Fresno |
March 18, 2017 |
California State University, Fresno5241 N. Maple Avenue Fresno, Ca 93740 http://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=19853 |
|
Imperial County |
February 12, 2017 |
Imperial High School |
|
Santa Clara |
March 19, 2017 |
Martial Cottle Park 5285 Snell Ave, San Jose, California 95136 |
|
Sutter-Yuba |
March 11, 2017 |
Sierra Foothills Research Extension Center (REC), 8279 Scott Forbes Road | Browns Valley |
|
Kings |
April 23, 2017 |
TBA |
|
Monterey |
March 25, 2017 |
2004 Fairgrounds Rd, Monterey, CA Monterey County Fairgrounds and event center |
|
Sonoma |
May 7, 2017 |
Sonoma County Fairgrounds |
|
Mendocino |
May 13, 2017 |
Nelson Vineyards 550 Nelson Ranch Rd Ukiah, CA 95482 |
|
Humboldt |
TBA |
TBA |
