This Tick Safety video was recorded with OSU Extension and American Electric Power’s Safety Division and is hosted on YouTube. It is not as long as a full webinar and focuses the most on keeping our families and our animals tick safe. As we go into Camp Season, it would be a good thing to review and to share to your families as the heaviest spikes of Lyme Disease are from June to August and the number one and number two most diagnosed Lyme disease cases in Ohio are our children aged 5-9 and 10-14. Please share this out via social media and consider showing this to your camp counselors so we can increase tick safety in our kiddos.
Natural Resources
4-H Summer Judging – Scheduling will open the week of June 16th
Hello 4-H Members! We hope that you are busy working on your 4-H projects this summer. Here are a few important updates to be aware of:
- All Summer Judged Projects will be judged on the following days: Monday, July 14th and Tuesday, July 15th. Scheduling for these dates will open the week of June 16th (watch email/blog posts for the scheduling link). Please be aware that certain projects will be judged on certain days – please review the 2025 4-H Member Handbook to determine your project judging day(s). Writing Projects have been moved to Monday, July 14th.
If you cannot attend judging during this week, you can:
- Attend Late Judging on Tuesday, July 29th from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. by calling 740-653-5419 to schedule an appointment. Participation in Late Judging receives a grade only and is not eligible for county awards or state fair consideration.
- Advisor Completion – Talk to your club advisor as they can work with you to review your project for completion only. No grades or awards will be given with this option.
Please review the 2025 4-H Member Handbook as you complete your project(s) and prepare for judging.
Youth enrolled in the Tractor Maintenance Club or Shooting Sports Club do not need to complete summer judging if they met all completion requirements at the club level for Small Engine/Tractor Projects and or 700 level Shooting Sports disciplines (Shotgun, Rifle, Archery). However, if they wish to qualify for the Ohio State Fair for any of these projects, they must attend summer judging for each project.
Youth enrolled in Cake Decorating have the option for summer judging completion or county fair completion. If youth wish to qualify for the Ohio State Fair, they must complete summer judging.
Food and Nutrition Project Members should also review their project book inserts. These were tucked inside your project book if books were purchased at the Fairfield County Extension Office. If needed, you can download these here: Menu Planning Worksheet and Food Project Insert packet. Members WILL NOT bring food to judging.
Clothing Project Members should also review their project book inserts. These were tucked inside your project book if books were purchased at the Fairfield County Extension Office. If needed, you can download these here: Style Revue Card and Clothing Project Insert packet.
- Clothing Project Members plan to attend the Style Revue at Liberty Union High School, July 14th, 7:00 p.m. This is a required part of judging to be eligible for county awards and State Fair participation.
Scholarship Opportunity: Fairfield SWCD – due 3/31/2025
The Fairfield Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will offer up to three $1,000 college scholarships per year.
Applicants must be graduating from high school and be residents of Fairfield County. Home-schooled students are eligible as well. At the time of application, applicants must have achieved at least a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent).
Applicants need to be pursuing a degree in the fields of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation or Environmental Education. Examples of some eligible degrees include: Agriculture, Ag Engineering, Aquatic Ecology, Biological Sciences, Conservation Planning, Environmental Education, Environmental Science, Forestry, Natural Resource Conservation, Soils, or Wildlife. Call the SWCD office if you have a question about your area of interest.
Eligible post-secondary institutions include technical colleges, two-year associates, or four-year bachelor’s degree programs. If you plan to attend something other than the above, please call the SWCD office to check on eligibility.
Scholarship Application– due to the Fairfield SWCD office by March 31. Applications can be mailed or emailed to scholarship@fairfieldswcd.org.
SWCD Tree Sale
The Fairfield County Soil and Water office is currently taking orders for their annual 2025 tree seedling sale. For details check out the Fairfield SWCD website at https://fairfieldswcd.org/ or call the office at 740.653.8154
Youth Opportunity: Forestry & Wildlife Camp
The Forestry Wildlife Camp is open to campers in grades 7-11. Registration for camp is due April 1. Campers can enjoy wildlife education, fishing, hiking, tree climbing, outdoor survival, ODNR careers & college opportunities, learning about forestry and more!
There is a GoLink for registration, go.osu.edu/ForestryWLCamp25. Or members can apply by clicking this link. http://go.osu.edu/ForestryWLCamp25
We will also need experienced camp counselors to assist at this camp. Counselor fees will be covered with our Ohio 4-H Foundation grant funds. The link for camp counselors to apply is https://go.osu.edu/25forestrycampcounselorapplication. Those are due March 21. We will have a zoom meeting/training with those counselors who are selected prior to the camp.
Ohio BASS Nation Community Club
If you have a passion for the great sport of bass fishing, but do not have a school or community sponsored team, the Ohio BASS Nation now has a way for you to compete at the state level, with the potential to earn scholarship funds, and a path to the national stage! All anglers who currently attend high school in the state of Ohio are invited to join a “Community Club.”
Visit the Ohio BASS Nation website or contact Tasha Burgess, Ohio BASS Nation Youth Director, at obnyouth@gmail.com for more information.
Ohio BASS Nation Community Club Flyer
President’s Environmental Youth Award
Encourage youth with an existing environmental stewardship project or an idea for a project to apply so that their achievements can be further recognized. The President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects developed by K-12 youth. The PEYA program promotes awareness of our nation’s natural resources and encourages positive community involvement.
Youth must have completed their project while they were in kindergarten through the 12th grade and the project must be sponsored by an adult who is 21 or older. Applicants from all 50 states as well as U.S. territories are eligible to compete for a national Presidential award.
Visit the President’s Environmental Youth Aware webpage for more information about eligibility requirements, judging criteria, and how to apply.
Ohio BASS Nation Community Club
If you have a passion for the great sport of bass fishing, but do not have a school or community sponsored team, the Ohio BASS Nation now has a way for you to compete at the state level, with the potential to earn scholarship funds, and a path to the national stage! All anglers who currently attend high school in the state of Ohio are invited to join a “Community Club.”
Visit the Ohio BASS Nation website or contact Tasha Burgess, Ohio BASS Nation Youth Director, at obnyouth@gmail.com for more information.
Teen Opportunity: ODNR Now Accepting Applications for November Job Shadow Program
Attention high school juniors and seniors: the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is excited to announce its upcoming Job Shadow Program this November! This unique opportunity allows students to explore career paths in wildlife, parks, conservation, and more getting an inside look at what a future in natural resources could be.
ODNR Director Mary Mertz emphasizes, “It’s so important that we host these job shadow days to allow future conservationists the opportunity to learn and get excited about what a career at ODNR can look like for them one day.”
ODNR’s Job Shadow Day will be held on Friday, Nov. 22, and applications are being accepted through Oct. 25. Don’t miss your chance to experience a day in the life of Ohio’s dedicated conservation professionals! Apply now on the ODNR Job Shadow webpage.
2024 Summer Judging Results
Wow! 403 project judged in two days at 4-H Summer Judging! This includes 273 of our 4-H project members! We are so proud of all members who worked so hard on these projects (additional photos coming soon!).
In the meantime, RESULTS ARE POSTED! go.osu.edu/fcsummerjudgingresults
(sort by division or search by name).
If selected as an Ohio State Fair Participant – please confirm your participation by picking up your OSF packet as soon as possible at the Extension Office (831 College Ave, Suite D). If you can not attend OSF, please notify the office so that we can reach out to the alternate! We need to finalize OSF participation by Monday, July 22nd.
Award winners will receive information later this month about 4-H Summerfest (scheduled for Sunday, August 18th at 6:00 p.m. at the Liberty Center).
