Project Successes:

Eau Claire County Little Red Cardinals

4-H EnAct

EnAct is a program designed to encourage sustainable living through the development and promotion of environmental action-based book discussion groups in communities. We’ve covered the EnAct chapters of Waste Less, Drive Less, and Save Water. At each meeting we talk about the chapter we read, our short term goals (changes made in our life in the next two weeks) and long term goals (permanent changes) in that area, and how our short term goals from the last two weeks have gone. We always have a discussion question that everyone has a comment about, and I’ve been excited by the level of participation. Also, we have an activity (for example, a ‘Questions on Water Jeopardy Game’ for the Save Water unit) and a project (for example, ) at each meeting. Not only has this been really fun, but the best part is, it’s working. As we share the success (and sometimes horror) stories of our enacting of the short term goals, everyone seems really serious about their desire to make changes. From resolutions to bike more places, to the group’s unanimous decision to always turn off water while brushing your teeth, we’ve been, as a club and as individuals, becoming more environmentally-friendly.

A window that says ‘4-H EnAct’ made out of recycled materialsfor the Waste Less unit

Richland County Syresville Starlets

Compact Fluorescent light bulb giveaway to Seniors at Rockbridge Meal site

Gift from the Syresville Starlets 4-H Club

Thanks to a Service Learning Grant from the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation

If you would like help installing this light bulb, you may call 4-H member:________________________________

Note: do not use outside, for electronic timers/photocells, or on dimming circuits.

Compact Florescent bulbs save about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime-about 5 years.
Use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.
Produce about 75 percent less heat, so they're safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.

The Syresville Starlets purchased and gift wrapped 200 compact fluorescent light bulbs. We caroled for the seniors at our local meal site and gifted bulbs. The seniors enjoyed the caroling and environmentally friendly presents. Each 4-Her took a light bulb package to give to a neighbor. The remainder of the bulbs were distributed at a local store and food pantry to people in need. We learned that although compact fluorescent light bulbs use significantly less energy that incandescent ones, they contain mercury so they need to be disposed of properly. If we repeat this project, we would set up a deposit site for used bulbs. Our club would like to do a different service learning project next year to benefit the environment.

Monroe County Jolly Joiners 4-H Club Cashton Community Park Woodland

This project involves a coordinated effort between Jolly Joiners 4-H club, the Cashton High School FFA/Agriculture Class and the Cashton Community. The goal is to develop a three acre wooded part of the Cashton Community Park that currently consists of overgrown pines and thick underbrush. Representatives from 4-H and FFA met with the state forester to develop a management plan. The Cashton Community Club provided $200 toward the effort. The Village of Cashton granted approval to proceed. A work date to trim out dead or diseased trees was selected and several parents and older youth were on board to begin work. Unfortunately, a severe thunderstorm put a halt to efforts. The plan to purchase and plant trees with the $200 WI 4-H Grant money will occur in the spring of 2010. To date, eight adults and seven youth have been involved in the project.

Lincoln County 4-H School Recycling Project

Lincoln Afterschool Students and Recycling Bins

The 4-H Ambassadors involved in the Engaging Youth, Serving Communities project worked with the high school, high school groups (student council and octagon), elementary school after school enrichment program and the Middle school after school “After the Bell” program to design a community service project. The community service project was selected from ideas at a forum facilitated by the 4-H ambassador in 2007 after teaching the citizenship curriculum product through national 4-H. The 4-H Ambassadors worked with the high school to meet their needs, worked with other high school service groups to ensure proper disposal, helped the after school participants to select recycling bins, write additional grant funds to cover some supplies, purchased supplies and helped the youth make recycling signs to go with the bins. The ambassadors laminated the posters and presented them to the high school.

The high school is home to the community and the public is at there often. Promoting recycling in the eye of the public will encourage recycling throughout the community.”