Arbor Day Tavares, FL
Members from the 4-H Lake County Council and Southside and Friends 4-H Club teamed up on January 20, 2018 with the city of Tavares, FL for Arbor Day. Ten 4-H youth members facilitated a watershed board demonstration, educating the public on the importance of keeping water clean. This activity ties into Southside and Friend’s community project of reducing plastics. The 4-H youth facilitators also taught Arbor Day participants how to recognize recycling symbols and explained the meaning. They explained how all plastics should be used in moderation but that some plastics are safer than others. The following link is an excellent guide to determining the meaning of recycling symbols: http://naturalsociety.com/recycling-symbols-numbers-plastic-bottles-meaning/.
Only Rain Down The Drain
On March 24, 2018 4-H members and volunteers from Umatilla’s Southside and Friends 4-H Club partnered with the Lake County Public Works department to educate community members on “Only Rain Down The Drain.” Ten youth and six adults went door to door at the Estates of Black Bear Community. The 4-H club learned the importance of educating the public on keeping prohibited items out of storm drains. The purpose of this community service was to provide information of items that are/are not allowed down the drains in neighborhoods and communities. The volunteers and youth were divided into groups and were placed at different locations in the subdivision to mark drains. The 4-H youth were able to mark twenty drains and there was an estimated 110 homes that were given an outreach door hanger. The group was given a demonstration on how to help educate the general public regarding “Only Rain Down the Drain.”
Earth Day – Mt. Dora
On April 21, 2018 Southside and Friends 4-H youth again educated the public on the importance of recycling. This time, they brought a friend along. One Southside and Friends member, created a piece of art in the form of an alligator. This alligator is used to educate the public on what happens when people do not recycle. The alligator has a hole at the top with different plastic materials inside. With this piece of art, the youth are able to demonstrate that alligators and other species are oftentimes unable to tell the difference between plastics and food. Animals can die due to the consumption of plastics so this demonstration serves as a reminder to be mindful of what we put back into the environment. The members of Southside and Friends have done a great job educating the general public about the importance of water conservation and recycling.
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