Oct. 4-10 is National 4-H Week and Iowa youth are demonstrating how 4-H helps them “Meet the Future.” Also see the story about Gov. Culver proclaiming 4-H Week in Iowa.
AMES, Iowa -- The theme for National 4-H Week, Oct. 4-10, is “Meet the Future.” One way Iowa 4-H’ers are preparing for their future is by demonstrating how to take better care of planet Earth.
Iowa 4-H’ers have had a long-term commitment to protecting the environment. Many of their projects at the 2009 Iowa State Fair urged consumers to make an effort to reduce, reuse and recycle.
A New Use for Something Old
“Sometimes you can find a more economical way to do things or make things on your own,” according to Van Buren County 4-H’er Grace Westercamp. “I am always hearing about recycling, and I found a new use for an old book and an old dress.”
Westercamp had seen photos of purses, crafted from old book covers and fabric, while she browsed online. They were cute, but expensive, she noted. “I wondered if I could make one myself.”
So she bought a used book at the Farmington Public Library book sale — “Little Women,” by Louisa May Alcott. She looked online for directions, then developed her own, she explained. “I learned about Internet research, recycling, sewing, fabric type and problem solving.”
Another Use for Pop Cans
Sarah Rasmussen, a 4-H’er from Humboldt County, recycled pop cans to give an old end table a new look. She got the idea from a table in an airport gift shop, then collected pop cans from various sources. With a knife, a scissors, a hammer and nails, she cut and flattened and nailed her way through enough cans to completely cover the table top.
All Those Plastic Sacks
What can you do with plastic rabbit food, corn and cat food sacks? “Most people would empty out the sacks and throw them away,” said Kinyon Melton, but not this Cherokee County 4-H’er. He recycled the bags to make a tarp. He cut them to similar sizes and pieced them together like a quilt, applying glue with a putty knife. He reinforced the edges with baler twine, added grommets and taped all the seams with white duct tape. The result — a pink, orange and berry red tarp.
“We could use it around the yard because we’re always looking for a tarp,” Melton said.
Katherine Pearce, a 4-H’er from O’ Brien County, crocheted a bag from plastic sacks. She’ll use it to carry her bathroom supplies — shampoo and bodywash — at University of Northern Iowa this year. “I plan to continue to search for new ways to recycle plastic bags and to search for other materials I can reuse and recycle,” Pearce noted.
“Not only is reusing and recycling easy, but it can be a stand out fashion statement,” according to Hardin County 4-H’er Samantha Topp. She made three woven handbags from plastic candy wrappers, food packages, soda bottle labels and other waste-bound materials. Her goal was to collect waste and turn it into functional, durable and eye-catching bags. She got the idea from a bag she saw at a boutique in Des Moines. She found examples on the Internet, but no instructions.
“So I had to experiment to come up with my own method,” Topp explained. She washed and dried the bags, cut them into two-inch by four-and-a-half-inch pieces and then folded them and made chains. She also researched the effects of plastic bags on the environment.
Other Inspiration
Brooke Pigman, of West Pottawattamie County, made a tin man wind chime from recycled materials — tin cans, bottle caps, scrap tin and old wire, and even a red heart cut from an old Nebraska license plate.
Gretchen Henningsen, of Clinton County, used an old t-shirt to make a tote bag.
Rachel Wagner, Clayton County, created her own skin care and hair care products from common natural ingredients such as yogurt, avocado, citrus and honey.
Sonya Masters of Monona County made homemade laundry detergent. Her goal — fewer plastic containers heading to the landfill.
“These are just a few examples of how Iowa 4-H’ers are tackling environmental issues,” said Judy Levings, Iowa State University Extension 4-H youth development specialist. “Through 4-H they’ve learned that their actions make a difference.”
More than 6,700 Iowa youth participate in environmental science projects each year, Levings said, including environment, wildlife, forestry, camping, fishing and Safety and Education in Shooting Sports (SESS). Approximately 7,700 youth participate in environmental field days and camps each year.
About 4-H
4-H is a community of young people across America who are learning leadership, citizenship, communication and life skills. In Iowa the 4-H program is headquartered on the ISU campus in Ames and offered in every county through the local Iowa State University Extension office.
For more information about 4-H, contact any county office of ISU Extension or the state 4-H office at (515) 294-1017.
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Laura Sternweis, Extension Communications and External Relations, (515) 294-0775,