Field and Garden: 4-H camp offers fun, educational activities

“Ready, set, go!” said the small, red-haired girl as she tightened her grip on the foot-long four-by-four, holding it tightly against the shop floor.

Her blonde-haired counterpart had already placed the tip of her drill bit where an “X” was marked on the board’s surface. At the word “go,” she squeezed the trigger, and the drill spun into action.

I watched as the girls repeated the process several more times. They were constructing a “bee hotel” – a place where solitary bees such as mason bees, leafcutter bees and carder bees can burrow into and nest.

The girls were among 27 youths who participated in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program at 4-H camp earlier this month.

I taught a session about electronic circuits during the four-day-long camp. We built a flashlight using a Pringles can, six LED light bulbs, a 100-ohm resistor and a nine-volt battery.

Other activities gave youths opportunities to explore topics related to physics, chemistry and biology.

Almost 500 North Dakota youths attended 4-H camp this summer. The camping season began at the end of May and continued through the first week of August.

A variety of topic-oriented camps was offered, including livestock camp, adventure camp, fish camp and top-notch chef camp.

Trades Camp was one of the topics in this year’s schedule that particularly intrigued me. The purpose of Trades Camp was to give high-schoolers the opportunity to explore careers that don’t require a four-year college degree, careers such as carpentry, welding, electronics and engine repair.

North Dakota 4-H Camp is located along the banks of the Missouri River near Washburn.

4-H membership is not required to attend camp. Scholarships are available for income eligible families.

If you’d like to receive information next spring about the 2024 camping season, please contact me in the Extension office (652-2581, [email protected]).

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Q: What’s going on with the cottonwood tree at my in-law’s home? It produced much more cotton this year than in the past.

Cottonwoods are one of several tree species which every few years expel many more seeds than normal.

The phenomenon, which is called mast seeding, also occurs in maples and conifers.

Trees don’t have enough resources to produce massive amounts of seed every year. Instead, they send out a big burst every few years.

The burst is likely triggered by environmental conditions during the previous year. I wonder if your in-laws experienced particularly dry weather last summer.

Incidentally, cottonwoods have male and female trees. Male trees produce pollen that may make you sneeze. Only female trees produce cotton.

A mature tree can produce millions of seeds. The seeds are only viable for one or two weeks.

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Please mark Tuesday, Sept 19 on your calendars. That’s the date of the final Carrington Market in 2023.

It’s also the date when we’ll have a weigh-off to see who grew the largest pumpkin in Foster County.

Bring your pumpkin to the city park between 5 and 7 p.m. for the weigh-off.

There will be divisions for both youth and adults.