MA 4-H SET

06/18/2026

Not a 4-H program, but might make a FUN event.

Get ready for a worldwide Moon appreciation moment 🌓

Registration is now open for the next International Observe the Moon Night, coming up on September 19, 2026.

Last year, an estimated 1 million people in 128 countries celebrated our nearest neighbor in space together. Who will you observe the Moon with this year?

Find out how you, your community, or your organization can get involved at go.nasa.gov/ObserveTheMoon.

06/18/2026

Grumpy face, a li’l scruffy, standing or hopping and fully feathered? Yup, that’s a fledgling. Unless they’re injured or in danger, you can usually let them be.

A fledgling is a bird who’s just left the nest. They don’t fly much at first, but this is normal. If they can stand or hop and are covered in feathers, they’re likely fine. Their parents are usually nearby foraging for food to feed them. If you’re not sure, wait and watch from a distance to see if the parents show up.

If a fledgling is in a road or other dangerous spot, it’s OK to move them to a safer place nearby but only a few feet away! A fledgling is still dependent on their parents, and the parents must be able to find them.

Every summer, we admit many dozens of healthy fledglings who were rescued by mistake. Their rescuers certainly meant well, but the consequences for that bird (not being raised for their parents) and for us (many more birds in care unnecessarily) are steep. Whenever possible, we ask the rescuers to return them where they found them and wait to see if the parents return.

**Note: Pigeons are the exception. Pigeons stay in the nest a long 4 weeks and look almost like adults when they fledge. Usually if a pigeon looks too young to be out of the nest (short wings, short tail, fuzzy head), they are.**

If you’re not sure, send us a photo or contact your local wildlife rehabber.

Your donations feed a lot of babies and fledglings this time of year! Please consider helping: 🔗 bit.ly/wbfdonate

06/18/2026

A lot of AG Innovation

06/15/2026

Coming up on the longest days with the summer solstice. Sun is almost at peak so watch your Exposure with the UV index high too.

The public is invited to witness sunrise and sunset associated with the summer solstice among the standing stones of UMass Amherst’s Sunwheel on Sunday, June 21. The morning gathering begins at 5 a.m., shortly before sunrise at 5:13 a.m., and the evening gathering begins at 7:30 p.m., about an hour before sunset at 8:30 p.m.

During these hour-long Sunwheel events, Grant Wilson of the College of Natural Sciences at UMass Amherst’s Department of Astronomy will discuss the astronomical cause of the sun’s changing position in the sky during the year.

Learn more: https://www.umass.edu/natural-sciences/events/astronomy-summer-solstice-2026

06/11/2026

Good resource. National Maker week coming up on the 17th and fairs are coming up. What are you making?

06/11/2026

Fun upcycle project and can use as a draft catcher for a door too,

Sew a snake stuffed animal out of mismatched socks! How cute.

06/01/2026

05/31/2026

Weather nice to go out and birdwatch. Go further and check out the resources available through your local 4-H office.

Heads up.

05/31/2026

Flashback - A picture of the beginning of the permaculture garden addition at Elm Park in 2018 with the planting of some fruit trees with a group of students. Then rhubarb, strawberries and more added. After revisiting the school for meetings and short term programs on the invite by Mary Keefe, Kim Pond UMass Extension 4-H Educator who is also Master Gardener through URI worked with the school, REC and community for several years to get the forgotten garden cleaned and expanded. Happy to have community member Ellen take over and the church get involved.

05/30/2026

Let’s cheer them on! Excited to have some coming to lead the robotics track at Explore UMass teaching micro-bits and they will be back at our Family STEM Day 11/7 teaching several workshops.

https://www.nefirst.org/frc-events/ma-states