Charlotte Barnes, Academic Hourly

Southern Illinois Horse Judging Contest

All Southern Illinois youth ages 8-18 are welcome to compete in a Junior or Senior Level Horse Judging Contest on September 13, 2008. Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the contest starting at 10:00 a.m. Call the Edwards County Extension Office at 445-2934 by September 12 to pre-register. The contest is sponsored by Williamson County U of I Extension and Williamson County Farm Bureau.

Legislative Ambassadors

A legislative Ambassadors meeting is scheduled Monday, September 29, at 6:00 p.m., at the Mt. Vernon Center. HOPE backpacks for the DCFS will be packed. Refreshments will be available. Now is a good time to get active in Legislative Ambassadors. It is a great opportunity for youth to meet other members in other counties, do a community service project that benefits all the counties in our area, learn more about the governmental process, and best of all-have fun and eat!

National 4-H Week–October 5-11, 2008

The 2008 National 4-H Week theme will be "Keeping it Green." With 4-H's connection to environmental efforts, youth participating in environmental science, and 4-H's new partnership with Nickelodeon's The Big Green Help, "Keeping it Green" shows how 4-H is bridging old ideas with new to teach youth environmental stewardship and connecting youth to science-related issues. The green theme also can showcase 4-H beyond the environmental focus as 4-H's green brand is a direct connection to the organization as a whole.

New Pesticide Safety Education Program

We are pleased to launch a new Pesticide Safety Education Program website. It includes the current issue of the Illinois Pesticide Review as well as past issues, featured tips and fact sheets, a directory of training manuals, training schedules, certification information as well as a comprehensive list of resources. The site was developed by Scott Bretthauer, Extension Specialist, Pesticide Safety Education, and Michelle Wiesbrook, Extension Specialist, PSEP - Horticultural Weed Science. You can visit the site at: http://www.pesticidesafety.uiuc.edu/

Culture Kits

The 2008-2009 Culture Kits are now available for clubs and classrooms to use. These kits contain articles, information, and insight into a country's lifestyle and geography. The kits available this year for our region are Japan, Africa, Netherlands, Kenya, Ireland-mini, Denmark-mini, and Thailand-mini. If you plan on using a kit, call our office and we will reserve one for you!