Cool opportunity for bug lovers!

Hokie BugFest

Take a peek into the fascinating world of entomology at the fourth annual Hokie BugFest! This unique festival will take place on Saturday, October 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Inn at Virginia Tech (Latham Ballroom). The Inn is on the edge of the Virginia Tech campus off Price’s Fork Road, close to the 460 Bypass and near downtown Blacksburg. Plenty of parking will be available.

Activities and exhibits include a live Bug Zoo, a haunted Bug House, luminescent and cave-dwelling bugs, an ant farm, silkworm cocoons, games, and crafts. Bug enthusiasts can admire a giant bird-eating tarantula and a Formosan forest scorpion, watch cockroach races, see a working beehive, and meet the HokieBird. The themes of science and discovery are interwoven into all activities. 

New this year is a bee-waggle dancing contest. We will also feature an insect collection contest for individuals or groups. Other new attractions include a pumpkin patch (with pumpkins for sale) and the well-known Bo-Ty Dawgs. 

Don’t miss the Bug Zoo – your chance to view exotic arthropods from North America, South America, Central America, Africa, and Asia. The zoo’s residents include a black widow spider, hundreds of tarantulas, death-feigning beetles, scorpions, hissing cockroaches, several species of millipedes, and vinegaroons (cave-dwelling whip scorpions that squirt vinegar from their tail).

Enter the Luminous Cave and see glow-in-the-dark millipedes and other arthropods. Want more spooky fun? Try the haunted Bug House – a fun house with an insect theme. 

Everyone’s heard of the “bad guys” of the insect world, pests such as bed bugs, gypsy moths, stink bugs, mosquitoes, and termites. But what about insect “heroes”? Those include honey bees, which help make agriculture possible by pollinating crops. Check out the apiculture exhibit and learn how important bees are.

Stop by the Bug Creations room, where kids can make “buggy” crafts, get their faces and fingernails painted, and design a t-shirt. Children can also earn a junior entomologist certificate by visiting eight exhibits at the festival. Older kids will enjoy testing their wits at the Bug Jeopardy booth.

Another featured attraction of the Hokie BugFest is the Alberti Flea Circus. Jim Alberti’s troupe of performing fleas has charmed audiences from coast to coast. The flea circus will appear several times during the day.

For more details and a schedule of events, go to http://www.hokiebugfest.org.

The Hokie BugFest was inspired by William B. Alwood, Virginia’s first entomologist. Alwood, an early pioneer of pest management and fruit culture, was one of Virginia Tech’s greatest scientists. The W.B. Alwood Entomological Society, a graduate student organization, helps host the Hokie BugFest as part of its outreach mission.

Completed 4-H Record Books Need to Be Turned In This Week!

It's the last week of summer, and also the time to turn in completed 4-H record books. Everyone ages 9-19 who showed an animal at the county fair (beef, dairy, sheep, goat, swine) needs to submit a completed record book by September 1 annually. This year the first is on Labor Day, and the building will be closed, so make sure you submit your book by 5:00 p.m. this Friday!

CHARACTER COUNTS! in Virginia 4-H. Be RESPONSIBLE by getting your book done on time and be CARING by calling a friend and reminding them of the deadline, too.

Southern Regional Teen Leadership Conference

The 9^th annual Southern Regional Teen Leadership Conference (SRTLC) will take place September 25-28, 2014 in Crossville, Tennessee.  The SRTLC is a first-of-its-kind, multi-state 4-H conference created to bring together 4-H teens and adults to empower and inspire them to make positive change across the southern region through youth-adult partnerships.

The event is open to teens 14-18 years of age.  The cost of the event is $180.00.  It is the responsibility of the participant to pay the registration fee as well as transportation to/from the event.  The state 4-H office will attempt to assist in securing an adult chaperone if the youth delegate doesn’t have one. 

The registration deadline for Virginia 4-H is August 21.  Items to be returned by deadline:

·         Registration form

·         Activity and Event Acceptance Form (F600-A for youth/F600-B for adults)

·         Registration fee (Checks made payable to the Virginia 4-H Foundation) – no refunds will be issued after the registration deadline of August 21.

Registration should be mailed to:

State 4-H Office

Attn: Katie Lafon

107 Hutcheson Hall (0419)

Blacksburg, VA 24061

For more information please visit: http://4h.tennessee.edu/4hsrtlc/index.html.

Great opportunity for 4-H Scientists!

There will be an Agriscience Research Poster Contest at the 2014 State Fair of Virginia.  Agriscience research is an exciting opportunity for students interested in scientific principles and emerging technologies in the agricultural industry.  This annual event allows eligible 4-H and FFA students explore aspects of science in agriculture, helping them to develop skills in critical thinking and inquiry that will benefit them as they enter the workforce.  Awards and prize money will be granted to the students whose posters best reflect the guidelines and intent of the contest.

Contest Rules
1. Teams (1 or 2 individuals) must register by sending electronic registrations to TBD.
Registration forms and annual deadlines can be found on the Virginia FFA website.
http://www.vaffa.org/student/statefair.html
2. This contest is open to 4-H and FFA members in the state of Virginia. 4-H or FFA members
who have won previous national agriscience contests and college students are not eligible to
compete.
3. There will be a junior and senior division: FFA Junior division will be students in grades 6-9
and FFA Senior division will be students in grades 10-12. 4-H Junior division will be ages 9-
13 years old and 4-H Senior division will be ages 14-19 years old.
4. Agriscience projects must represent original basic or applied scientific research in one of the
following categories:
• Animal Systems
• Environmental Services/Natural Resource Systems
• Food Products and Processing Systems
• Plant Systems
• Power, Structural and Technical Systems
• Social Systems
5. Results of projects will be displayed using a standard poster format with the following requirements:
a. The maximum allowed size is 36 inches (height) by 48 inches (width).
b. Posters will be hung and should not be designed to be free standing.
c. There will be no additional space to display objects with the poster; these items are not permitted.
d. Posters must include the name of the person(s) responsible for the work, chapter name (or club), division (junior or senior), category (see #4 above), and the title of the work.

Agriscience Resources for Students
• Virginia FFA State Agriscience Program
http://www.vaffa.org/cdes/events/agriscience.html
• “Planet Ag” Agricultural Topics for Science Fair Projects
http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Marketing-and-
Development/Education/For-Parents-and-Students/Planet-Ag-Agricultural-Topics-for-Science-
Fair-Projects
• Search for project ideas based on topic and difficulty level http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/
http://www.agclassroom.org/teen/science/idealab.htm
• National FFA Agriscience Videos
http://www.schooltube.com/video/6eacfbb2c0b9e370534d/

If you have any questions about Agriscience or the Agriscience Research Poster Contest, please contact Hannah Scherer at hscherer@vt.edu (540) 231-1759.

For complete rules and information, visit the document library and look in the "Blog Post Follow Up" folder.

State Fair 4-H Fun Horse Show

There will be a 4-H Fun Horse Show at the State Fair this year!  On October 5, at 10:00 a.m. the Southeast District 4-H Horse Council will present the 2014 4-H Fun Horse Show.  There will be classes for current and past 4-Hers and 4-H volunteers.
Entries must be in by September 17.
Rules and more information can be found on the document library in the blog post follow up section.