Spring Equinox, Time Change, and 4-H Fun, oh my! Spring is where we really start to bloom in 4-H. The weather is warm, the days are long, and the winter blues are melting away. This is especially true as we round the corner into March (no matter what that shadow-scared Phil says!).

Things are only heating up as we look at the Spring Lineup awaiting us:

• Livestock Club is meetings March 13th and 27th
• Presentation Club Interest Meeting March 3rd
• Clover Craft Night on St Patrick’s day!
• Be on the lookout for our Shooting Sports club GrittyTriggers to start their meetings in April!

Spring also brings up wonderful thoughts of growth and adventure. Summer Camp is just around the corner! Our office is continuing a long standing partnership with Jackson County Parks and Rec Camp, as well as facilitating youth heading off to Besty-Jeff Penn 4-H overnight camp in June.We’ve got a lot cooking, with more to come as the weather heats up, and it’s all thanks to you! Our community and the people who support N.C. Cooperative Extension and the 4-H mission. Personally, I love a good craft (and thoughtful, hands on exploration is kinda right in our wheelhouse). So with little oomph behind this update, I wanted to leave you all with a fun craft! Yay! This can be done with kids, grandkids, the random child that haunts your attic, or by yourself (just remember to have an adult nearby!).

Coffee Filter Butterflies (Suggested Ages 4-10)

In the spirit of spring right around the corner, let's make our very own chromatographic pollinators!

Materials

• Coffee filter
• Food dy or water colored markers
• Spray bottle
• Clothes pin
• Pipe cleaner
• Newspaper/drop cloth to place on the table under the project

Steps

• Step 1: Squeeze a few drops (food coloring) or make ¼” circles (markers) of each color onto the coffee filter. We want to make sure we keep them spaced out in order to let them have room for the next step.
• Step 2: Using your spray bottle, spritz over your coffee filter in an even layer. You don’t want it dripping wet, but just damp enough the colors start to bleed and mix. Once you’re satisfied, set aside to dry.
• Step 3: Create! The “by the book” way to do it: Scrunch up the coffee filter in the middle and place a clothespin between the two “wings” of the butterfly so it makes a body. Fold your pipe cleaner in half and curl the ends, clamping it with the top of your clothespin to make antennae.
• Step 4: Customize! You can make your butterfly look a million different ways (okay… not a million, but you get the idea!). Add a coffee filter for 2x wings. Use only the pipe cleaner to hold it together, or just the clothespin. Paint your clothespin. Take a marker and draw black patterns on your wings once they’re dry. The possibilities are endless!