Saturday Clover Kids holds first session...

Homemade chia cups and catching spiders made for a great kick-off meeting for the Saturday Clover Kids October 17. The group is hosted by Allamakee County Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and meets monthly for hands-on, educational activities. Youth learned the difference between their own ecosystem and that of different animals such as spiders, birds and whales. All life requires three things to survive: air, water and soil, but every ecosystem can look very different.

Youth pretended they were one inch tall and went outside to check out what they could find. Due to the cold, many bugs and insects were hard to find but the Clover Kids were able to move a spider from its inside ecosystem to an outside one. They also made their own funny face chia seed cups, such as the one pictured at right being displayed by Brinnly Rea of Lansing, and Cheerios bird feeders.

The group is limited in numbers to allow for social distancing, with a 4-H at Home option available for youth to complete activities on their own. For more information about 4-H and upcoming activities, contact Becky Rea at the Allamakee County Extension and Outreach Office in Waukon at 563-568-6345 or http://www.extension.iastate.edu/allamakee/. Submitted photo.