- Hey, kids!

Welcome to the 4-H Center.

I'm Shannon Caldwell, and I'm the Program Director here.

So, what is 4-H?

There's all kinds of things you can do in 4-H. Basically, anything that you can think of that you're interested in, there's a project in 4-H for you, like photography, robotics, horseback riding, working with animals.

There's all kinds of things you can do with 4-H. What do the four H's stand for?

The H's stand for head, heart, hands, and health.

And, we're gonna talk about another H today, hiking.

What's hiking?

Hiking is just taking a walk in the woods or on a trail.

So, we're gonna take a hike today, and I'm gonna talk to you about how to use your head, heart, hands, and health.

(bright upbeat music) So, how do you use your head while you're hiking?

Well, one, you wanna go with your family or your friends.

You don't wanna go alone, so be sure you go with someone.

And, as a group, you need to tell someone where you're going.

That way, they'll know when to expect you back.

Another way to use your head is to make sure you're dressed appropriately for your hike.

You wanna make sure that you're ready for the weather.

Your shoes are very important on a hike.

You wanna make sure you're wearing shoes that completely cover your foot.

You wanna make sure your feet are protected, because you're gonna be walking a long way.

Always make sure you've done your research about where you're going, and take a map of the area with you.

Okay, so if you remember, the second H is heart.

So, how do you use your heart while you're hiking?

Well, think about why you're going hiking in the first place.

You're going with your family or your friends to spend time with them.

Also, you're going out there because you enjoy being out in nature, so just use hiking as a way to spend time with friends and family.

Appreciate the nature that's around you, and learn about a new place.

The third H is hands.

You can use your hands by making sure that whatever you take on the trail, you bring back off the trail with you.

If you're gonna take some food out there, take your trash with you back off the trail.

If you see other people's trash out there that they've left, go ahead and pick it up and take it with you.

There's some concepts called Leave No Trace.

And when you're out there hiking, you don't wanna leave a single trace that you've been out there.

The fourth H is health.

How can you use health while you're going hiking?

Oh, there's a lot of ways to take care of your health while you're hiking.

You wanna remember to take things like sunscreen to protect your skin while you're out in the sun.

You also wanna take bug spray or insect repellent.

You want to take plenty of water with you.

So, take more water than you think you're gonna need.

And, you wanna take some healthy snacks like fruit or nuts, things like that.

Look out for poison ivy.

Here's a fun way to remember what poison ivy looks like.

First of all, it's got three leaves.

(bell dings) The next thing you can use to help you remember, is usually the middle leaf looks like it's got two thumbs, and the side leaves look like they have one thumb.

So, you wanna avoid poison ivy because a lot of people are allergic to poison ivy.

There's an oil in the plant that can cause an itchy rash on your skin, so you just try to avoid it.

And, remember I told you, we got a fifth H today, and that fifth H is hiking.

So, let's actually go on a hike!

But, first things first, we've gotta pack that backpack.

What do you think needs to go in my backpack?

The things that need to go in my backpack are plenty of water, more water than I think I need.

And, we wanna make sure we get some healthy snacks in there.

A flashlight, just in case.

A map of the location where you're gonna be, a first aid kit that has what you need for the time you're gonna be out, clothes that are appropriate for the weather, like a rain jacket and a hat.

You wanna take some sunscreen and some bug spray.

All right, so here we are on the trail.

What is a trail?

It's really just a path that's cut-out in the woods, but sometimes that trail is not obvious, so usually, you will see a trail marker.

(bright upbeat music) Here's an example of an established sign trail marker.

Sometimes you see an established sign, and sometimes you see a painted rectangle as a trail marker.

Use these to help you find your way along the trail.

Always remember to pick up some trash if you see it on the trail.

(bright upbeat music) One of my favorite things to do on a hike is to explore, like looking under rocks to see what might be underneath them.

(bright upbeat music) Isn't hiking so much fun?

Thanks for joining me today.

I'll see you next time.