It’s tick season! Become citizen scientists and join Rebecca Tay from York County 4-H to help monitor the tick population at  Desrochers Memorial Forest and Savage Wildlife Preserve.

As participants of the 4-H Tick Project, we will drag a canvas along the trail’s edge, collect and identify ticks, record data, and prepare specimens to be sent for identification and disease analysis.  Southern Maine has few participating locations, and we need your help to close the gap in data collection. This project is in association with the Maine Forest Health Survey, the UMaine Tick Lab, and Learning Ecosystems Northeast.

This is an ongoing project with monthly meetings and the potential to add additional locations. Contact Rebecca Tay for more information or to express interest in joining this ongoing project.

Who:

Youth ages 8-18 and their caregivers.

Participants aged 8-10 will need a caregiver to assist with the tick drag. Due to the nature of the project, younger siblings are encouraged to stay home. This is not a drop-off event – caregivers must remain with their kids. Enrollment in 4-H is not required. Please submit one form per participant.

*Please check email if the weather is questionable and contact Rebecca at rebecca.tay@maine.edu with questions*