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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1998)
Spilyay Tymoo Warm Springs, Oregon January 15, 1998 11 Arlene Boileau 4-H & Youth Bob Pawelek Livestock Sue Ryan 4-H Assistant Clint Jacks Staff Chair, Madras onnarw cm umnhv CYTCMCirWM (503) 553-3238 The Oregon State University Extension Service staff Is devoted to extending research-based Information from OSU to the people of Warm Springs in agriculture, home economics, 4-H youth, forestry, community development, energy and extension sea grant program with OSU, United States Department of Agriculture, Jefferson County and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs cooperating. The Exension Service offers its programs and materials equally to all people. A Environmental Environmental Stewardship 4-H curriculum from the National 4-H Council What Is Environmental Stewardship? Environmental Stewardship is the con cept of teaching young people how to proactively serve their communities as con servators and protectors of the environment. Youth learn to understand and appreciate expertise and values from a broad range of perspectives and to take responsible action not only on their own behalf but on behalf of future generations. The specific goals of the Environmental Stewardship program include: understand ing ecological concepts, building an aware ness of environ- mental issues and values, developing scientific investigatory and critical thinking skills, and learning skills needed for effective action. In general, these goals foster leadership skills that allow youth to work as full partners with others to develop creative, community-based solutions to dif ficult environmental challenges. Where Does Environmental Stewardship Fit In This Mission? Caring for the environment is one of the most exciting challenges facing our young people today. But more than their enthusi asm is needed. Real care for the environment demands development of the broad view and a range of competencies: the ability to find and evaluate information, the ability to listen well and understand multiple perspectives, the ability to bridge gaps to bring diverse (sometimes hostile) groups togetherto resolve differences, and the ability to plan and take appropriate action. National 4-H Council, along with its part ners, has developed a series of programs and curricula designed to help youth at all de velopmental levels acquire these skills. Who Will Be Our Partners? Successful environmental stewardship programs require a broad view and the abil ity to fuse a range of diverse and deeply held values. Only the depth of understanding and the breadth of perspective offered by a wide range of organizations and groups can pro vide these and foster the leadership skills needed by young people as they deal with environmental issues and concerns. Public and private, profit and non-profit, federal, state and local each of these part ners brings unique resources, skills, and perspectives to the Environmental Steward ship Program. What Are The Next Steps? Building partnerships, evaluation re Spread of EIA among horses is quick, sometimes undetected- The following information comes straight from a factsheet put out by the USDA Ani mal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a highly contagious and potentially fatal viral disease of members of the horse family. The EIA virus is categorized as a retrovirus; it con tains genetic RNA material, which it uses to produce DNA. This DNA is then incorpo rated into the genetic makeup of infected cells. Identified in France in 1843 and first ten tatively diagnosed in the United States in 1888, EIA has commanded a great deal of attention. There is no vaccine or treatment for the disease. It is often difficult to differ entiate from other fever-producing diseases, including anthrax, influenza, and equine en Stockman's Roundup- y li 1 by Bob Pawelek OSU Extension Agent Livestock and Range v Not enough hay? You say you bought just enough hay to get the cows through the worst winter weather? The cows have been home for a few weeks now. What pasture there is around the place is short, very short. And each plant has been bit ten at least twice. What one must remember is this: it takes at least twice as much winter feed to get the cows back into shape as it does to keep them in shape.Purchasing more hay at this point is futile at best. Besides, it s overpriced. So what options are available? One suggestion would be to stagger your feeding times at first. That is feed today, skip tomorrow. Or skip two days. Do not skip more than two days, espe cially if you have nursing calves.Another option would be to purchase block issues to be addressed by youth search, and continuing program and curricu lum development: these are the next steps in the Environmental Stewardship program. Whether at the local level, as we strengthen the network of youth practicing environ mental stewardship, or at the national level, as we develop and disseminate curriculum, fostering partnerships will be pivotal to the Environmental Stewardship program. Evaluation is also a next step. Built into each component of the Environ- mental Stewardship program, evaluation research will result in increased knowledge and in creased accountability. Continuing program and curriculum de velopment are also next steps. In our latest curricula, we continue to address cutting edge environmental issues such as biotech nology in Fields of Genes: Making Sense of Biotechnology in Agri culture (now available) and transportation in Transportation and Environmental Health (coming soon!). How Is Environmental Stewardship Be ing Implemented? Current national partners are working with 4-H staff, volunteers and other environmen tal stewardship partners to disseminate cur ricula and support program implementation. Youth and youth leaders are being introduced to the new curricula and programs at Envi ronmental Stewardship workshops. These workshops, with increasingly youth led de sign and focus, support efforts to involve young people as partners in addressing en vironmental issues and concerns. In addition, youth wishing to foster environmental stewardship in their states and localities have the opportunity to team up with other trainers for initial learning experiences held at the local, county, or state level. How Are Youth Involved In Environmen tal Stewardship? Environmental Stewardship recognizes that young people, their families, and com munities are interdependent and capable of working together to shape their reality and address challenges. Using the community development process, Environmental Stew ardship seeks to involve youth as full partners capable of leading program initiatives. Each piece of the Environmental Stew ardship program features hands-on, devel opmentally appropriate activities designed to develop critical thinking and leadership skills. Each piece of the program encourages youth to develop their capacity to plan and take effective, well-reasoned action. In ad dition, each piece strengthens an ethic of cephalitis. EIA is significant historically be cause it is the first disease of horses proven to be caused by a "filterable virus", one that can survive a special laboratory filtering proce dure and remain infectious. EIA is the first retrovirus-induced disease proven to be transmitted by insects. And the virus is the first persistent virus for which antigenic drift was defined. (Antigenic drift is the virus' ability to change its form sufficiently so that it is no longer vulnerable to existing anti bodies.) Finally, EIA is the first retrovirus-induced disease for which a diagnostic test was ap proved. DEGREES OF INFECTIOUSNESS When horses are exposed to EIAV, they may develop sever, acute signs of disease supplements. These can boost forage in take and digestibility significantly. There is on the market a lowmoisture block. One brand of which I speak is called Crystalyx. Researchers at Kansas State University compared free choice intake and digestibility of a low quality prarie hay for 12 steers given no supplement, and then included 1 lb.day of the block. Results of the feeding trial indicate that the block treatment increased digestible dry matter intake 29.Results also show digestible fiber intake was highest for the block treatment. Depending on the type of product, low moisture block supplements can be fed for about 14 cents per head per day. So, if you are in the predicament as described above, it might be worth a trip to town to pick up a tub of that stuff. You should separate horses from the feeding area, as this supplement is only for cows. It won't hurt the horses as long as it does not contain an ionophore. But your aim is to cheaply keep your cows in shape. Ask your feed store dealer for details about their product. The weather has been to our advantage, at least so far. I wrote this on New Year's Eve. It may have changed by now. New vaccine There will soon be a new vaccine against brucellosis that shows promise for protecting bison against the disease. B ison and elk are the last major sources of brucellosis in the U.S. Scientists with the USDA Agricul tural Research service have been check ing a new vaccine for its effectiveness responsible involvement. By tackling in creasingly complex and controversial issues, youth are encouraged to become catalysts for action, generators of knowledge, and full-partners in policy making. What's New In Environmental Steward ship? New Biotechnology Curriculum, Trans portation and Environmental Health, Youth Building Common Ground, Just R 3 It! Re cycling Grants, Communications NEW BIOTECHNOLOGY CURRICU LUM Partners: Monsanto & Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. Fields of Genes: Making Sense of Bio technology in Agriculture is the newest curriculum from the Cycling Back to Naure series. Topics include sustainability, envi ronmental literacy, understanding biotech nology, and environmental issues and choices. ES0046 $5.00 To order: Contact the National 4-H Sup ply Service at (301)961-2934, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 am and 5:00 pm EST. COMING SOON: NEW CURRICULUM ON TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTALHEALTH Partner: Honda North America National 4-H Council is facilitating the development and implementation of a new curriculum that addresses the relationship between transportation and environmental issues. Among the topics covered: Conserving Natural Resources and Energy; Air Pollution and Climate Change; Land Use; Land and Water Pollution; Individual Transportation Choices and Their Impact On The Environ ment; How Individuals Can Influence A Community's Environmental Health; and more. During the Spring of 1998, Transporta tion and Environmental Health will be pilot tested in classrooms, 4-H clubs, and other educational settings across the country. COMING SOON: YOUTH BUILDING COMMON GROUND CURRICULUM & TRAINING PROGRAM Partner: Ameri can Honda Motor Company, Inc. Youth Building Common Ground is a new curriculum and training program that will teach youth in the 4th-8th grades the process skills needed to bring diverse groups of people together, communicate effectively with others, manage meetings, negotiate and problem-solve, resolve conflicts and do ba sic strategic planning. Available Summer 1998. and die within 2 to 3 weeks. This form of the disease is the most damaging and the most difficult to diagnose because the signs ap pear rapidly, and often only an elevated body temperature is noted. One-fifth of a teaspoon of blood from a horse with acute EIA con tains enough virus to infect one million horses. The clinical signs of the acute form of EI A are rather nonspecific; and in mild cases, the initial fever may be short lived (often less than 24 hours). As a result, horse owners and veterinarians may not observe this initial response when a horse is infected with EIAV. These infected horses often recover and con tinue to move freely in the population. The first indication that a horse was exposed to and infected with EIAV may well be a posi tive result on a routine annual test. and safety. In an ARS experiment, the scientists have vaccinated 10 bison heif ers. Grazing bill The U.S. House of Representatives has approved the new grazing bill, formally called the Forage Improvement Act of 1 997. The bill would increase cattle industry stability by al lowing federal lands ranchers to plan for forage use. The bill would base range management decisions on sound science by requiring scientific rangeland moni toring and allowing agencies to coordi nate monitoring with ranchers and quali fied rangeland consultants. This bill would also require the US Forest Service and BLM to coordinate grazing manage ment with each other, create discretion ary authority for the government and ranchers to enter into cooperative allot ment management plans, prohibit sub leasing of grazing allotments by absen tee ranchers, and implement a grazing fee formula that increases the current fee by 36. Organic vaccines? Plants as edible vaccines are on the way. Genetically altered plants will soon deliver edible vaccines for human and animal use. The technology could be used to immunize animals and solve food safety problems caused by bacteria that infect poultry and other livestock and contaminate meat. Sign then sell A report I read in the Wall Street Journal indicates that an ice cream stand in Saranac Lake, New York is the first burger vendor to require cus tomers to sign a waiver before eating any hamburger less than well done. Community service projects encouraged by Sue Ryan It is the 25th Anniversary of the Colgate Youth for AmericaCampaign, which rewards local youth groups for their best service projects. I thought local groups might be interested in the details which I found in a news release on the National 4-H Councilfs website. Local clubs and troops of the six largest national youth organizations representing some 1 3 million young Americans are invited to enter their best community service projects as part of the "Colgate Youth for America" campaign. The award-winning program, now one of the nation's longest running corporate sponsored civic responsibility programs, celebrates its 25th Anniversary this year. Colgate-Palmolive Company presents cash grants of up to $2,000 for the most creative and best executed projects in the U.S. by local units of the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs, Girls Incor porated, Camp Fire and 4-H. A celebrity panel of judges who volunteer their time and talent to the campaign deter mine the top winners. Past judges have in cluded Alex Trebek, Andrew Shue, Ethan Hawke, Jackie Joyner Kersee, Phylicia Rashad, Jack Wagner, Dean Cain, Jonathan Silverman and more than 40 other popular stcirs Clubs have until March 15, 1998 to de velop and execute programs of value to their communities and send in their reports. Par ticipants range from five-year-olds to high school teens. Last year' s award winning projects reflect the creativity and resourcefulness of today's kids in their approach to modern problems. A Girls Incorporated unit from Tennessee as sisted a local family shelter in establishing a food pantry to help feed current residents and keep a stock of items to take along when they found perm- anent housing. A Boys & Girls Club from Pennsylvania organized a youth prob- lem-solving "Teen Summit" involving teens from high schools and colleges in neighboring towns. Members attended workshops to train and prepare for the summit at which common problems and creative solutions were discussed. A Connecticut Boy Scout troop farmed a plot of land in the town's community garden to grow produce for a homeless shelter in the state's capital city at a time when budget cuts threatened to produce a shortfall. A Michigan Girl Scout troop established a program for teaching science to young girls ages 5-12. Members Chronic If the horse survives this first acute bout, it may develop a recurring clini cal disease with fever. An infected horse's temperature may rise suddenly to about 105 degrees, or rarely, as high as 108 degrees. Then it may drop back to normal for an indeterminate period until the onset of an other episode. Petechial hemorrhages Minute blood colored spots appear on the mucous mem branes. Depression The horse appears more or less dejected (head hangs low) and generally listless. Weight loss The horse may refuse feed or may eat an inordinate amount but still continue an obvious decline from normal weight. Dependent edema The horse may de velop swelling, which is evidence of fluid collecting under the skin in the legs and under the chest and other underbody surfaces. Anemia The horse's blood may experi ence a marked drop in its red corpuscle count and appear thin and watery. The animal may also have an irregular heartbeat, and a jugu larpulse may become evident.The horse with chronic EIA is the classic "swamper" who has lost condition, is lethargic and anorexic, has a low hematocrit, and demonstrates a persistent decrease in the number of blood platelets, coincident with fever induced by EIAV. One-fifth of a teaspoon of blood from a chronic case during a feverish episode contains enough virus to infect 10,000 horses. Inapparent By far the majority of horses are inapparent carriers; they show no overt clinical abnormalities as a result of infection. They survive as reservoirs of the infection for extended periods. Inapparent carriers have dramatically lower concentrations of EIAV in their blood than horses with active clinical signs of the disease. Only one horse fly out of 6 million is likely to pick up and transmit EIAV from this horse. All horses infected with EIAV are thought to remain virus car riers for life. The inapparent form may be come chronic or acute due to severe stress, hard work, or the presence of other diseases. TRANSMISSION EIA is considered a classic blood-borne infection. People have played an important role in EIAV transmission over the years by using blood-contaminated materials on dif ferent horses. The EIAV most frequently is transmitted between horses in close proxim ity by large biting insects, such as horse flies and deer flies. The bites from these flies stimulate defensive movement by the horse, which often results in an interruption of the blood-feeding. When interrupted, the fly is motivated to complete the feeding as soon as possible. It then attacks the same or a second host and feeds to repletion. In this manner, any infective material from the blood of the first host which is present on the mouthparts of the insect can be mechanically transmitted to the second host.Insect transmission of EIAV is dependent on the number and habits attended training sessions where they learned basic principles of science and were asked to develop creative ways to teach the youngsters. An Oregon Camp-Fire group participated in search and rescue training with the National Ski Patrol, and learned how to assist and administer triage and first aid treatment. A 4 H club also from Oregon, designed and built a park and playground within the courtyards of a low-income housing complex. Colgate Program Director Michele Macchia says, "We're proud of today's kids who work hard to create a better world for themselves. 'Youth for America' puts the spotlight on these special young people and encourages others to follow their positive examples." To date, the Colgate-Palmolive Company has awarded close to $6 million to America's young people through "Youth for America." The campaign, initiated in 1972 to encourage social responsibility, has been honored by The White House under five different administrations, has received a Freedoms Foundation Award, is included in The Points of Light directory, and is praised annually by members of Congress, governors and mayors across the nation. Macchia says, "As this campaign reaches its quarter-century mark, the Colgate Palmolive Company continues its leading corporate commitment to our nation's chil dren through programs such as Youth for America." Entry forms are now available through regional offices of the national organizations, or by sending a stamped self-addressed en velope to: Colgate Youth for America Campaign, P.O. Box 1058, FDR Station, New York, NY 1015-1058 of the insects, the density of the horse popu lation, the number of times the insect bites the same and other horses, the amount of blood transferred between horses, and the level of virus in the blood of the infected horse from which the initial blood meal was obtained. The rate of transmission cannot be predicted accurately because of these vari ables. PREVENTING THE SPREAD Diag nosis of the disease EIA and of infections with EIAV was not possible until an effective test for antibodies specific to EIAV was described in 1970 by Leroy Coggins.Controlling the spread of EIAV in volves minimizing or eliminating contact of horses with the secretions, excretions, and blood of EIAV-infected horses. This has been carried out in most areas of the world by testing and segregating test-positive horses from those that have negative test results. Once the reservoirs of EIAV are identified, separated, and maintained a safe distance from the other horses, the transmission of EIAV is broken. Until all horses are tested, one must assume that each horse is a poten tial reservoir of EIAV and take precautions to commingle only with horses whose back grounds are impeccable, i.e., they came from farms where only test-negative horses are found and have never been exposed to test positive horses. WHAT OWNERS CAN DO TO HELP Horse owners can take a number of pre cautions to reduce the risk of infection. Use disposable syringes and needles. Follow the rule: one horse, one needle. Clean and sterilize all instruments thor oughly after each use. Keep stables and immediate facilities clean and sanitary. Remove manure and de bris promptly, and ensure that the area is well drained. Implement insect controls. The local veterinarian or animal health official can provide information about approved insecti cides and other insect control measures. Avoid habitats favorable to insect survival. Do not intermingle infected and healthy animals. Do not breed EIAV positive horses. Isolate all new horses, mules, and asses brought to the premises until they have been tested for EIA. Obtain the required certification of negative EIA test status for horse shows, county fairs, racetracks, and other places where many animals are brought together. Abide by State laws that govern EIA.The major regulatory actions to control EIA are carried out by the States. States' rules, w hile encompassing a much broader scope of EIA concerns, vary considerably and lack uni formity among individual State control pro grams. Recently, the United States Animal Health Association passed a resolution urg ing USDA to facilitate the development of a uniform control program for ELA and the interstate movement of horses. li