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Strategies to Improve Heart Health
This month’s feature highlights how simple acts of kindness can support cardiovascular health. Readers will find practical ideas they can use right away to strengthen both emotional well‑being and heart‑healthy habits.
Four Seasons Gardening: Creating Simply Lovely Nature Art Feb 10, 1:30 PM | Online
Learn how to create a nature-inspired living heart craft with freshly cut willow. Learn how to add a touch of rustic romance to bouquets that showcase flowers in the sweetest way possible.
Community Tree Care Webinar Series Feb 10 & Feb 17, 9-11 AM | Online
Feb 10: Explore how changing environmental conditions affect tree health, species performance, and urban canopy resilience. The session also reviews past pest outbreaks to compare historic challenges with today’s threats to native trees.
Feb 17: Learn best practices for caring for newly planted trees to support long‑term success and client satisfaction. Presenters will also examine how common care practices influence growth, healing, and decline through internal processes such as hormone signaling.
Lessons for Living: What’s in My Food? Decoding Chemicals & Safety Feb. 10, 10 AM | Online Take a guided look at natural and artificial food chemicals. Participants will learn how to identify them, understand their role in food safety, and consider the benefits and limitations of their use.
Propagating Houseplants: Multiply Your Collection, Feb 12, 1-3 PM, In-person workshop at Illinois Extension office in Milan. This hands‑on workshop covers simple propagation techniques for popular houseplants. After the educational portion, participants will practice methods and take home plants they propagated themselves. Registration is $15 and includes all materials.
Nursery School: Lessons in Gardening Saturday, Feb 21, 8 am - 3 pm, Vibrant Arena, Moline, IL Spend the day learning, connecting, and exploring new ideas in horticulture. Registration includes a buffet lunch, two keynote sessions—Growing Resilience in the Urban Forest and Plants of Concern—plus two breakout sessions with six topics to choose from. Registration closes February 15.
Mercer County 4-H Soup Dinner, Sat Feb 21, 5-7 PM in person, Aledo Fire Station. Enjoy an evening of homemade soups prepared by local 4‑H clubs. Attendees can sample each soup, vote for their favorite, and then enjoy a full bowl of the winning choice. Proceeds support Mercer County 4‑H programming.
Coming up in March:
Four Seasons Gardening: Pruning Young Shade Trees, March 3, 1:30 PM | Online
Legacy and Law: Navigating Farm Succession March 10, 6-8 PM, In-person at Cerno's Bar and Grill, Kewanee, IL
Annual Report
2024 Annual Report
Read the 2024 Annual Report
The 2024 Annual Report, showcases the positive changes we've made in the communities of Henry, Mercer, Rock Island, and Stark Counties. Our achievements are a testament to the dedication of our volunteers and the generous support from county boards, donors, 4-H Foundations, and the thousands of clients we proudly serve.