4-H’er Clare Canny: A Visual Presentation Leads to Advocacy
It’s safe to say that Clare Canny, a 4-H’er in the eighth grade at the Georgetown Middle/High School, knows more about both rodenticides and town government proceedings than most adults do. Through her work in advocating for safer pest management solutions, she is promoting real change
Clare Canny of Georgetown testifies at the Massachusetts State House in support of banning rodenticides.
at both a local and statewide level.
After first joining 4-H in kindergarten as a Cloverbud, Clare is the president of the Argos 4-H Dog Club, a member of the Plucky Poultry 4-H Club, and a Massachusetts 4-H Ambassador. Clare’s experience in 4-H with animals and leadership prepared her well for her role as an advocate for safer pest management solutions.
Back in 2022, Clare delivered her first 4-H Visual Presentation about substances for killing rodents, and the topic intrigued her so much she presented about it again in 2025, moving on to State VPs and winning the blue ribbon in the Wildlife category. “A reason I became involved with it is I wanted to educate people about what the rodenticides could do when they’re using them,” Clare explained. Clare narrowed her research to second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs), which are extremely potent because the chemicals travel through the ecosystem. “If a hawk eats a rat, then the hawk can get sick…once you put the chemical out there, you can’t really stop it,” she explained.
Clare noted that there are many alternatives to SGARs. “There are safer options of poisons; there are traps. There are also certain smells, like peppermint, which can deter rats,” she explained. “I like to educate people about alternatives.”
Clare Canny displays her rooster in 4-H.
Advocacy dovetailed with education when Clare approached local officials in April 2025. “I went to the [Georgetown] town hall, the town clerk’s office. I got about 200 signatures in favor of a rodenticide ban from people in my town,” Clare said.
Next, Clare drafted a rodenticide use policy, which would mainly prohibit SGARs in Georgetown but still allow them in emergencies. “In April 2025 I went to a Select Board meeting and spoke to the members. The Board voted the policy in as a Select Board regulation.” The vote prohibited the use of SGARs on municipal property.
Clare then set her sights on the State House after first visiting in April 2025 for Massachusetts Ag Day to share information about 4-H with legislators. There, she met State Representative Jim Hawkins, D-Attleboro, who invited her to a testimony session on a bill to ban rodenticides.
On October 27, 2025, Clare shared her knowledge of rodenticides with the Joint Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources at the State House. Her two-minute speech supported Bill H.965, An Act Restricting the Use of Rodenticides in the Environment, filed by Representative Hawkins. While nervous, she stressed that her experience with 4-H made the difference in her presentation. “I was glad that I had done my 4-H Visual Presentation on rat poison,” said Clare. “It made me a lot more confident because I had more practice.”
Massachusetts 4-H Foundation Board Vice President and 4-H Educator, Va Shon Wallace-Hiltpold, noted that Clare required no aid from 4-H Educators in her advocacy, though she did receive 4-H training on delivering Visual Presentations (VPs). “This project started out as a VP, and then in Clare doing research and seeing how the rodenticides impacted the environment, she became an advocate,” marveled Wallace-Hiltpold.
In addition to her testimony at the State House, Clare has broadened her sights beyond Georgetown to assist the town of Ipswich with their rodenticide use policy and hopes to also expand the poison ban in her own town. “I’m aiming to talk to my district school board, because they still use second-generation poisons there [on school property],” said Clare passionately. “It is crazy that they use these poisons where there are preschoolers.”
Clare impressed 4-H Educator Wallace-Hiltpold. “The way it worked out, it’s just amazing,” she said. “In 4-H, there’s room for you to do and explore so many things.”
Clare works with dogs during a 4-H activity.
Clare is still awaiting the results of her State House testimony and Bill H.965, but she has already gained knowledge and skills from Massachusetts 4-H and her work combatting rodenticides. “I’ve learned a lot about how government works, about educating people and how to gain public support,” she said.
“Clare’s testimony reflects 4‑H’s definition of civic engagement—equipping young people with the knowledge, confidence, and voice to actively participate in civic life,” said Robert Kordenbrock, the Foundation’s Executive Director. “Experiences like this exemplify how 4‑H youth are not just preparing for the future, but are already Beyond Ready to lead, influence, and create change in their communities.”
