Summer Camp Success!
We just wrapped up summer camps 2020! Here’s a reflection from our fourth and final session last week.
Picture yourself in the woods at nearby Skyliner Lodge, surrounded by deliciously scented Ponderosa Pines, under ever blue-skies, listening to running water from Tumalo Creek, interacting with ground squirrels who beg for your leftover lunch scraps, and hiking around the trails each morning to earn a well-deserved creek swim in the afternoons. Then, imagine you’re under 10 years old. These senses of wonder occurred daily at Forest Explorers Camp.
Although our days began with daily COVID-19 questions to each family, inciting sometimes hesitant and cautious feelings, we brought each camper a homemade buff, thanks to our education director, Jackie! Kids enjoyed wearing their buffs (some with animal prints, camouflage, and even space themed dinosaurs) throughout the day — and when they heard, “Ninja Up!” they quickly covered their faces during games and activities where we were in closer proximity or when other trail users passed by. Upon hearing, “Eagle arms!” campers would spread their arms and re-situate themselves if they were too close to another camper.
On the first morning of each week, campers chose a dance move to represent their style and to help learn one another’s names. In the mornings, kiddos shared their dance moves, and then we put all the moves together for a fun warm up!
Campers loved having a “theme of the day” including Habitats and Ecosystems, Predator and Prey, Water Wonders, and Seeds and Plants. We conducted scavenger hunts of different habitats around us, learned about adaptations of animals and birds by checking out skulls of various sized native animals, built stream tables to discuss erosion and its impact on our water and environment, played many rounds of camouflage and flash flood, became one with nature during our silent sensory hike, and splashed in the creek while finding crawdads and frogs!
We also designed and had the opportunity to nature journal every single day. Campers enjoyed creating their journals decorated with natural objects. They chose “sit spots” to write from daily, and really benefited from uninterrupted, individual writing time. We also shared our stories, pictures, and findings each afternoon. Check out some of these journals!
Our two cohort groups of 10 or less each week made for a tight-knit group of campers who simply enjoyed being outdoors and with friends, new and old. Along with our three staff leaders, Jackie, Geneva, and Becca, we were able to support teenage interns each session, who interacted with kiddos to provide an even more fun and energetic environment, and gained experience working with younger aged kids in the outdoors. Thank you to Geneva Grube, Jak Reynolds, Nola Stryker, Barrett Heyer, Iris Maguire, Nica Broadman for working as NITS (Naturalists in Training)!
We were so happy to provide enriching outdoor experiences and adventuring for local Central Oregon youth. Even on the hottest days, campers let us know how excited they were for activities and games and simply splashing in the creek with their friends. Offering a safe and manageable program during a global pandemic seemed challenging at first, but our flexible and creative Youth Ed team accomplished a positive environment to allow kids to just be kids.
Stay tuned for TEC’s plan to offer youth education programs during distanced learning plans throughout the first half of this school year!