It’s Not Easy Being Green - How Camps Help ChildrenIt

It’s Not Easy Being Green
How Camps Help Children Care for the Earth

Whether a child makes his home in the heart of the city or the fields of the heartland, daily life can
make getting “back to nature” hard for any family. Yet experiencing the outdoors helps children gain
enhanced abilities to learn, lead, and experience contentment, as well as gain a lifelong interest in caring
for planet earth.
A Toad or a Frog?
Parents who want to be sure their kids know a toad from a frog and a catfish from a crawfish don’t
need to go it alone. Camp programs are among the very best ways for children to get to know first-hand a
very important family member — Mother Nature.
Take James, for example. Despite being included in many family travels, James and the natural world
had only a passing acquaintance, and his parents were wise enough to send him into the woods for camp.
“We have a little potato patch down by the river, and the kids can catch a trout in the river and dig up potatoes
and bring them back to camp, learning what it’s like to live off the land,” explains Sandy Schenk, owner and
director of Green River Preserve camp of Cedar Mountain, North Carolina. “When James’s parents came to pick
him up at week’s end, he dragged his duffle bag across the parking lot, gave his mom and dad a big hug, and
fished out his prize from camp, a huge potato, and gave it to his father. He was so proud. This was a first — he
made a connection between the earth and food, and you could just see the light bulbs turn on.”
Almost all camps incorporate hikes and nature activities, and some go an extra mile to immerse kids in
nature and the environment. Green River Preserve is one such camp. It specializes in helping gifted children
better understand the earth through daily activities with professional naturalists on a 3,400-acre nature preserve.
“We find that getting kids into the natural world is transformational,” says Schenk. “Nature’s a
magnificent teacher because
everyone is treated the same. Pushing yourself is something that happens naturally in the out of doors. And
when you see kids helping each other over a slippery rock wall, it’s amazing. We see each child come out of
the program with a greater understanding of nature and better sense of self.”
Eagles’ Nest Camp of Pisgah Forest, North Carolina, has been teaching kids to take care of their
natural world for decades. “In our Explorer’s Club class, kids are out in the woods, streams, and bushes,
really getting a feel for the amazing biodiversity of the Northern Appalachians,” explains Noni Waite-
Kucera, executive director of Eagle’s Nest Foundation. “To have kids be able to explore and be a part of
that is a real gift for them.”
Eagle’s Nest also sponsors camp craft classes, helping children learn to read a map, build a fire, and
leave no trace. “We teach every camper how to respect and avoid making an impact on the environment,” she
says. Even an earth art class uses items found in the forest for woodland sculptures, which campers then leave
behind to biodegrade and contribute to the health of the forest ecosystem.
You Are What You Eat
Environmental programs don’t always take place exclusively in the outdoors. Enter the kitchen! The Whole
Kitchen program uses holistic ingredients, fresh foods, whole grains, and local produce. “We grind our flour
from wheat berries, and the kids make the bread,” Waite-Kucera says. “It’s all a way to show how nature
provides for us, and why we need to return the favor.”
Sometimes, a camp’s location can provide built-in environmental lessons. At Windsor Mountain
(formerly
Interlocken), camp life centers around a small farm and camp garden nestled in the foothills of New
Hampshire on the edge of a 4,000-acre nature preserve.
“We offer kids a chance to get their feet wet in the m orning dew, to feel the grass under their feet, to
lie down in the field and look up at the stars. Our activities help them understand how Mother Nature is
delicate and why we care about helping to protect her,” says Sarah
Herman, director of the camp.
Art and Nature