Environment DEC
From the May 2005 issue
Earth Day 2005 Marks Record-Breaking Tree-Planting Effort at Camp DeBruce and DEC's Anniversary Too
This young lady helped break the previous world record of 4,100 trees planted in one hour on Earth Day
Campers and volunteers from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) environmental education summer camps recently participated in an attempt to shatter the Guinness world record for the most trees planted in one hour on Earth Day. DEC staff and camp recruits and alumni, plus youth volunteers and students from: Albany High School; the Academy for Science and Humanities; Philip Livingston Magnet Academy; Hackett Middle School, and Arbor Hill Elementary School planted 60 trees in 60 minutes on April 22, 2005 at DEC's Camp DeBruce in Sullivan County. In the process, they helped to break the previous record of 4,100 trees planted worldwide in one hour on Earth Day. According to Alice Walker of the National Alliance of Community Trees, the reported total of trees planted around the globe this year was 4,852.
Along with planting all those trees, everyone went on a tour of the Catskill Fish Hatchery, located about a half mile from DeBruce.
"This was a fun and exciting way to mark this year's Earth Day and to get our youth involved and interested in conservation, which is the main goal of DEC's Environmental Education Summer Camp Program," Acting Commissioner Denise Sheehan said. "Trees are among our most valued natural resources and planting them is a great way to foster environmental stewardship and give youth hands-on experience in conservation."
The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970. It also was the same day on which DEC was created in New York State. Therefore, this year's Earth Day marked DEC's 35th anniversary as well.
Environmental Education Summer Camps
For more than 50 years, DEC has provided a residential summer camp program in conservation education for young New Yorkers. Three camps-Colby, DeBruce and Rushford-serve children 12 to 14 years old. The summer of 1998 marked the opening of a new camp at Pack Forest in the southern Adirondacks, where DEC offers week-long ecology workshops for teens 15 to 17 years old. At the camps, youth become immersed in conservation education, participating in fun activities and games that teach the wise use of natural resources.
Camp DeBruce is located in the heart of the Catskill Mountains near Liberty, New York and has been in operation since 1948. Formerly a private estate and fish hatchery, DeBruce was acquired by DEC in the 1940s and converted into a conservation education camp for boys. In 1975, Camp DeBruce began operation as a co-educational facility and is open during the summer to youth from around New York State.
