Environment DEC
From the August 2005 issue
More Urban Youth Attend DEC Summer Environmental Education Camps in 2005
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Acting Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan announced that the campership program for DEC's four residential summer environmental education camps has made significant strides in fostering environmental awareness in young New Yorkers.
Canoeing together helps children
build friendships while
appreciating nature
"It's essential that we reach out to communities and families across the state and try to help develop the next generation of environmental stewards," Commissioner Sheehan said. "Our campership program helps children gain an appreciation for the outdoors and focuses on our most important natural resource-the young people of New York State."
Diversity Initiative
DEC's diversity initiative assists under-served populations in attending DEC programs. This year, more than 270 urban youngsters will have fun and enjoy environmentally focused activities by receiving a free one-week stay at youth environmental education camps. Through this effort, DEC hopes that these campers will begin a lifelong connection with the outdoors. In turn, their experiences may motivate them to become the future forest rangers, environmental conservation officers, foresters, biologists and environmental educators of New York State.
The Camp Experience
Outdoor activities heighten
campers' environmental awareness
Similar to scholarships, camperships were made available to a variety of community-based agencies and non-profit organizations in metropolitan areas throughout the state. These partners agreed to recruit campers, help parents with paperwork and assist in transporting the children to and from camp. Besides offering a one-week camp experience, DEC and its partners arranged for pre- and post-camp programs to help children learn about New York State's natural resources through outdoor recreation and hands-on experiences. Typical activities include hikes, canoeing, overnight camping and field trips to nature centers. During the fall, several partners will conduct service projects, such as park and beach cleanups, and will help youth explore environmental careers.
Urban Park Rangers
One major partner is the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR). Under a grant from the New York City Environmental Fund of the Hudson River Foundation, DPR's Urban Park Rangers will send up to 100 youngsters to DEC camps. With their focus on providing environmental education programs in after-school and outdoor settings for urban youth from diverse backgrounds, the Urban Park Rangers organized exciting pre-camp activities for prospective campers. These included an overnight winter campout in Brooklyn, a fishing and canoeing trip in the Bronx, a hike in Queens, and an overnight canoe trip on the Bronx River. After their camp experience, the New York City youngsters will continue to explore environmental careers and conduct stewardship projects with the Urban Park Rangers.
DEC's Summer Camps
DEC operates three camps for children 12 to 14 years old, and one for teenagers 15 to 17 years old. The 58-year-old program is an enjoyable blend of learning and recreation that heightens campers' environmental awareness. Activities, such as sampling streams for aquatic life, netting butterflies, watching birds and hiking through forests, bring conservation concepts to life. The three camps for younger children are Camp Colby near Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks, Camp DeBruce in Sullivan County and Camp Rushford in Allegany County. Older teenagers attend Pack Forest in the Adirondack Park near Warrensburg.
To see the locations of the camps, sample lessons and a general description of program activities, please use the link below to DEC's Website.
