Several dozen local pre-teens and teenagers had the chance earlier this month to delve into their possible future outdoor-related career paths and to learn behind-the-scenes tips and techniques from professionals in a variety of science-related fields, all while enjoying the fun of camp-related activities like archery, swimming and canoeing.
The third annual Enviro-Camp, a cooperative program of the Logan County Land Trust and the Kirkmont Center, drew its biggest number of campers this year — 29 in total — for the weeklong day camp at the Kirkmont Center, located near Zanesfield.
“It’s been our biggest year yet, with many campers returning from last year, and also some new campers and siblings of campers attending this year,” said Logan County Land Trust member Bruce Smith, who also is a teacher at Benjamin Logan Elementary School.
“We’re thrilled for the chance to host the kids for so many interesting experiences and to learn first-hand from the professionals, who are so generously volunteering their time with us.”
Open to students in fourth-grade and older, the camp is also an extension of the Environmental Science Club at Benjamin Logan Schools, which meets throughout the school year. Students were able to attend the camp for $65 each, with grant funding support from the Tamplin Trust and the Milroy Foundation, Smith noted.
Each morning at Enviro-Camp, the campers attended a different environmentally-themed session taught by these scientists during hands-on activities, such as fly-fishing, learning to identify birds by their song, and GPS and drone flights. Then in the afternoon, the youngsters had a chance to participate in traditional camp activities, including a ropes challenge course, and cooling off in the water with some swimming and canoeing.
The camp kicked off Monday, Aug. 4, with “Finding Your Way” session on using a compass, GPS research applications and drone flights to assess environmental health, led by Rhonda Farley, Catherine Carter and Brett Patterson.
Carter, a Logan County Land Trust board member who holds an environmental management degree, said she loved teaching the campers and showing them how different studies are performed. She currently stays busy homeschooling her children, but has worked as an environmental consultant in the past.
“I think it’s great that the campers are exposed to so many different professions through Enviro Camp,” she said. “It’s like a launching point that we can provide for them, to see what interests them from a young age.
“It’s so neat when they realize that they can make their hobbies and interests, even things they enjoy exploring outdoors, into a full-time career.”
Geologists Andy Nash and Molly Hunt from the Ohio Geological Survey, part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said during Friday’s session at the camp they have done just that — built upon a passion for exploration and science in their careers. Nash has worked for the Ohio Geological Survey for the past 10 years, and Hunt began her time there about three years ago, relating what fun it’s been to travel around Ohio in that capacity, visiting many state parks and providing educational programs.
The Ohio Geological Survey is one of the state’s oldest agencies, following its founding in 1837, the presenters noted.
To kick off the morning, Hunt led a session that showed the campers all of the equipment that a geologist needs, from a hard hat to a compass, and even Gatorade for staying hydrated in the field. The attendees also learned about the three different types of rocks — igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary — and next went on a nature hike through a ravine and into a creek bed to put their knowledge into action.
“Geology is all about observation,” Nash told the students once they reached a particularly scenic spot along the creek bed near a small waterfall.
The youngsters had the chance to check out of the layers of shale in the creek bed and all around the ravine. Nash pointed out straight lines in the rocks, fracture joints, which are locations where the rock has cracked to relieve stress, some forming 90-degree angles.
“The creek meanders around and follows these angles in the rocks,” he said.
Earlier in the week at Enviro-Camp, Tuesday’s session featured a bird and botany hike, by presenters Troy Shively and Ohio Department of Natural Resources botanist Rick Gardener.
Bill Davis led Wednesday’s program on Native American culture, and invited families to attend in the evening for a foil dinner and s’mores over the campfire and a scavenger hunt.
Then on Thursday, Trout Unlimited volunteers taught campers all about fly tying and fly casting before the youths enjoyed fishing in the Kirkmont Center pond.
Each of the camp experiences reinforced a central mission of the Environmental Science Club: to equip students with knowledge, skills, and a sense of responsibility toward environmental stewardship.
The Logan County Land Trust is proud to support this program and its efforts to inspire the next generation of conservationists and outdoor enthusiasts, Smith and fellow board member Bob Stoll said.
For Benjamin Logan students in fourth-grade and older who are interested in joining the Benjamin Logan Environmental Science Club for its educational and hands-on meetings throughout the school year, contact Smith at smithb@benjaminlogan.org or Stoll at bob.stoll5@gmail.com.
Learn more at logancountylandtrust.org.
