Education United States Project #17430

Connect a child to Nature through a Week of Camp!

by Piedmont Wildlife Center

Connect a child to Nature through a Week of Camp!

Project Report | Jul 26, 2021
Continuous Connection to Nature

By Pete Heinze | Education Program Coordinator

Camper with self-made bow

Summer is back and even though the season changes, Piedmont Wildlife Center has been able to remain constant. We are commited to offering safe, outdoor programming to as many families as we can. Thanks to staff, community members, and donors, like you, we have provided outdoor adventures for over 500 campers during the summer.

In the last few weeks, teens have had the opportunity to attend The Piedmont Wildlife Center to acquire resources from nature to create the tools that will help them survive out in the wild. With the guidence, storytelling, and mentoring of their counselors, these teens have also accquired the tools to be work with natural resources, with their peers, and with themselves.

For over a year now, we have been providing fun, educational, and safe outdoor expeiences while still in a pandemic. Families have taken noticed of how we have been able to accomplish this. One mom reached out to us about how her kids came home every day happy and enthusiastic about their experinces and how the counslesors are doing a good job of keeping everyone safe through reminding kids about mask wearing and hand santizing.

Just one week of summer camp can make a huge difference in a child's life. One of the campers at our Brumley location sat on the side when his clan was exploring a creeks, by Friday he was leading the expiditions himself and encourging others to join him. New friends, new skills, and new confidence are easy to come by in the forests, creeks, and swamps of our humble parks. Please consider a small donation to support our families in need.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we have awarded 13 campers the opportunity to attend our summer camp programs. Many families are still waiting to hear if we have funds available for our future programming. With your help, we can give them the opportunity for outdoor adventures!

We are so grateful for everything you do - our programs would not be possible without your support.

Best,

The PWC Team

Process of stringing self-made bow

Links:

Summer Camp 2021

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Apr 5, 2021
Emerging from Winter, Kids are Getting Outside!

By Peter Josten | Program Coordinator

Afterschool campers get acquainted with a creek

The world seems to be coming back to life in many ways here in North Carolina: trees are budding, flowers are blooming, birds are making a racket, and kids are going back to school.

Through all these changes, Piedmont Wildlife Center has been able to remain constant. We are commited to offering safe, outdoor programming to as many families as we can. Thanks to staff, community members, and donors, we have provided outdoor adventures for over 700 campers during the COVID-19 pandemic!

It's hard to believe how much has changed in one year. We remember trying to answer the big question: can we offer safe outdoor childcare? We weren't sure kids could handle wearing masks all day. We weren't sure we could handle wearing masks all day. Looking back, we are so glad we had the support to push ahead. Throughout the year, we got better at reading the the kids' eyes: their smiles, frustrations, and quiet triumphs. We discovered the looks of relief and excitement when kids arrived at camp where they had space to run and friends to socialize with. Soon we started to see the same look in the eyes of our parents as they saw the difference exploring outdoors had made on their children's quality of life.

As we pass the anniversary of the North Carolina stay at home order, many families are looking for that light at the end of the tunnel. After a challenging year, many families need help transitioning to a sense of normalcy. The return to "normal" life will be slow, and it will happen in small steps. Your support can be one of those steps. Just one week of summer camp can make a huge difference in a child's life. New friends, new skills, and new confidence are easy to come by in the forests, creeks, and swamps of our humble parks. Please consider a small donation to support our families in need.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we have been able to help bring over 35 campers into our programs over the last year. Many families are still waiting to hear if we have funds available for this summer. With your help, we can give them the opportunity for outdoor adventures!

We are so grateful for everything you do - our programs would not be possible without your support.

Best,

The PWC Team

Carmen investigates a hidden world

Ryan gets comfortable in his perfect hiding spot

Links:

Piedmont Wildlife Center Homepage

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Dec 7, 2020
Camp Continues with Winter Adventures!

By Peter Josten | Program Coordinator

Josh, Jacob, and Aiden work on a shelter together.

School looks very different this year, but at Piedmont Wildlife Center, we're still getting kids outside and exploring!

Thanks to a huge effort from our staff, community, and donors (like you!), we've had our Woodland Afterschool program up and running since the beginning of September. So far, it's been a blast! It has been such a treat to host kids at our parks during a time when it is usually so quiet.

Our fall and winter programs have highlighted how valuable face-to-face interaction is for young people. During snack time at one of our Wild Wednesdays, another counselor and I watched in amazement as 10 kids simultaneously debated the subject "are pterodactyls dinosaurs." I'm not sure if anyone could hear anyone else, but I could see the energy and excitement in their eyes as they passionately interacted with a group of their peers.

Although the season has changed, the most essential parts of camp remain: community, exploration, and respect. Mask use and social distancing have been challenging, but we've been very impressed with the respect and patience our campers have shown in order to keep their friends and family safe. We've had to change many of our games and activities, but the kids have joined us in brainstorming new ways to play their old favorites.

The biggest challenge this season has been the needs we are unable to meet. More families than ever have requested financial aid. Kids need assistance with virtual classes, or a place to focus on their work. Piedmont Wildlife Center has the tools to help these families, but we need your support to get our programs to the people who need them most. Please consider extending your generosity to help us meet these needs.

We are so grateful for everything you do - our work would not be possible without your belief and support.

Best,

The Piedmont Wildlife Center Team

Violet, Elise, Carmen, and Logan warm up by a fire

Judith puts the final touches on a fairy circle.

Links:

Piedmont Wildlife Center Homepage

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