Connect a child to Nature through a Week of Camp!

We learned something amazing at camp this summer - 80% of the parents who take our survey tell us that they themselves are now more curious about nature simply because their children are! That means that not only are we educating and inspiring children to explore nature at Piedmont Wildlife Center summer camps, but we are even reaching some parents and fueling their curiosity about the natural world. “She's shared with us all sorts of information, and we've frequently spent time around the dinner table looking up more information about something she's heard,” said one parent about his camper. “Owen actively teaches us and in many cases corrects us when we are wrong about plants and bugs,” said another parent.

How do our campers learn so much at Piedmont Wildlife Center? Someone has to teach them – and that someone is one of our amazing camp counselors! Not only are they super fun to hang out with (and they are always fun - even on a hot, sweaty day in July), but they are also expert naturalists and environmental educators. “The counselors deserve a really huge shout-out. They are friendly, welcoming, and really care about each child. They're passionate about nature, and also are really positive role models,” said one parent. “The counselors just radiated their love of what they were doing and passed that feeling on to the campers instantly,” said another.

It’s true our counselors can tell you the name of every snake, snail, and salamander that crosses their path, and they truly love what they do. But there’s more to the story - we also bring in expert instructors to lead camps focused on specialized themes such as wilderness survival and natural arts. These themes are an excellent way to help kids develop confidence in themselves and learn how to solve problems creatively. Take wilderness survival (“primitive”) skills, for example. One of our visiting instructors Jeff Gottlieb, explains why: “Not many students will ever need to rely on wild nature for survival. But some children learn best by doing things. Primitive skills can be a gateway to all of the skills and values we hope to teach students, without boring or frustrating them.” This summer several parents have specifically told us how impressed they were to see their children trying new things and learning perseverance. “The counselors challenged the kids to do things they had never tried and things I had never let them try (start a fire) and they learned a LOT,” shared one parent. Another noted that,“I couldn't get over how proud they were of their accomplishments, whether or not they met their goals.”

Once again, summer went by too fast, and it was a fun and successful one at Piedmont Wildlife Center camps. We know that we have helped foster a connection to nature not just with our campers but also with their families, and we think we have also helped to instill confidence in each of our campers as they explore the natural world throughout the rest of the year. We hope they’ll be back to learn more, and it sounds likely – as one parent said, “I find that your camps allow kids to be kids running outside. By far it is the best camp program that I have seen and want my son to attend as many of the camps as he can.” Thank you campers for a great season, we’re already planning our adventures for Summer 2015!

Thanks to YOUR support, 63 children received a camp scholarship and where able to have fun and learn from our group of talented counselors.  Thanks so much for YOUR investment in the leaders of tomorrow!