Summer Camps for Older Kids

Need a camp for your middle or high school student? Georgia has some great options for older kids and teens looking to enter a science or outdoor-related career, and some may even look great on a college application — or earn them a scholarship.

Billy Lancaster Forestry Youth Camp – This is an excellent opportunity for middle school students (rising 7th and 8th) graders to attend a 4-day overnight camp for only $40 – but they need to be nominated by their middle school (usually only one student per school). If your child would be interested in learning more about Georgia’s forests, with topics including wildlife, forestry, and natural resources, reach out to their guidance counselor or science teacher by March to ask if they’ve received information on nominating a student.

Exploring Environmental Sciences Camp, Summer Academy UGA – Students aged 11-14 can start making the transition from playing outside to learning about fields of study in the environmental sciences at this camp offered at the UGA Athens campus (day and overnight options available). Hands-on projects led by experts in herpetology, horticulture, conservation, botany and aquatic ecology will introduce them to careers in these areas — while still having fun and even getting wet during the aquatic sampling activity. Financial assistance available, but apply early.

Natural Resources Conservation Workshop, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural Workshop, Tifton, GA – Gives rising 10th, 11th and 12th graders a great introduction to college life, with indoor instruction led by professors in college classrooms… AND a chance to earn a portion of the $17,000 in scholarships awarded during the workshop. Outdoor activities abound, too, including fishing, archery and an introduction to conservation of Georgia’s wildlife, forestry, soil, and water resources. A bus service is also available to help bring students in from surrounding areas. Early bird rate of $150 if you register before May 1, and financial assistance may also be available.

Camp TALON (Teen Adventures Learning Ornithology and Nature) – Camp TALON is a five-day camp, June 4-9, 2016, for teens aged 12-16 interested in birds and nature. Participants get a chance to experience birding on Little St. Simons Island, Wassaw Island NWR, Sapelo Island, Harris Neck NWR, Jekyll Island, Altamaha WMA, and St. Simons Island. Limited to 16 students. Older students may be eligible. Early registration is $300 February 16 – April 30. Registration rate May 1–16 is $350. (A nonrefundable $100 deposit must be included with registration).

Camp ACE (Adventures in Conservation Education) – An overnight middle school camp for just $100, thanks to a grant from The Environmental Resources Network! Accordingly, space is limited to 20 students, so apply early. Participants will spend five days immersed in Georgia wildlife via hands-on activities and day trips including birding in Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, canoeing in Bond Swamp, mist-netting bats at Oconee National Forest, and exploring bogs at Ohoopee Dunes. Also, they will spend time learning to shoot shotguns, hiking to a rock outcrop and studying streams with fisheries biologists. July 18-22, 2016 (Mon. 1 p.m. – Fri. 12:30 p.m.).

The Not-So-Great Outdoors

Not all kids’ experiences outdoors need to be great — although by “great,” although of course I’m meaning “great-big-wide-open,” not “great-awesome.” Sometimes they need their outdoor space to be very, very small, just like them.

I first got thinking about this as I was researching ideas for the new “Farm to School” garden I’m helping develop for my son’s elementary school. This will mostly be a utilitarian food-growing and lesson-teaching area, but I still wanted to throw in a little whimsy.

I had seen the idea of a living tunnel in various places, including the excellent book, How to Grow a School Garden by Arden Bucklin-Sporer and Rachel Pringle. It is built over a trellis formed of various materials and shapes, but a common version is a hoop of wire covered with pole beans, long and high enough that kids can walk underneath. Not only is it an easy way to harvest the veggies (or just encourage grazing as kids pass through), it creates a magical, filtered light beneath and a special entryway that makes heading out to the garden an event.

As I scoured Pinterest for building materials and creative inspiration, I found a number of other living structures, some only big enough to hold a child or two (yes, I was nice enough to create a board just for you to see some of my favorites). A cluster of sunflowers or a bamboo teepee supporting pole beans were two common and easy-to-grow options, although some involved lovely willow branch pods covered in green. You don’t even have to spend weekends building something elaborate — at my son’s birthday party, kids had a blast collecting fallen wood to build their own survivalist hut.

And that’s when I really started thinking about the role of quiet reflection and stillness in a child’s outdoor life. Yes, we are concerned about our kids being couch potatoes inside. But when they are outside, sometimes we need to let them take a break from active adventures and group outings, and just experience nature on their own, quietly, as it comes.

Whether that’s listening to the shift in the sound of the wind through the leaves as a rain storm approaches, or breathing in the scent of soil as they scuff it with their feet, or just watching which little critters meander in to share their shady spot, these are profound connections that will truly connect children to the outdoors and draw them back. All they need is a little space.

Getting outside – intentionally

In an effort to figure out how to add “starting a blog” to my list of things to do in a day, I’ve been reading Laura Vanderkam’s book, I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time.

I’m not sure I buy in to all of her advice (“Don’t like working 60 hour work weeks? Maybe you should get a more interesting job!” Or: “Commuting doesn’t count as work time because you could potentially stop to buy milk on the way home, and that’s shopping!”), but before I completely gave up on it, I did find one piece of advice I liked.

In the section called “Be There,” she lists the ten secrets of happier parenting. There are a number of them that jive with the mission of this blog, like “Be active together” and “Plan adventures.” But the one has potential to be used almost every day: “Think through your weekday evenings.”

For many of us, the typical weekday evening might be something we try to avoid thinking about: the rush to get dinner on the table, finishing up homework, getting to the ball field on time.

But Vanderkam’s suggestion is to spend just a little time creating an intention for your evening – with input from your other family members. By planning ahead, and visualizing what could be done with your evening time before you’re exhausted and hungry, you can see where pockets of time might exist, and mentally prepare yourself for squeezing in a little activity.

Maybe there’s time for everyone to take a walk before dinner?

Not every outdoor plan has to be elaborate or even outside your yard – it just has to be planned.

Is there time to check out the veggie garden and see what can be added to the salad? How about bringing a jump rope or ball instead of the tablet to a sibling’s sports practice? Has it been a while since you had a family dance party?

Even if what you really need to do is chores, make a plan to make it fun: Crank up the music and have a race to pick up clutter. Or celebrate the end of laundry sorting with a sock snowball fight.

Without a plan, chances are everyone goes from the table to the couch – or their separate rooms. So see if you can spend just a few minutes early in the day (or even on Sunday night) thinking about what you want your evenings to really be like.

 

Turkey Trots and More

Just a quick pre-Thanksgiving post to say we have added a few Thanksgiving weekend hikes to the calendar to help the family burn off some calories! Take the opportunity to create a healthy family tradition this holiday. Even better, start an intention to stay outdoors throughout the New Year.

Helping Kids Grow, Part 1

I’ve just been asked by my son’s elementary school to help them create a new section for their school garden. We already have a fantastic courtyard garden with lots of ornamentals and pollinator plants (and even an apple tree!), but this section would be a hands-on teaching garden that gives the students an opportunity to grow their own food. So this will be just part one of several posts documenting that project.

Today I’m going over to measure the area and draw up a plan. They want to have a planting bed for each grade, plus one for the special needs program, and hopefully one more just in case we think of something else we want to do.

I’m excited about this, because:

1. We have great support from the administration (we are even talking her in to letting us have a chicken coop!). This is so important when trying to start up a school-based gardening program.
2. The kids will be doing the work. I have warned all involved, I am happy to facilitate, but don’t need another garden to weed! I am anti-“mommy projects” when it comes to volunteer work.
3. The teachers will be working the garden into their curriculum. There are so many great lessons that can be taught in a garden, from math, to science, and even literature. I will be helping them by finding lesson plans that support Georgia standards and creating “lessons in a bookbag” that make it easy for teachers to grab and go. With all that teachers have to do, I know it’s important to make this easy for them to add in.

I’ll be adding to this list, but here are just a few of the resources I’ll be using to find lesson plans, and, more importantly at this stage, find grants:

• Environmental Education in Georgia
• Georgia Organics
• Captain Planet Foundation

 

Checking out Georgia’s Coastal Region

Last night we posted the Coastal Georgia page in our Regions section. We won’t say it’s “completed” though, because this blog will always be a work in progress as we discover new outdoor programs and resources. Just compiling the info for the section yesterday opened our eyes to a ton of nature centers and cool family programs from Savannah down to the Okefenokee.The Savannah National Wildlife Refuge even spans the border with South Carolina.

Here’s a roundup of some great heritage festivals, preschool nature programs, homeschool programs, and state and national lands to check out with your kids:

• Cumberland Island National Seashore – still on our bucket list! Explore Georgia’s largest barrier island, with a mix of maritime forests, pristine beaches and marshes on its 9800 acres of nationally-designated wilderness. Even getting there is an exciting adventure – it’s only accessible by boat, so plan ahead to reserve your spot on the ferry. There are also no restaurants or facilities other than restrooms & water fountains, so pack a lunch & refillable water bottles, and be sure to pack out your trash.
• 4-H Tidelands Nature Center Homeschool Days – The Fall 2015 program is wrapping up, but be sure to check out the in-depth nature and science programs they offer homeschool kids – like the chance to dissect a shark or pilot a canoe in a Salt Pond Scavenger Hunt!
• “Swampers Guide to the Galaxy” at Stephen C. Foster State Park – Two dates in November to take advantage of the low levels of light pollution in the Okefenokee Swamp and  view the night skies with high-powered telescopes.
• Two different heritage festivals on November 21 that offer tons of hands-on learning while raising money for their host facilities: Harvest Festival and Cane Grinding at the Oatland Island Wildlife Center in Savannah and the Pioneer Day Festival at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

Find even more events on our state-wide Events Calendar or in the list to the right.

Kids don’t like hiking? Try these instead…

I admit it – I like hiking way more than my kids do. So rather than “enforce fun,” I look out for activities that pique their interest… and oh yeah, just happen to get them into a little outdoor exploring. Here are two that have been a hit:

Photography

This one was totally unintentional. I found a photography camp for my tween daughter (it gets harder and harder to find camps that either accept or appeal to teenagers, but this one fit the bill). Much to my delight, the instructor took them outside every day to scout out subjects. She also put a lot of “focus” (sorry) on close-up photography, so my daughter really got a chance to connect with the amazing textures and shapes of natural objects. Now if she seems bored or uninterested in going outside, I can suggest a “nature shoot” instead.

Disc Golf

Disc golf uses special throwing discs (not exactly Frisbees, but close enough that we like to call it “Frolf”). You hike around a course (whoops, did we say “hike?”) and throw the discs at targets that are kind of like a funnel made of chains. The chains stop the disc in flight and allow them to drop into a tray under the target. Once you know to look out for the courses, you will find them in lots of places. The Professional Disc Golf Association lists 51 in the metro Atlanta region alone in their directory. We’ve seen them at Georgia State Parks, and even in our local county park in Cumming, GA.

You can often borrow discs from the course, but my son had so much fun with the challenge that it was an easy gift suggestion for the next Christmas – plus a great family activity when we were all sick of sitting around the house and needing to work off some eggnog.

Scare up some Halloween fun

October’s (generally) cooler temps makes it the perfect time to get outside in Georgia. To make it extra fun for kids to head outside, some nature centers are planning Halloween thrills and chills. Here’s a rundown of a few:

Halloween Hikes at Chattahoochee Nature Center

• Friday, October 30
• 7:00 – 9:45 p.m.
• $9/person
• Chattahoochee Nature Center, Roswell, GA

We’re updating this blog post to include the last in the Chattahoochee Nature Center’s series of “Halloween Hikes.” Experience the mystery of a guided night hike! Each group of 20 – 25 people will have a guide lead them on a lighted trail. Meet costumed characters including everyone’s favorites, the Box Turtle and Dragonfly during your ~45-minute hike.Smores kits are available for purchase to enjoy a treat around the bonfire.

“Spooky Mill” at Autrey Mill Nature Preserve

• Friday, October 23 & Saturday, October 24
• 6:00-9:00 pm
• Autrey Mill Nature Preserve, Johns Creek, GA

Enjoy family-friendly Halloween fun including trick-or-treating in the Heritage Village, a haunted house, fortune teller, themed activities, games, food, and more! Free entry. Free trick-or-treating. Purchase tickets for activities and food.

We also like that they offer a “kindler, gentler” version for preschoolers on the same days, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. You pay the entry fee, but the rest of the event, including games, crafts, stories, and a scavenger hunt, is free.

Nightfall at Elachee

• Saturday, October 17
• 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
• Elachee Nature Science Center

Experience the magic and excitement of autumn in the Chicopee Woods with Elachee Nature Science Center for this years’ Nightfall.  Load up the kids and come to Elachee for a fun and educational evening – a non-scary, natural alternative to traditional Halloween events scheduled for Saturday, October 17th from 4:00-8:00pm.  Don your best costume and join us for a night of excitement and fun that will include:  A Trick or Treat trek through the woods where you will meet costumed naturalists with treats and stories to share.  A storyteller will spin funny and not-too scary stories by the light of an October moon.  Another feature of the evening will be a telescope tour of the night sky with Elachee astronomers.  We will also have free face painting, crafts, and more!  The Elachee Nature Shop will be open with a variety of nature-oriented gifts.  Guests are invited to wear their favorite costume.   Admission: Elachee members admitted free; Non-members, $5.00 per person. Children 2 admitted free.  Reservations not required.  Call 770/535-1976 or go to www.elachee.org for more information.

Georgia State Parks, multiple locations and dates

There are tons of Halloween-themed events happening at Georgia State Parks this month – check out the full list on their Calendar. Some of our favorites:

• “The Haunting of Blackbeard’s Island,” Fort McAllister State Park, October 24: Savage Island becomes Blackbeards’ Island for the weekend as we decorate and dress like pirates. Decorate your campsite like a pirate ship or camp and compete for prizes for the most original and most frightening campsite. Rangers will go site to site giving out candy. Come for a campfire where we will give prizes for best sites and best costumes. This event is only open to registered campers and their guests.
• Kids Halloween Carnival, George L. Smith State Park, October 24
• Clicks in the Night, a Batty Experience, Red Top Mountain State Park, October 31:
  Join an AmeriCorps Ranger to learn the importance of this favorite Halloween Mascot. Help us build Bat Boxes to expand the bat’s habitat. Take your box home or leave it at Red Top Mountain to help our bat population grow. Spaces limited, pre-register by phone or at the Park Office by October 28th. Spaces limited, pre-register by phone or at the Park Office by October 28th. Minor’s must be accompanied by an adult.

Scout Day is Coming!

Scout leaders – bring your Cub Scouts, Daisies, Brownies, and Junior Girl Scouts to Autrey Mill Nature Preserve in Johns Creek to earn a badge, belt loop, etc. Scouts can attend on their own or with their troop/den, but parents must stay with their Scouts. Get more info on their website or download the Cub Scout PDF or Girl Scout Flyer PDF.

It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s a Supermoon!

Not every reason to get outside happens during the day. Some of the most special and memorable times to be outside are after dark. Sunday, September 27 offers a very rare opportunity to see a lunar eclipse of a “supermoon.” Here’s a great video from NASA explaining what that is, and how long until it will happen again:

Be ready to see it starting at 9:06 p.m.!

To give Georgia residents an opportunity to get a great look (weather permitting), the observatory at the Tellus Museum in Cartersville is open until 8 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.! They also have other cool things happening, like moon rock exhibits, to make your trip extra worth-while.