SUMMER
CAMP WITH A TWIST
Peninsula programs have an environmental bent
By CLARISSA ALJENTERA
Herald Staff Writer
July 23, 2006
Summer camps, a staple for
schoolchildren, often take a decidedly environmental bent in
Monterey County.
And they sometimes give students a
chance to explore places they have never before have seen.
In the water off San Carlos Beach in
Monterey last week, for instance, Tyler Decker of Marin and more
than two dozen others got a chance to snorkel for the first time.
They were participating in the
Fishing for Adventure Camp hosted by Camp SEA Lab, an organization
created specifically to offer marine-related programs for youths.
Tyler said the program has opened his
eyes to the potential of a career in science.
"I learned that a small break in the
food chain can affect the entire economy," he said.
Aside from playing in the water,
Tyler, a Novato resident, and his camp friends picked up hundreds of
cigarette butts and toured the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
"There is a lot of stuff out here you
can't see in Marin, like the tide pools," said Tyler.
Part of the interest in programs such
as Camp SEA Lab is the hands-on approach that get students thinking
beyond their field trips and into career possibilities.
"We have a wealth of resources in
Monterey Bay," said Tracey Weiss, program director. "Our goal is to
inspire more kids to have an appreciation for the ocean environment
and foster a sense of excitement, scientific understanding and
stewardship."
Besides snorkeling, 12-year-olds
Clair Kaloustian and Grace Hinson said they enjoyed the dissection
unit offered at the camp and an exploration cruise of Monterey Bay.
"The people are nice," said Grace, a
student from Marina who has attended the camp for three years. "It
is something different every time."
The five-year-old camp offers
programs for students ages 10 to 18.
The science camps on the Peninsula
offer everything from dissection at the Moss Landing Marine Lab to
hiking in the redwoods.
Some camps incorporate ocean and
forest in the same week to vary students' experiences.
The Wet and Wild Watersheds Camp,
hosted by the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District and the
YMCA, incorporated Elkhorn Slough and an overnight hiking trip in
Carmel Valley in the same week.
The camp teaches students about
conservation and how certain animals survive in their habitats.
"The need is out there to get kids
outdoors and doing something," said Amanda Jones, an educational
specialist who contracted with the YMCA and the park district to run
the camp.
Kids activities included keeping a
journal in the morning and sketching along walks and trails to tie
in writing and research.
It's part of three camps offered by
the YMCA with a focus on nature. The other two camps are Habitat
Sleuths and Wilderness Survival.
Jones said many students learn about
animals and habitats but don't get up-close experience.
"The final goal is to have citizens
who protect the environment and protect our spaces," she said.
For the more traditional camps, an
environmental focus can be found in day-to-day activities at Camp
Quien Sabe, a weeklong overnight camp in Monterey.
Run by the Monterey Recreation and
Community Services Department, it is nestled deep in Toro Park and
is geared toward elementary through high school students.
Campers hike, sing, assemble crafts
and sleep under the stars. They learn about global warming and study
plants and animals.
They get involved in traditional camp
activities, including morning hikes, flag ceremonies, boating,
swimming and campfire skits.
"We teach people how to live out of
doors," said Susie Klinefelter, one of the three program directors
for the camp. "We also teach how not to damage the environment where
they live."
herald.com.
NOTE: I e-mailed Clarissa letting her
know about the two deaths in Utah this past week given the YMCA will
be sending children on their "wilderness survival" program.
Clarissa Aljentera can be reached at 648-1171 or claljentera@monterey
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