Eco Addendum Urban Forest Camp

Debra B. Pearson, Ed.D. Camp Director

Camp Dates: June 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 2019 • Time: 12:00 – 4:00

Ages: 6-13 Level 1 Beginners • Level 2 (Return Participants) • Cost $100.00

OVERVIEW

 According to National Wildlife Federation (2019), a comprehensive body of research has shown that getting children unglued from television and digital devices and outdoors into nature can have positive outcomes related to self-discipline, learning and test scores, and health while decreasing behavior problems linked to conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity, obesity, and depression.

The impetus behind EcoAddendum’s (Eco-A’s) Urban Forest Camp is to provide experiential and ecological discovery opportunities for student learners in a private forest wherein the values of forest ecology can be studied, learned, and absorbed through a carefully designed series of engaging activities.

The pilot for EcoAddendum’s forest camp was launched during the Summer of 2018. The camp provided a rich, hands-on immersion into a neighborhood forest with a rich diversity of native trees, original forest indicator plant species, songbirds and more. It was a rich experience wherein children explored the character of this special urban forest as well as the ethos of tree conversation and forest ecology. As a retired classroom educator, the outdoor classroom was one of the most gratifying experiences of my thirty (30) year teaching career. The campers were delightful and happy participants in the outdoor classroom. In the closing presentations, I was deeply impressed by how students articulated and shared what they had learned with friends and family members.

DAY 1:  OVERVIEW OF THE FOREST, SENSORY AWARENESS, NATIVE TREES

The campers will spend the first day engaged in the practice of forest discovery.  In many areas of the forest, tree and plant species are labeled.  The campers will participate in a scavenger hunt that will encourage familiarity with the forest and its plant inhabitants. The ethos of LEAVE NO TRACE will be a key value that will be discussed and emphasized. Sensory awareness activities such as standing meditations will encourage students to tune into the sounds, scents, and textures of plant and forest life.

DAY 2: THE OAKS: WHITE OAK, BLACK OAK, AND RED OAK

The oaks that dominate the camp’s urban forest will be explored and discussed.  Campers will collect oak tree data, compare and contrast leaf /lobe structures, examine and distinguish between barks of three kinds of oak trees, and measure or estimate tree height and width.

DAY 3:  INTRODUCTION TO BIRDS/ECO A DIRECTOR, KATHRYN KOLB

The campers will identify and distinguish between birds in an Eastern forest via sight and sound.  They will collect data on five bird species.  The poetic structure of haiku will be introduced, and the campers will create two haiku poems based on bird observations.  Campers will work in pairs and will be assigned duties that provide food, water, and cover for bird habitats.  Campers will design bird habitats for their own yards and will establish said habitats by the end of the camp experience.

DAY 4:  MIDDLE STORY AND UNDERSTORY TREES

Campers will collect data on the middle and understory trees of the forest.  Analysis of soil quality will be introduced.  The campers will be assigned to various parts of the forest to observe the degree to which biodiversity is evident in two different forest areas.  They will then begin to evaluate reasons as to why certain sections of the forest are more diverse than others.

Campers will be taught the components of Socratic discussion, and they will use the Socratic method to discuss their findings. The campers will choose a baby tree in the forest which will be measured, labeled, and adopted.

DAY 5: NATIVE AND INDICATOR PLANTS/CAMPER PRESENTATIONS

The campers will collect data on the native and indicator plants of the forest.  Using the Socratic discussion format, the campers will share their findings and discoveries.  The campers will prepare and participate in the parent’s program.  They will share their haiku poems, their essay, and the knowledge of what they have learned with their parents via Socratic discussion.  The campers will conduct a guided tour of the forest with their parents and guests wherein they will share their knowledge and discoveries about the forest.

To register click HERE  • contact us for more info 

For more information about Debra and our pilot program of 2018 check out the following links:

Eco-A’s First Summer Camp

My Backyard Forest Story