News from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

For more information contact: Lori O'Connell, 518-402-8000

Record Number Of Youth Attend DEC Environmental Camps In 2008

Attendance Highest in 61 Years of Offering Outdoors Camping Experience

ALBANY, NY (10/02/2008; 1503)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today that a record-breaking 1,541 young people attended DEC's 2008 Summer Environmental Education Camps. This is the highest attendance in the camp program's 61 years of operation.

The total number of campers is a 29 percent increase over last year's attendance of 1,198. In addition, there was a 68.6 percent increase in campers from underserved communities, with 290 diversity campers participating in 2008.

"At a time when it seems our youngsters are spending more and more time indoors in front of computers, video games and television, disconnected from the natural world, we are ecstatic about this year's record-breaking attendance," Commissioner Grannis said. "Truly meeting the need to connect children with nature, DEC's camps offer young people a unique opportunity to explore and enjoy the beauty of New York's natural resources, learn about environmental issues, and develop outdoor skills that can last a lifetime. It's encouraging that so many families took advantage of our camps this year."

In 2008, the DEC Summer Camp Program completed its 61^st year of operation, offering week-long adventures in conservation education to state residents ages 12-17. DEC operates three residential camps for children ages 12-14: Camp Colby in Saranac Lake (Franklin County), Camp DeBruce in Livingston Manor (Sullivan County) and Camp Rushford in Caneadea (Allegany County). A fourth residential camp, Pack Forest in Warrensburg (Warren County), features the Teenage Ecology Workshop, a special program of environmental study available to campers 15-17 for five weeks and three weeks for those 12-14 years old.

Guided by experienced DEC education camp staff, campers learn by exploring fields, forests, streams and ponds, discovering first-hand the natural world. Activities such as sampling streams for macro-invertebrates and measuring trees using forestry instruments, teaches campers conservation techniques used by natural resource professionals. In mock town meetings, campers discuss and debate environmental issues, learning valuable lessons about protecting resources as part of economic development. Campers also have the opportunity to practice skills in a wide variety of outdoor activities including fishing, bird-watching, fly-tying, canoeing, hiking, camping, and hunter safety education.

Lessons learned at camp help form tomorrow's environmental stewards. One camper stated: "The thing I will remember most about camp is how important it is to conserve our natural resources. I learned how important it is to reduce, reuse and recycle and that'll be hard for me to forget."

Parents also expressed their appreciation for the experiences their child had at camp. One mother from Long Island said: "I would like to thank the NYSDEC for offering this excellent summer program for the kids of New York. Your counselors, staff and volunteers are a great team! Keep up the good work and pass on the spirit of Camp DeBruce!"

Another parent from the Rochester area wrote: "I am writing to express my thanks and appreciation for my son's wonderful summer camp experience at the Rushford Environmental Education Camp. It has reinforced my son's love of nature and his commitment to conservation."

Through its Diversity Program, DEC has increased the number of opportunities for children from urban areas and underserved communities to attend camp. Environmental educators in New York City, the Capital Region and Buffalo worked with community groups and organizations to provide free, one-week scholarships, called "camperships," for youngsters who expressed an interest in attending camp and learning new outdoor skills.

Each area in the Diversity Program organizes pre-camp and post-camp activities for potential campers. For example, DEC educators and fisheries staff conducted fishing clinics at four schools in the Albany area. The kids learned the basics of fishing and were able to test their skills in a near-by pond. In New York City, prospective campers learned all about birds through a program offered by the Urban Park Rangers and also camped out in city parks. Through an in-school visit by a DEC educator, students in a western New York elementary school were intrigued to learn about bogs and carnivorous plants, which are found at Camp Rushford.

In addition to learning outdoor skills, campers in the Diversity Program also participate in stewardship projects. Often, older teenagers act as mentors for the new recruits during these activities. Each Earth Day, campers help clean up Tivoli Lake, an urban park in Albany. For Arbor Day, children from the Northwest Buffalo Community Center planted trees at the Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center in Depew. On Staten Island, youngsters also planted trees and learned about native and invasive species.

DEC camp sessions for 2009 begin on June 28. The cost per camper for a one-week stay is $275. Information and applications can be found on the DEC website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/29.html , by contacting in writing at: DEC Camps, 2nd Floor, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233-4500, or by telephone at 518-402-8014.

Photos of campers and the variety of programs offered at the DEC camps this season can be viewed and download at ftp://ftp.dec.state.ny.us/dpae/press/EdCamps/.

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