Written By: Staci Newsom, UK Cooperative Extension Service Intern for Adair County
Fishing, caving, and s’mores oh my! Environmental camp for over forty local fifth, sixth, and seventh graders went off without a hitch May 17th and 18th, as the youth retreated to Lake Cumberland 4H camp in Jabez, Kentucky. Environmental camp is an opportunity for students to experience different activities such as caving, fishing, archery, and hiking.
Getting settled in to the cabins, and devouring their homemade lunch, was only the beginning on the 17th as the students anxiously awaited their turn for the cave or to go fishing. After separating in to two separate groups they took off to trek down to the cave and the lake for fishing. During the caving portion of the environmental camp these students not only took advantage at the opportunity to get dirty, but they also learned about how oil on our skin will impact cave growth. The fishing segment of environmental camp became a competition, girls versus boys, and needless to say the ladies won with three catches to the one catch of the fellows.
After a short refreshment break, and an opportunity to get out of their muddy clothes, there was no time to stop with an archery class doubled with an opportunity for a good game of kickball as well. For some this was their first chance to shoot a archer and they enjoyed it immensely. Following the archery and kickball came dinner and then right into evening activities.
While making s’mores the group gathered around the campfire and performed short songs and skits and interacted with one another. The highly anticipated night hike finally arrived, with a key lesson on night vision involving the rods and cones in the human eye. The youth used this knowledge throughout the night hike as they performed various activities such as using red light to expand vision and why you can see more in pure darkness then with the use of a flashlight.
On Friday, after breakfast and cleaning had been finished, the youth had the opportunity to dissect owl pellets and search for bones, identify animals by their feet or tracks, and also a chance to learn how to track animals by their droppings. Just before lunch there was a short GPS lesson shortly after it was time to return to Columbia.
A special Thank You to the adult leaders Mr. Curry, Mr. Turner, Mrs. Reed, Ms. Armes, and Mrs. Shipp who volunteered their time to chaperone this trip, along with the Adair County Cooperative Extension office for providing this priceless experience for the youth.
