This month HDT turns its focus to Environmental Stewardship.
While most of the work we do centers around how we can be kinder to the planet,
one of our programs stands out as the largest in that area. For the past 5
years, we have offered Eco Camps in the summer months to school age children.
These camps are one-week day camps, held here on the HUG Campus. Camp sessions
have been developed to instill in children and their families the value of
environmental stewardship. We hope that each family that takes part in our
camps will become more environmentally conscious, and take steps towards a more
sustainable lifestyle.
Eco Camp sessions are designed with all 3 of HDT’s focus
areas in mind: environmental stewardship, energy conservation, and food and
water security. We incorporate hands-on activities, experiments,
demonstrations, games, role plays, literature, field trips, arts & crafts,
and utilize our campus staff to share their expertise with the kids. Activities
center around the 3 R’s, ecosystems, energy, food, resources, and sustainable
choices. We include new activities each year to keep sessions “fresh” for our
veteran campers.
I’ve been talking about camps for kids, but referring to the
families that we reach through our Eco Camp program. We purposefully include
the whole family in our program, rather than just focusing on entertaining the
kids for a few hours each day. Parents are encouraged to pack waste-free,
healthy lunches for their kids. The kids take home an Eco Footprint Quiz the
first day and complete it together with their families to get an idea of where
they stand as a household on the scale of sustainability. Families are invited
to a Parent Show-Off at the end of each session, at which time the kids get to
tour them around our campus, and show off all of the projects they’ve completed
at camp. It’s a learning experience for the whole family!
Everything about our camp sessions is focused on being
sustainable…even the snacks we provide. We utilize our garden on campus, and
teach the kids about how to grow healthy food right in their own backyards. We
do a garden scavenger hunt to teach the kids how to identify plants, and what
companion planting is all about. We teach them about the benefits of
composting, raising chickens, and eating local foods. They learn how to plant,
tend, and harvest produce, as well as food preservation methods.
This year, we will be offering 5 sessions of camp throughout
the summer. We are trying something new this year, and offering a pre-school
session for kids who are 4 or 5 years old. We are also bringing back our
session for middle schoolers entering 7th or 8th grade.
Information about Eco Camp sessions and registration forms
are available for download on our website. Sessions are limited to 15 children
per session, so register as soon as possible. Registrations must be in at least
2 weeks prior to each session. We hate to have to cancel sessions, but if we do
not meet our minimum for a session, we will cancel 7 days prior to that session.
We look forward to seeing a variety of familiar and new faces in the weeks to
come!
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