Students Get a Wild Adventure at The Discovery Center

This year, The Discovery Center is offering an exciting Wilderness Adventure camp as part of their summer science camp series. This June, students from Fresno Unified School District attended a special week of camp funded by California state educational grants. These students were selected to attend camp by their after-school site coordinators to reward good behavior and good attendance.

Wilderness Adventure campers got up-close and personal with turtles, snakes, and more

The campers were able to spend a week outdoors learning about the different plants and animals found in California. These lessons led up to the conclusion of camp, where campers were taught basic wilderness survival skills they must have if they plan on exploring the outdoors. "Children need these skills," said Yolanda Curti, a regional site coordinator for Fresno unified. "If these children were to go on a hike, or even go camping in a small area, they could turn around and get disoriented. It really helps them a lot."

Curti brought 4 th through 6 th graders from Homan, Columbia, and Greenburg elementary schools to Wilderness Adventure camp this week. Her students were able to participate in a variety of engaging activities, including collecting plant samples from The Discovery Center's grounds and creating tree ring age charts that document the years of their lives in the same way a tree does. "I really liked making the tree ring pictures," one camper said of her favorite activity during the week.

Children also made animal books while they learned about some of the creatures that live on the property. As they made these books, children were able to get up close and personal with reptiles and more. For many of these children, it was their first time getting to pet a reptile.

Camp was even visited by a real mountain man who taught the children the history of wilderness survival. This visit was complete with a demonstration of some of the tools and clothing used in the wild by real mountain men, including animal skin jackets and a hand-made axe. "I liked the guest speaker that came," said a site coordinator from Homan Elementary School. "He told the kids the story of how man once survived the wild. It was very interesting."

Instructor Helen Gates taught led campers in making “Animal Field Guides” during their animal lesson at camp

After becoming familiar with the plants and animals of the wild, the campers were ready to learn wilderness survival skills from Discovery Center instructor Helen Gates. "Everything else they've learned this week has been leading up to the survival skills," she said. "They'll be learning how to build a shelter and how to build a fire even if they don't necessarily have matches. They're also going to be learning about first aid and getting a first aid kit to take home."

These important skills will come in handy if these children ever go on a camping trip or hike. Lessons such as trail-marking lessons, enabling children to leave "lost signs" along the trail, will give children the knowledge they need to stay safe in the outdoors.

The Wilderness Adventure camp is a fun way for children to learn important safety information while enjoying their summer vacation with new friends. However, parents should be certain to teach their children these important safety techniques even if they are unable to send their children to camp. Click here for fun safety tips when building a campfire.

It's not too late to sign your children up for Wilderness Camp! The next session kicks off on July 30 th. Call The Discovery Center today for more information!