Summer camp will connect kids with nature

Posted on May 30, 2014 in Community // 0 Comments

NEWS/ COMMUNITY — Seventy or so kids will get a chance to sing, create eco art, or pick vegetables during a week-long Eco-Blast summer camp.

The camp, Aug. 18-22, will be hosted by the Fresh Outlook Foundation in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Kamloops. Campers aged 5-12 will learn to connect with nature through song, art, and hands-on nature experiences.

They will also learn about resource protection and urban gardening from local industry experts. The camp culminates in a concert showcasing what campers learned and created.

“Research shows that children who interact regularly with nature are happier, healthier, and more likely to help protect our precious planet than those who don’t,” said camp coordinator Marcia Dick.

“Why then, are children disappearing from the outdoors at a rate that would put them at the top of any endangered species list? Experts suggest that urbanization is the primary culprit.”

She said studies prove that kids who are disconnected from nature are often isolated, sedentary, and reliant on technology for information and entertainment. This ‘nature deficit disorder’ can cause loneliness, obesity, addictions to electronic devices, and a lack of appreciation for the wonder of nature.

“But when nature is celebrated through eco-education and enhanced through the sensory stimulation provided by music, movement, and creative expression, children learn to connect with themselves, nature, and each other.

“In the short term, the outcomes are magical and memorable; in the long term, the impacts are meaningful and momentous.”