|
Many teens spend their February vacations sleeping in,
and hanging out with friends at the mall. Outdoor
activities might include a trip to the local ski area,
but how many would choose to head to the woods for a
winter camping experience including sleeping in a snow
shelter. On President’s Day weekend, fourteen intrepid
Maine students ages 13-15 did just that at
University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Center
at Bryant Pond. The group is part of
"Operation Military
Kids," a 4-H youth development program aimed at
providing healthy outdoor activities and leadership
development opportunities to military kids, some of whom
have a parent deployed overseas.
UMaine Extension Educator Karen Hatch Gagne
and several volunteers teamed up with the staff of
the University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Center
at Bryant Pond to put on a
series of outdoor survival courses, the latest
installment of which was the winter course at the 4-H
Camp. The winter survival skills program was taught by
Sgt. Rick Campbell of the Army National Guard, who
volunteers his time for Operation Military Kids, and
Bryant Pond’s outdoor instructors. The course covered
survival skills such as prevention of hypothermia,
shelter and fire building, as well as winter camping
skills like cooking, navigation, and snowshoeing. The
group spent two nights in snow shelters at one of
several remote campsites on Bryant Pond’s 165 acre
property. Students came from all over the
state, and
represented military families from all branches of the
armed forces.
"Research is showing that children are currently
spending less and less time outside, which is why it's
so great to see kids signing up for this kind of
program," said Ryder Scott,
Program Director at Bryant Pond. "The sense of pride they get from building a
shelter and then putting their skills to the test by
actually sleeping in it at five degrees, is
incomparable," added Ryan LeShane, an instructor at
Bryant Pond.
Return to
our Lakeside Classroom page for more information.
|
 |
Last
Modified:
07/22/09
|