Building Confidence and Connections: Forest Camp’s First Summer in Prince William Forest Park
Forest Camp had a wonderful first summer in Prince William Forest Park, welcoming over 100 campers! Campers splashed in the creek, identified macroinvertebrates, played lots of gaga ball, and practiced their water quality testing and shelter building skills. New friends were made and fun was had by all!
Forest Camp showcased three themes throughout the summer: Animal Adaptations, Junior Park Rangers, and Creek Week Scientists. Campers had the chance to build a marshmallow animal, look at critters under a magiscope, practice orienteering around camp, and create their own science experiments! Some of the activities that campers most enjoyed were building their own fishing rods and fishing in the creek—we had multiple campers catch a fish! (Our new fish friends were released back to their homes.) Other favorites included testing the creek’s water quality, building campfires, and practicing first aid skills.
My son, who is very shy and always nervous in new groups, loved camp from day one. The counselors were incredibly kind and helpful. My kids came home every day so happy.Forest Camp parent
Each Wednesday, our campers heard from a speaker in connection with the theme of the week. The Blue Ridge Wildlife Rescue Center introduced us to many native Virginia wildlife species including a striped skunk, a Virginia opossum, a black rat snake and an Eastern box turtle. Campers enjoyed hearing about each animal’s diet, behavior, and personality, and they learned how to be good stewards of wild animals and their habitats.
Our park rangers at Prince William Forest Park came to speak to our Junior Park Ranger Campers about what a park ranger job entails, the history of our park, and they even showed off a beaver pelt. Lastly, Prince William County Public Works came to teach our campers about water quality testing and tools and helped them sample soil and water from our creek.
We watched many of our campers break out of their shells this summer, with one camper parent sharing, “I cannot say enough nice things about this camp. I was so pleased with everything. My son, who is very shy and always nervous in new groups, loved camp from day one. The counselors were incredibly kind and helpful. My kids came home every day so happy.”
Forest Campers left camp more confident in their abilities in an outdoor setting and excited to interact with their new friends. We are so excited to see what next summer brings!
Learn more about Forest Camp.
Stories
Building Confidence and Connections: Forest Camp’s First Summer in Prince William Forest Park
Forest Camp had a wonderful first summer in Prince William Forest Park, welcoming over 100 campers! Campers splashed in the creek, identified macroinvertebrates, played lots of gaga ball, and practiced their water quality testing and shelter building skills. New friends were made and fun was had by all!
Back to School Tips for Teachers
Back-to-school season is here! We know how challenging it can be to prepare for one of the busiest weeks of the school year—when students are settling in, parents have lots of questions, and you may be feeling overwhelmed with managing a new classroom. Here are a few back-to-school tips to help you navigate this busy season!
“This Trip Changed My Entire Life”: Rebecca Welch and the Transformative Power of Outdoor Learning
When high schooler Rebecca Welch boarded a bus at 5 a.m. in a Safeway parking lot, she had no idea that she was about to embark on a journey that would forever transform her worldview, career path, and relationship with the outdoors. A quiet tenth grader from Burney, CA, Rebecca had never gone hiking, never camped, and rarely traveled outside her small rural community. But thanks to a teacher’s encouragement and a winning essay, she found herself en route to Yosemite National Park to take part in a NatureBridge program. Now a teacher herself, Rebecca credits the NatureBridge trip during her sophomore year with unlocking a whole new path for her future.