Conservation Camp was held on June 20th at the Progressive Sportsman’s Club in Ft. Recovery. 49 kids between the ages of 7 and 12 came from all over the county. The weather held off to allow a variety of events to take place.
The day began with fishing, and even though only 6 fish were caught, the kids had the opportunity to use reel and cane fishing poles. After fishing and a snack, Collin Rhine, Pheasants Forever Wildlife Biologist (photo insert), talked about animal pelts and had an activity where kids made their own animal tracks to take home. GLWWA volunteer Theresa Howick presented an activity on fossils, where they made their own fossils and got to see and touch real fossils.
After lunch, we played some outdoor games including Habitat Lap Sit (photo insert) and Camouflage. Habitat Lap Sit emphasized the importance of all the components of a habitat from the land and water to the plants and animals. A strong habitat can successfully sit and use one another for support (the group on the right), where a week one, with missing links, falls apart (the group on the left). Camouflage is like a hide-and-go-seek game that connects how well you camouflage from the predator to not be seen and win as you progressively get closer to the predator.
In the afternoon, campers were able to learn how to read a compass and map with Heather Moeller. Heather set up a treasure map to test the orienteering skills learned. John Mueller with ODNR walked around the site and identified several species of trees and invasives, teaching the kids how to use a handy species identification guide. Bonnie Wurst, with Auglaize Solid Waste, presented on reusing and recycling. She had a variety of activities that focused on reusing materials including egg carton games and recycled paper magnets. The day ended with a snack and each participant talking about their favorite part of the day or something that they learned.