Posts Tagged ‘Children in Nature’
Monday, November 12th, 2012
Fly-tying during Stalking Education in the Wild 2012
There are two questions a camp director dreads: 1. Why does toilet in Kinnikinnik look like a Yellowstone geyser? 2. What do you DO in the winter?
Both questions require thoughtful responses (but the first question might also require a plunger and a biohazard suit). Beyond hiring the 120 broadly talented seasonal staff members, recruiting 600 unique and fantastic campers, connecting with our alums, designing new programs like the Sanborn Semester, organizing mission-centric educational opportunities like Stalking Education in the Wild or our annual No Child Left Inside Family Fun Day, hosting the ACA Rocky Mountain Section regional conference, sending birthday cards (over 10,000 annually), and operating The Nature Place and High Trails Outdoor Education Center, we are committed leaders and educators in the field of youth development and in the camp profession.
As the culture shifts, camp is taking its rightful role as an important component in the year round education of every child. COEC Board Member Rod Lucero said in a recent article in Camping Magazine, “One concept that emerges from most every camp activity schedule is the idea of “fun.” While “fun for fun’s sake” is a worthy goal, I would contend that fun with an articulated focus on education transcends the camp experience and extends to the pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade classrooms.” Sandy and Laura Sanborn believed in “fun and adventure with a purpose.” And we, like Rod, believe that “the purpose is education, and as the camp has evolved and grown, this mantra has remained fundamental to every aspect of the good work being done there.”
One of the 101 Nature Activities: Find a Tree Hike
Everything begins at home and we are committed to professional development of our year round and seasonal staff. Through conferences, training sessions, and skill development workshops, our staff not only represents a seasoned group of camp professionals, we actually lead, teach, and design many training sessions for others in the camp community.
The National Convention of the American Camp Association was held in Atlanta in mid-February, and we participated in full force. Executive Director, Jane Sanborn, was the program chairperson for this year’s conference (as well as for the upcoming 2013 National Conference in Dallas, TX) and worked on an outstanding educational program for many months. Chris, Elizabeth, and Ariella led educational sessions at the conference. Mike, as President of the Rocky Mountain Region of the American Camp Association, participated in all of the leadership events held at the conference. COEC Board member Rod Lucero presented one of the keynote addresses, and Julie, David, and Carlotta attended the conference.
Additionally, Jane, Elizabeth, and Ariella have written curricula and participated as webinar panel experts for the ACA’s e-Institute. The ACA just released a 15 hour online Certificate of Added Qualification for Middle Managers, and Ariella was one of the four writers of the curriculum. Jane is the chair of the ACA’s Children, Nature and Camps Committee and co-authored the best-selling, “101 Nature Activities for Kids” with Elizabeth.
Then there is the hard skill training: BC is a AMGA (American Mountain Guide Association) Certified Top and Bottom Managers and supervise our rock-climbing staff; we train using the most current ACCT Ropes Course certification model; all of our summer trip leaders have WMI/NOLS Wilderness First Aid certification; we have an on-site Red Cross Lifeguard course; we require our peer supervisors (ridge leaders, wranglers, kitchen coordinators) to attend a specialized Supervisor Workshop; and all of our trip leaders go through a comprehensive Trip Leader and 15 Passenger Van Driver Training…plus all staff are certified in CPR and Standard First Aid and participate in our 10 day Staff Week training. This training includes everything from the latest in youth development research to experiential teaching techniques. Whew!
Winter=Time to Turn Our BIG Dreams into Reality!
We are invested in the experience and our own continued growth and development. We are actively involved in building a more professional camp and educational experience for ALL children through our staff development and the variety of outreach and educational sessions we lead.
This is a big part of our “purpose” and it is one we take pride in. And with Jane repeating as program chair for the 2013 American Camp Association National Conference, we will continue to take a professional lead in the camping and youth development industry.
So we actually do work in the wintertime…maybe that is why summer is so darn incredible!
Tags: Children in Nature, Sanborn Semester, Summer Camp for Kids, summer camps in winter, what do camp directors do in the winter?, winter use of summer facilities, Youth Development
Posted in American Camp Association, Benefits of Summer Camp, Children and Nature, Colorado Front Range Summer Camps, Education, High Trails Outdoor Education Center, Leadership and Teambuilding, Outdoor Education, Professional Development, Sanborn Western Camps, Summer Camp for Kids, Youth Development, summer camp in Colorado | No Comments »
Monday, March 26th, 2012
We are very excited that our school program staff week started this morning! We are looking forward to a fun and busy season. Our first school comes next Wednesday – Summit County 4th graders. Be sure to check out the HTOEC website and blog for more information on the program and spring season. After a quiet winter, it is nice to have new and returning staff on site. It is a great reminder that kids will soon be back on the property!
Students on a hike
We have a great staff from around the country – some new to COEC and some returning. It is fun to see familiar faces. Returning staff include Jessie Spehar, Will Ostendorf, Mike Piel, Jenny Hartmann, and Bea Raemdonck. Mike, Bea, and Will have been a part of the Sanborn staff in the past and are excited to be a part of School Weeks for the first time.
It is just as fun to see how quickly new staff is incorporated into the COEC family. Marie DiBennedetto is from Allenstown, PA and has been a part of various outdoor education programs in the northeast. Adam Delp is joining us from Michigan – but has spent much of his adult life in Colorado; he is currently enrolled in a Wilderness Therapy program. Brendan Brady is from New York state where he has recently been an environmental educator. Michelle Davis is also from New York state; she graduated from SUNY Potsdam where she studied Environmental Studies and Wilderness Education.
Tags: Children in Nature, High Trails Outdoor Education Center, Outdoor Education, Youth Development
Posted in Colorado Outdoor Education Center, Education, High Trails Outdoor Education Center, Outdoor Education | No Comments »
Monday, February 27th, 2012
Last week 10 of us ventured to Atlanta for the ACA National Conference. The overall theme of the conference
Jane Sanborn and her entourage!
was Convergence: Vision, Learning, Innovation. This was an exciting opportunity for our staff to continue our professional development as youth and outdoor educators and camp professionals. And it was a great week! Our very own Jane Sanborn was the conference program chair. She and the conference team lined up wonderful session and keynote speakers, fun night programs, and a variety of exhibitors for the exhibit hall. We were all able to go to a variety of educational sessions presented by child development and camp professionals – sessions that emphasized the importance of what we do best: provide exceptional outdoor experiences for children. We were able to network with other camp professionals. We left energized and motivated for the summer! It is fun for us to come back and share all that we have learned with each other and start incorporating new ideas into our summer and school weeks programs.
We had great keynote speakers including, Dr. Christine Carter (author of Raising Happiness), Richard Louv, Sanborn alum, Rod Lucero, and Niambi Jaha-Echols. Each speech was relevant to and encouraging of what we do at camp.
Dr. Carter started the week sharing the importance of teaching and cultivating life skills such as gratitude, kindness, and growth campers – all things that we know about and do at camp! Dr. Carter is a strong believer of Growth Mindset – the belief that someone is successful due to hard work and effort, as well as innate ability. At camp, it is important to us that campers are challenged to try new things and encouraged through the process. We believe that campers and staff can grow and learn from our trips and activities. Being able to try new things is one of the great things about camp and campers having the ability to choose their own trips and activities.
Richard Louv emphasized the role camps play in continuing to get children outside. In his speech he told us how he was jealous of his friend who left Kansas every summer to go to camp…specifically, his friend left Kansas and spent his summers at Sanborn. He spoke of the growing importance of camp and getting outside, as our world becomes more technology-driven.
Rod Lucero helped us better understand the importance of camps continuing the education from schools. Relevance, Rigor, and Relationships are the foundation of education, and according to Lucero, without them, reading, writing, and arithmetic don’t matter. At camp, we help make education relevant. The foundation of Sanborn is education. We continue to learn and pass our knowledge on to all Colorado Outdoor Education Center participants.
Niambi Jaha-Echols provided us with an inspiring and humorous closing session. According to Jaha-Echols, camp provides us the opportunities to transform into new beings – from caterpillars to butterflies. It is important to us that we provide campers with the space and support to understand and grow into the people they are supposed to be. We are lucky to have 6,000 acres, amazing counselors, and a great variety of trips and activities to help all campers grow as individuals into butterflies.
We look forward to continuing to share our learnings with you and incorporate them into our 2012 summer.
Tags: ACA, Benefits of nature, Benefits of Summer Camp, Children and Nature Network, Children in Nature, Christine Carter, colorado summer camp, Community building, Experiential Education, Friendship, impact of summer camp, life lessons, life skills, nature awareness, Niambi Jaha-Echols, Outdoor Education, richard louv, Rod Lucero, Sanborn Western Camps, Youth Development
Posted in American Camp Association, Benefits of Summer Camp, Children and Nature, Colorado Front Range Summer Camps, Colorado Outdoor Education Center, Education, Kids and Technology, Nature Activity, Outdoor Education, Professional Development, Sanborn Western Camps, Youth Development | No Comments »
Friday, September 16th, 2011
We just finished a great week with the 6th graders from Challenger Middle School. The students arrived Tuesday morning and jumped right into their outdoor ed experience with their first discovery group that afternoon – Setting the Mood. Led by trained facilitators, the students learned about using their 5 senses more, as well as about the High Trails sixth sense – Wonder. The students were split in half Tuesday evening – one group going to the hoedown (a fun and silly set of dances led by the High Trails staff) and the other went to the Interbarn our hands-on science center.
Students Arrival at High Trails
Wednesday morning was adventure-filled with the first themed discovery groups. Students learned about Homesteaders, Prospectors, Mountaineers, Innovators, and Woodsmen to name a few. After a delicious lunch, students headed back out for their second themed discovery group. Unfortunately, a little rain cancelled the cookouts, but everyone enjoyed burgers in the lodge followed by an entertaining skit night.
The groups made it out for all-days yesterday and lots of fun was had by all. The HTOEC staff expanded on the activities done during the shorter discovery groups – Cowboys see our working ranch, Innovators tried some solar cooking, Woodsmen go to the working sawmill, Explorers go to the Bat Caves, and Mountaineers rock scramble on several of the bluffs around the main property. To finish off the day, the students that went to the hoedown on Tuesday headed to the Interbarn, and the students from the Interbarn went to the hoedown.
After a great rock session this morning, students went for their last discovery group – Putting It All Together. The students seemed to enjoy their week and learn a lot of interesting facts about nature, themselves, and Colorado history. We had a lot of fun this week and hope the students enjoy the rest of the school year. We look forward to Mountain Ridge Middle School coming next week!
Tags: Challenger Middle School, Children in Nature, High Trails, High Trails Outdoor Education Center, nature awareness, Outdoor Education, Outdoor Fun, Youth Development
Posted in Children and Nature, Colorado Outdoor Education Center, Education, High Trails Outdoor Education Center, Outdoor Education | No Comments »
Monday, August 22nd, 2011
Camp has sadly come to an end for the summer of 2011. Things are very quiet at Big Spring and High Trails! While we are already looking forward to next summer, we want to share a few more stories from this summer…
Today we went horseback riding. We all put on our jeans and boots and walked to the barn. First we talked to our wrangler about how to saddle our horses before our ride. The sun was blazing hot, but luckily we all finished saddling quickly. My horse was named Popcorn. She is dark brown and pretty tall. We walked through all the pretty trees and mountains. At about noon we stopped for lunch. YUM! We tied our horses to trees and enjoyed a delicious meal. Turkey sandwiches and fruit. After we ate, we got back on our horses and started to head back to camp. On the way back we took a different trail and saw colorful flowers and lots of trees. After an all-day ride, we got back to the barn and untacked our horses. This was probably the best horseback riding trip ever all because of SANBORN!!
Abby G.
One day early in the morning we got up and dressed to go on our all-day horse ride. It was really fun! When we got to the barn I looked on the sheet and I got Rafter. Rafter was a tall horse. He was really sweet and listened to everything I told him to do, and he loved to trot fast. I loved him so much. When we got back, we put the horses in the pen. Rafter dropped on the ground and started to roll in the dirt. I said “Rafter I just brushed you” and he just looked up at me, stood up, and came up to the fence and licked my hands.
Alexandra D.
There are lots of fun things to do at Sanborn. The fun thing I just did was the Artsy Overnight. It is a hike to Tie Cabin and we make art. It took us about twenty minutes to get ready with our backpacks full of food and tents. And then we were ready to go. It took about two hours to get there and set up our tents. Then we started to draw, make key chains, rock necklaces, and so much more. The day went by so fast. It was time to go to bed. I was sad to leave the fun things that we were doing, but I knew that a bunch more fun things await me and my campmates!
Addie T.
We just got back from our very fun overnight, the Artsy Overnight. When we got back, we went to outcamp to wash dishes and put away the food. We had a delicious lunch of hamburgers, french fries, and root beer floats. We met at the lodge for our afternoon activities – I chose blogging. I know we are going to be very sad to leave our new friends we made at Sanborn. But most of us are coming back for another summer of fun!
Taylor L.
Tags: Benefits of Summer Camp, Children in Nature, colorado summer camp, Friendship, High Trails, impact of summer camp, Outdoor Activities, Outdoor Fun, Sanborn Western Camps, summer camp, summer camp in Colorado
Posted in Benefits of Summer Camp, Colorado Front Range Summer Camps, From the Campers' Mouths, From the Horse's Mouth, Fun Activities, Sanborn Western Camps, Summer Camp for Kids, summer camp in Colorado | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 10th, 2011
CORE (Community OutReach Experience) Horse was a very educational, growth encouraging, and fun-filled experience for me. A lot of people think riding a horse is very simple. But it takes a lot more work than just sitting in a saddle and pushing the horse forward. My group learned things from how to scoop manure to how to do Key Hole in gymkhana. You learn how to face your fears of riding bareback on a horse and how to communicate with your horse through your body, not just your actions. We learned how everyday wranglers, like Jessie, Will O., and Maren, wake up at 5am to feed and pull horses for us campers throughout the day. And then they don’t get to sleep until 10pm. CORE is a great experience and I will never forget it. Thank you Sanborn!
Mimi C.
Sanborn is the BEST camp ever! You meet lots of great people here and they are very nice to you. My favorite part of camp is the good. The chefs are amazing! And nice. 
The one thing that is great about this camp is that you get to choose almost everything you do here! I can’t wait to climb a 14er! The view is beautiful everywhere you go. There are trees everywhere! We follow a practice that is “Leave No Trace.” That basically means don’t litter, leave stuff behind, or carve your name into trees. I most certainly can’t wait for my 2nd year in 2012!
Lauryn G.
There are so many things to do at High Trails, and fishing is one of them! We went fishing and it was so much fun! We learned how to fish in 3 simple steps. Cast, reel, and viola! You probably have a fish. We used marshmallows as bait. There were a lot leftover, so we ate them. We heard that the boys caught a 19in fish in the pond, so we were hopeful! In the end, everybody had caught something – reed, sticks, themselves. Overall everybody enjoyed themselves and were full of marshmallows!
Mia M.
I am a junior at HIgh Trails, but I wish I were here for a month because it is so much fun here. One of my favorite things is the horseback riding, which I absolutely love, but everything at Sanborn is fantastic so I’m not picking favorites! Today we came back from our last overnight at Tie Cabin, which was awesome. It’s amazing that eleven days have done by because it feels like two days. I am definitely coming back to Sanborn!!!
Katherine S.
Tags: Benefits of Summer Camp, Children in Nature, Colorado Camps, colorado summer camp, Friendship, High Trails, impact of summer camp, Outdoor Fun, Sanborn Western Camps, summer camp for girls and boys, summer camp in Colorado, Youth Development
Posted in Colorado Outdoor Education Center, From the Campers' Mouths, Sanborn Western Camps, Summer Camp for Kids, summer camp in Colorado | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 26th, 2011
I was new at camp the year. When I came I was scared and got homesick. Then everything got better, everyone was really nice!! My counselors were nice too! One of my favorite activities is horseback riding! You get to learn how to put the saddle on and learn how to brush your horse. Skit night was fun. It’s where you and your cabin make up a skit and perform it and everybody at High Trails watches. I like singing songs here like “Rocky Mountain High.”
Katie Neal
High Trails is like a second family to me. We all come here from different parts of the county and come from different backgrounds. But once we are surrounded by all of these beautiful mountains and trees and nature, none of that matters. Every new person is welcomed with hugs and smiling faces. And old friends are never forgotten. You are never bored because there are a variety of things to do. You can horseback ride, mountain bike, technical rock climb, rock scramble, swim, arts and crafts, and much more! High Trails gives me something to look forward to every summer and when it is over I know there are more girls enjoying the Rocky Mountain High.
Mimi Chapman
High Trails at Sanborn Camps is a summer worth of fun. There is something for everyone. Horseback riding, drama, hiking, climbing, pottery, and so much more. Sanborn is a safe environment where kids can learn and grow in the outdoors. We welcome new campers with open arms. Sanborn has become a second home to some and hopefully to you too. Sanborn is an experience you do not want to miss. Have you ever heard the wind dance in the aspen leaves? Have you ever slept out under the stars? Have you climbed to the top of a mountain peak? Have you ever gone tubing down a river? We guarantee you will have a blast! Throughout the term you will learn new things, meet new people, and do things you may not have. I tried Sanborn and I know I am a better person for it. Sanborn is the camp to go to. We hope to see you here next summer!
Kate Ratliff
It’s only the first week of Sanborn, and I can already tell you that walking uphill is A LOT easier. I’m sure by the end I will have gained so much muscle! Hiking a mountain will be a breeze. Then I will spend more time actually seeing the beauty of the Rockies. The hills gently roll, and the mountains…Oh the mountains! Last year when I was hiking up Quandry we got up at 3 in the morning. I can tell you it was well worth the early rise. In the light of the moon, the dew on the pines sparkles and glistened. It was probably one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen.
Not using technology was hard at first, but when you get to know how many things you can do without it, it gets easier. There is so much to do here, you really don’t have time for technology. If there’s anything to be said of Sanborn, it’s that you never get bored!
At Sanborn there are 2 sections. One is Big Spring, where the boys live. And I live at High Trails with the girls. It actually makes camp more enjoyable to be separate, you spend less time worrying about looks and boys and more time enjoying the outdoor experience. There are coed events where you get to see the boys. Best of both worlds!
Coming to Sanborn is a wonderful experience, and the people you meet always become your friends. It’s like a family away from family. Cliques don’t exist here. Everyone is there to help you out. If I could spend every summer here, I would say yes without even batting an eye.
Jen
Tags: Benefits of Summer Camp, Big Spring Ranch for Boys, Camper Post, Children in Nature, colorado summer camp, Community building, Friendship, High Trails Ranch for Girls, impact of summer camp, nature awareness, Outdoor Fun, Sanborn Western Camps, summer camp for girls and boys, summer camp in Colorado, Youth Development
Posted in Benefits of Summer Camp, From the Campers' Mouths, Fun Activities, Kids and Technology, Sanborn Western Camps, Summer Camp for Kids, summer camp in Colorado | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 7th, 2011
Saturday, June 11, is National Get Outdoors Day (GO Day). The ACA is promoting the fourth annual GO Day in order to “encourage healthy, active outdoor fun” across the country. While there are a number of events taking place at different locations, we encourage you to create your own GO Day. The overall goal for the day is to reconnect youth with the outdoors.
A typical Sanborn GO Day
Our campers don’t arrive until Sunday, but we will spend the rest of the summer having GO Days. We have numerous traditional and non-traditional outdoor activities. We think that is part of what makes participating in GO Day so fun – you can do whatever you want, as long as it is outdoors!
The Big Spring staff returned from their overnights yesterday, and the High Trails staff returned today. They spent two days out of the trail learning different parts of the ranch, mastering how to cook excellent overnight food, and partaking in a variety of nature activities. Most importantly, all the staff are very excited to share their new knowledge with the campers in just a few days!
We would love to hear what activities you are doing for GO Day!
Tags: Benefits of nature, Benefits of Summer Camp, Children in Nature, colorado summer camp, Experiential Education, nature awareness, Outdoor Activities, Sanborn Western Camps, Take action, Youth Development
Posted in Children and Nature, Education, Fun Activities, Nature Activity, Outdoor Education, Parenting, Sanborn Western Camps | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 17th, 2011
Our school program ended last Wednesday after a very successful season. We had 4th-8th graders from about 20 schools came for 3-5 day programming over the last month and a half. At the beginning of every season we have the chance to reflect on why we want to be a part of HTOEC school weeks and share our thoughts with each other. I tell the staff, and remind myself, that the season will go by way too quickly, that we will have the opportunity to make a difference in the life of at least one child (hopefully more), we will be challenged, we will learn something new from the students we work with, and this place will become home. Even though I have been part of a number of seasons, I’m always surprised that I forget these predictions that come true every year.
Students on a cabin porch
Several weeks ago I worked with a group of 5th graders from Palmer Lake Elementary School in Monument. I worked in a cabin with about 12 girls who varied in their interest and experience in the outdoors. We played games and hiked to several points around the ranch. I was at the cabin early in the morning and brought snacks after evening programming. This is typical for all the schools we work with. They were only here for three days before they headed back to school and a new school arrived at High Trails. I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with them and as always, I wished them well as they left and reminded them they could come back as high school counselors.
About a week or so later I received a large stack of envelopes in my mailbox. I was mostly excited because it is rare that I have mail. I opened the first envelope and saw it came from one of the Lewis Palmer students that was recently in my cabin. I read about one of the girl’s experiences at High Trails as she talked about how much fun she had and how she was sad to go. Each letter in the stack was from one of the girls in that cabin. And each letter talked about how she challenged herself, enjoyed the hiking (when she didn’t think she would), loved the food, had fun doing different discovery groups, and several remembered my suggestion to come back in several years.
It was definitely surprising to receive this stack of mail. It was also very nice to read about the impact High Trails had on this group of girls. As staff, we see a number of students from different schools with various expectations about High Trails and experiences in the outdoors. We are never sure what students will walk away with as lasting memories. We will see a few high school counselors return after being at High Trails as younger students, we will hear teachers say the experience is great for their students, but it is rare to hear from students after they leave High Trails.
Checking out an Aspen tree
As the season ended and I reflected back on my comments at the beginning of the season, it was fun to remember my comments and recognize that they once again came true. These girls challenged me to go new places and I challenged them to push themselves a little farther out of their normal comfort zone. I learned more about High Trails as they asked me questions about birds and flowers I didn’t know and they learned more about nature. While they did not explicitly say High Trails had changed their lives, reading their excitement about being here showed the lasting impact High Trails will have on them.
We are now gearing up for the summer season. As I move forward and work with new and returning campers, I will again remind myself that everyday is a learning opportunity and the chance to making a lasting impact on another child.
Tags: Benefits of nature, Children in Nature, High Trails Outdoor Education Center, Impact of Nature, life lessons, Memories, Outdoor Education, Sanborn Western Camps, Youth Development
Posted in Children and Nature, Education, High Trails Outdoor Education Center, Outdoor Education | No Comments »
Friday, March 18th, 2011
The Rocky Mountains: A Metaphor for the Capacity to Endure
‘Sustainability’ – this word has become the center of a quickly growing movement focused on developing new ways for humans to live on our planet without depleting the resources we use to survive here. This winter, the year-round staff at COEC began to fully address how our organization should develop more sustainable practices, while simultaneously striving to become innovators and leaders through our sustainable efforts as a camp, an outdoor education center, and an adult retreat center.
As the spring season for the High Trails Outdoor Education Center approaches, we’ve been working hard to brainstorm and put some of these new ideas into place. We started our thought process by nailing down a definition of the word sustainability, and then by deciding how it should apply to our spring program. This word has a variety of meanings, and we decided explain it as ‘the capacity to endure.’ As an organization, we want COEC to contribute to humanity’s effort to function in a way that will allow future generations to enjoy life as we do today, and we want to be a role model to the children and adults who we teach and lead in all of our programs.
Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics + Widespread Sustainability 'Best Practices'
This spring at HTOEC, we’ll be focusing on reducing our environmental footprint and building our knowledge of how life works on the planet Earth. We’re working on improving our facilities to reduce our consumption across the different buildings on our property. Compact fluorescent light bulbs, toilet-tank bags to reduce the water in each flush, a composting and greenhouse program, and a 30-panel solar array on the roof of the Sportsplex at The Nature Place are all reducing the amount of energy we consume and the amount of waste we produce. We plan to teach participants about all of these additions, and to continue making more of the same sort in the near future. On-demand water heaters, low-flow showerheads, and more solar arrays are all hopeful.
Inspiring Stewardship with Every Sunset They See
However, these are small steps, and serve to augment our main goal: education. In all of our cabins, we will teach students and teachers how to make small changes that can have a big impact – turning off lights during the day, turning down the heater when the students leave for classes, and taking less frequent and shorter showers, to name a few. Likewise, during meals in our dining hall, we’ll encourage groups to consciously think about their consumption by measuring the amount of food scraps and waste they produce each day. Daily results will be posted so that students can quickly and easily learn how much waste they are producing, and try to reduce it each day they live here.
"We need more long lookers if we are going to look much longer." -Sandy Sanborn-
All of these steps will help us spread our belief in creating and upholding sustainability in all that we do. We want our organization to have a capacity to endure, but more importantly, we want our Earth to endure as we continue to live on it, so that future people will be able to enjoy the outdoors as we do here. Spreading this message to every person who comes through COEC is our most important educational effort today and into the future.
Tags: Children in Nature, COEC, Education, environmental awareness, htoec, Outdoor Education, sustainability
Posted in Benefits of Summer Camp, Children and Nature, Colorado Front Range Summer Camps, Colorado Outdoor Education Center, High Trails Outdoor Education Center, Outdoor Education, Sanborn Western Camps, Summer Camp for Kids, summer camp in Colorado, sustainability | No Comments »
