Environmental Education Always on the Mind

The school year is well underway and our campers are comfortably immersed back in their everyday, hometown lives. As youth developers, our goal is to have a positive impact on youth year round, not solely during the summer months while campers are in camp. So how can we ensure students are remaining active and developing important life skills? We can partner with the schools, of course!

Students interacting with a western hognose snake during Critters.

A majority of ACA accredited camps, Foley included, take pride in their partnership with schools throughout the United States. We partner with schools in Minnesota by way of our environmental education program. Check out Foley's program specifically! Environmental education is such an important and unique learning opportunity that gets kids out of the classroom to learn in a hands on setting. From learning how to light a fire using flint and steel to viewing wild animals in their natural setting, the depth of knowledge and experience gained is priceless. 

Students closely observing an adult beaver while canoeing
during Enviro Education at Foley. 

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which goes into effect during the 2017-2018 school year, sets the stage for more opportunities for schools to partner with camps and other organizations which allow for out-of-school time experiences. Classroom learning is obviously important, we just can't forget the importance our natural world has in our educational growth.

Take the time to explore that state park you drive by everyday, every moment spent outdoors can be beneficial!  

If you know of a school that may be interested in learning more about our program, email fun@campfoley.com.

Students testing our their lumberjack abilities during Woodskills.

"As the young spend less of their lives in natural surrounding, their senses narrow, physiologically and psychologically and this reduces the richness of human experience ... we NEED contact with nature." - Richard Louv

The Enviro Center Closes (for the Season)

Enviro Ed - Week 1

Today at exactly 1:39 PM we said goodbye to our last students from Environmental Education for the season. We had an AWESOME three weeks that included ten schools and 431 students. Students got mucky in the muck pond, saw tons of creatures at Hidden Lake, roasted hot dogs and marshmallows over campfires and tons of other awesome things.

One of the activities is Solos, which is the students going out into the woods and spending 30-40 minutes immersed in nature. During their time in nature, they could read, write or just simply observe their surroundings. One of the students wrote a poem that she shared in front of the entire Enviro Ed group at breakfast this morning, and we figured it was something worth sharing with the entire Foley community.

Alone in the Woods

I am sitting at my tree

the birds have come to greet me. 

The wind is playing with the leaves

as they fall, the ground receives. 

Rain comes down but trees protect

I'm a little wet, not wrecked.

Many bugs crawl all around

but they do not make a sound.

Lots and lots of grass blades grow

sprouting up from ground below. 

There is moss on lots of things

overpowering like kings.

Many sticks and twigs have fell

all around the ground as well. 

As I leave this peaceful spot

things I've seen won't be forgot.

Now it's time for us to get ready for our summer camp season to begin in 17 short days! We've already got some staff here and more come this weekend before the rest of the staff arrives for work week on June 7. A lot of happening and we couldn't be more excited! 

Environmental Ed - Week 1

Last week we had an AWESOME time with sixth graders for five schools in Minnesota (St. Bartholomew, Annunciation, Holy Trinity, St. Boniface and Marquette) at the Foley Environmental Education Center. Not only did we have some super fun students in camp, but we did some pretty cool things as well.

A Day at the Enivro Center

Dr. Earth

Each day students woke up in their cabins and then cleaned their cabin (in hopes of winning the Ms. and Mr. Spic and Span Award). Students then made their way to the Weather Station to predict what the weather would be like for the day. Each day at Foley we focus on a different character trait - Caring, Respect, Responsibility, Trustworthiness and Citizenship - so before breakfast each morning a couple of students would do a reading about the day's character trait. After each meal, Dr. Earth would visit to see how wasteful we have been. Dr. Earth would also remind everyone to stay on the paths (so we wouldn't become "Soil Destroyers") and to turn off lights when we left a building (so we wouldn't become "Energy Wasters") Throughout the day students attended academic classes and later in the day  had rec time (free time to go climbing, shoot at archery or play other games) and late-night adventure (going to look for snakes or frogs, large field games, twilight canoeing, etc.). On Wednesday night, the students went to various campfire-sites for Team Hotdog where they cooked hotdogs and s'mores over a campfire for dinner. 

Academic Classes

Wildlife Viewing

Aquatics & Wildlife Viewing: Students traveled to Hidden Lake to take in some beautiful scenery and canoe. Using binoculars students were able to spy some pretty cool things including two eagles' nests. As students traveled to Hidden Lake and canoed around they saw a variety of animals including eagles, painted turtles, snapping turtles, deer, beavers, muskrats and a variety of fish and birds.

Blind Hike: After every student put on a blindfold, they held hands and made their way through the woods without using their sense of sight and without talking! Over roots and rocks students used each other and their available senses to maneuver.

Climbing & Team Games: Students had the chance to take on Foley's 38-foot climbing tower! Using the commands they learned on the first day students used teamwork and encouragement to make it up the wall. When they weren't climbing, students had the chance to use teamwork skills during team games.

Critters

Critters: At critters, students learned all about the turtles and snakes in the Camp Foley Nature Center. Everyone had the opportunity to hold a Western Hognose, Pueblo Milk Snake or King Snake. Plus they met Foley's two turtles, a Painted Turtle named Muncher and a Snapping Turtle named Bowser.

Fish Survival: Students had a chance to get their science on while determining what kind of fish can survive in Whitefish Lake. Using samples of lake water, students went through several steps to come to a conclusion. about their fish.

Geocaching: Armed with a GPS ("Trust the GPS!") and a partner, students navigated through the woods to Upper Tree Houses where the group met up. Students then used their GPS to find different caches located around the tree house.

Geology: Students learned all about ROCKS in geology. They learned about how different types of rocks are formed, how the continents formed and separated, and all about erosion.

Muck Adventure

Micros: At micros, students had the chance to find microorganisms in water from a nearby Arrowhead Lake. Using their microscopes and their partners students recorded what they found.

Muck Adventure: The theme for this class seemed to be: How many worms can you eat? Students took off their shoes and socks, rolled up their pants and waded into the below-the-knee deep water to explore the muck pond.

Solos: Probably the quietest academic class, students had the opportunity to spend some time in nature all alone, away from their classmates. Students could write, draw, read or just enjoy their natural surroundings as they listened to the wind in the trees and the other sounds of nature.

Woodskills

Woodskills: Students spent their time at woodskills sawing, peeling the bark of wood, throwing tomahawks, starting a fire with flint and steel and whittling! Some of the tasks were easier than the others, but each student found something they seemed to excel at during their time at woodskills.

Overall it was a great week! We are so thankful for everyone that helped make it possible (including Mother Nature who provided us with some beautiful, sunny days)! We hope you left the Foley Environmental Education Center with as many great memories as we did!