By By JAMES COLLINS / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- It is part of the mission of Fernwood to stimulate an appreciation for nature and through its Nature Day Camps this summer, the nature center is working on children at a very young age.
As a former day camper, Fernwood's current day camp assistant Laura Miars is the perfect example of the type of impact this program can have on a child.
She has developed a love of nature and wants to pass that on to the children that she supervises and instructs each week at the day camps.
Miars started going to the camps when she was seven years old. When she turned 13, she was too old to attend, but still wanted to be involved. So, she began volunteering as a helper.
The 21-year-old is now in second year as a staff member with the program and said the experience has caused her to want to become a teacher. She is currently studying elementary education at Western Michigan University
Miars thinks the camp can play a big role in shaping how these kids will view the environment when they are older.
The theme of the day camp this week was Animal Enthusiasts. Each day of the week, the five and six year old campers were introduced to a new type of animal.
On Wednesday, about 15 of the children were present at the camp for a day that focused on reptiles and amphibians.
After lunch, the children gathered in a circle on the floor in the nature center as Miars introduced them to some live animals including a box turtle, a baby painted turtle and a salamander.
The kids were given some interesting facts out about each of the creatures and then given the opportunity to touch the animals.
Each child was told to dip their fingers in the bucket of water before touching them, so the turtles and salamander would not become too dry.
A short time later the group travelled outside to a grassy area of Fernwood to play a tag-like game called Turtle Hurdles.
Whether it is a fun game, a nature related craft or a hike through the forest, this camp aims to provide an experience that is both enjoyable and educational.
One way the program tries to instill some good environmental habits is apparent with the children's daily routine following lunch. The kids line up to recycle any plastics or aluminum cans that they brought with them and their leftover food is used as compost for the gardens at Fernwood.
Jones said the kids are encouraged to bring their lunches in reusable containers and the camp even provides the children with large plastic cups that can be reused each day.
In July, the Nature Day Camps will move on to offer two weeks of programs for a seven and eight year old group, two weeks for nine and 10 year olds and there will be a one week program for 11 and 12 year olds in early August.
Fernwood will also begin its Art Camp in July.
Class sizes for both camps are limited to about 20 children per session. For more information, call (269) 695-6491.