Enthusiastic Young Naturalists

By Susan Coney

Cullen’s Nature Camp, sponsored by Newtown Youth Services, recently provided area children with the opportunity to study common, everyday living organisms in their own surrounding environment. Laurie Petrasanta, the director of the camp, enlisted the help of her daughter, Jackie, as well as several other older, trained students to act as nature instructors.

 The nature camp held two 90-minute sessions, one geared for kindergarten through second grade students and a second session for students in grades three through five. The camp ran for six days offering the children lots of opportunities for hands on activities in nature.

Parent Mary Braga has two daughters who have both participated in the camp. This is the second year that her 8-year-old daughter Sarah has been enrolled in the camp. Ms Braga’s other daughter, Victoria, participated as a camper last year but was too old to enroll this year and ended up volunteering to work at the camp. “They love it! They have learned so much. What Laurie and the young adult volunteers have taught them is wonderful. I only wish it went on longer than six days, it is such a great program,” she said.

As campers arrived they gathered to discuss what the day’s activities would bring. Each day the camp offered a different unit of study with an accompanying craft to go along with that day’s lesson. Some of the topics studied were the ecology, the water cycle, trees, animals, insects, and pond life.

 On the first day of camp the children traversed along paths on a nature hunt searching for different types of leaves, rocks, insects, animals and their tracks and homes. Another day the children studied trees; learning the differences between coniferous and deciduous. They kept journals, drew and labeled parts of the trees and collected leaves.

The final day of the camp is always a favorite, that is the day the students study pond life. The children scavenged for all sorts of creepy, crawly pond critters eventually ending up almost as wet themselves as the creatures they were attempting to capture. On the final day the campers enjoyed eating pizza and toasting s’mores at a bonfire.

Nick Gosselin clearly enjoyed the Cullen’s Nature Camp. He has returned four years in a row to participate in the program. Nick commented, “I just like helping the children and just being here. I especially enjoy the hikes.” Ms Petrasanta said, “Nick is like my junior counselor. He is so knowledgeable and likes to help the younger children.”

Jacqui Kirol, one of the camp volunteers said, “I learn a lot myself. I like working with kids. The other volunteers are my friends and it’s just fun being here.”