Trailblazer Summer Camp, July 2024
Our third and final session of camp this summer was Trailblazers Summer Camp! This is a half-day camp for students entering grades 1 through 5. This year, we held Trailblazers Summer Camp at Concord Elementary School, which means we enjoyed four days of exploring the CES Nature Trail.
This session of camp is much different than the other two that were offered this summer since it caters to a younger audience. We designed Trailblazers Summer Camp to be an introductory experience to environmental education. The goal of this camp is to connect students with nature with a less strenuous activities compared to our sessions of Adventure and High Adventure.
Each day of camp, we began with a morning meeting so the students could get to know each other. Students would share about their favorite animals and outdoor activities throughout the week! Then, we would enjoy activities throughout the day. At the end of each day, we would have students share their "thorns and roses" from the day; meaning they would share a rose (a favorite part) and a thorn (something that didn't go as expected.) Not only did students have a ton of fun experiencing Trailblazers, but they were quite reflective throughout the week!
The first day of camp featured a hike through the Concord Elementary School Nature Trail so students could learn about habitats. On the second day, students learned how to use binoculars. Then, we hiked up to the Rachel Kohl Library Walking Trail to practice using them! On our hikes, we saw some up-close birds including Common Yellowthroat, American Robin, Red-tailed Hawk, and both Black and Turkey Vultures!
Later in the week, a heat advisory arrived to our area! As a result, we decided to keep our outdoor activities short so we could get back inside to beat the heat. One morning, the students learned about field guides and how to use them to identify birds. After the students learned about field guides, they then either colored or illustrated a bird they learned about from their books!
Our last day of camp was under yet another heat advisory, but that actually ended up being good news for us: We spent our final day of camp hiking in Webb Creek! Students learned about the animals that call this habitat home. They also learned about the different types of plants that live along the creek. Most importantly though, the students got wet, cooled off, and had fun! One of our students, Kayden P, brought his camera along to photograph the fun in the creek:
Overall, we had a phenomenal week of camp to close out our summer! We observed a total of 26 different species of birds, we hiked nearly five miles over our four days together, and we got to experience all the CES Nature Trail has to offer! For more on the birds, check out our eBird Trip Report from the week.
First, thank you to Concord Elementary School for having us! Also, thank you to James, our Trailblazers Guide, for his wonderful work with the students. Thank you to our wonderful paraprofessional team who helped make this week a success. Thank you to Kayden P for bringing his camera along to capture our summer fun. Most of all, thank you to all families for their continued support of Trailblazers. We look very forward to seeing you next summer!
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