Animal
Safari
Ages 9-12
If you like animals and wildlife big and small, lending a
hand, being part
of a small group learning community, and helping the environment at the same
time then this program is for you. Check-in is Sunday
between 2:00 and 3:00 PM. The program ends with a family
program Friday from 2:00-2:30 PM.
The goal of Animal Safari is to learn about the Animal Kingdom
and its members. You
will explore forests, fields, wetlands and ponds and visit a zoo to learn who lives
there and how the animals interact with each other and their
surroundings. The week
is spent learning about nature and conservation and enjoying the camp life at W.
Alton Jones.
Sunday is devoted to moving in and getting to know your fellow
campers and counselors. First
you will move into your cabin and meet your cabin mates.
You will have some time to unpack and get settled before
meeting your field group counselor and the other members of your
Animal Safari field group. Some
will look very familiar because they are in your cabin too!
Get ready for dinner and the all-camp
campfire where you will get to see the entire Earth Camp, campers
and staff. You will eat your meals
in the dining hall, except Wednesday dinner and Thursday breakfast
and lunch.
On Monday, you will participate in some group building activities to
enhance communication between you and the other campers and your counselors and
to help you get to know each other
better. Other activities are designed to orient you to your natural
surroundings. Monday
also includes a swim test, free swim and possibly canoeing.
After dinner, there will be an all-camp evening program.
Tuesday and Wednesday morning are spent exploring the different groups of
animals that live at W. Alton Jones.
This includes insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals,
and domesticated farm animals. You will learn
about their lives and interactions in fun, active and hands on games
and activities. Your group's activities may include:
ˇ
Experience complex animal interactions in an
active game of predator-prey.
ˇ
Learn what the food web is and how it is important to animals.
ˇ
Identify and study the behavior of birds at the bird observation area.
ˇ
Explore first-hand the amazing world of insects.
ˇ
Find and observe salamanders, frogs, aquatic insects and turtles at
a pond.
ˇ
Find and identify animal tracks.
ˇ
Visit Woodvale Farm to experience the types of animals
typically found on a New England farm.
Wednesday after lunch you will leave for a special trip to the
Franklin Park Zoo which is about an hour drive from Alton
Jones. The zoo trip is planned to make the most of our
visit. Your special
two-day, one-night trip to the zoo will include a sleep-over
inside the zoo! As everyone else is leaving the zoo, we
will too as they close up and make sure everyone has left for
the day. But then we will have the special opportunity
to go back inside to experience the zoo during its quiet
time. You will go behind the scenes with the zoo staff
to learn about the zoo's conservation efforts, animal care,
and wildlife enrichment program.
We will
have breakfast and lunch at the zoo after which there will be one
last opportunity to visit our favorite animals before
departing for Alton Jones. Our hope is
that you will have experienced the zoo in a new way while learning the
important role zoos play in animal conservation. Thursday
night is a special dinner at camp followed by games and a closing
campfire.
Friday is spent putting the whole week together
with reviews and wrap-ups plus closing activities. After lunch, there is some time to spend with friends new and
old before the family program begins. Sign out and goodbyes follow as the week comes to an end.
In addition to the standard Earth Camp packing list, here are
a few things to highlight, add, or to have already packed
separately for the overnight trip to the zoo:
__Water bottle
__Sunscreen and Insect Repellant
__Hat with visor
__Sweatshirt
__Rain Coat
__Day pack
__Change of clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste, sleeping bag,
etc. for the overnight
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