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. Your counselor will give you an introduction
to the animal kingdom and the names of each phylum
(or group) of animals.
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. You will:
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
Southwick's Zoo which is about an hour drive from Alton
Jones. The zoo trip is planned so that we are arriving
on Wednesday at the time of day when most people are leaving.
Wednesday afternoon will include an overview of the zoo, an
up-close-and-personal elephant ride, and a tour of the zoo
from high above the animals on Southwick's brand new Skyfari
ride. After the zoo closes at 6:00 PM we will set up
tents and camp out in a private spot in a field on a nearby
hill. There will be port-o-jons there if we need
them. We will make our own dinner and if we want we can
build a campfire. If it is a clear night we will have a
great view of the stars.
On Thursday morning we will
need to get up, have breakfast, and take down camp before the
zoo opens at 8:00 AM. We want to be the first ones
inside. They may even let us in before the gates
open. On this day we will help the zoo staff with
feeding and animal care so that we can get a behind-the-scenes
experience of what it takes to work at a zoo. We can
also observe whether the animals change behavior as more and
more visitors come into the zoo for the day. We will
have lunch at the zoo snack bar (hot dog, burger, or peanut
butter and jelly with chips and drink) and there will be one
last opportunity to visit our favorite animals before
departing for Alton Jones at about 1:30 PM. Our hope is
that you will have experienced the zoo in a new way while learning the
important role zoos play in animal conservation. If it is a
hot day and we get back to Alton Jones in time we may be able
to fit in a swim at the lake before cabin time. Thursday
night is a special dinner followed by games and a closing
campfire and ceremony.
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.
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