Environmental Education Center at University of Rhode Island's W. Alton Jones Campus

Night Owls
Ages 9-10

Night Owls is an overnight Earth Camp program for ages 9-10. The goal of the program is to provide an introduction to nightlife in the great outdoors! We will do this by staying up late, but not too late. The week will also include enjoying the camp life at 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 Night Owls counselors and the other members of your field group. Some will look 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 Thursday lunch.

On Monday, group-building activities will help you to get to know the other campers in your group as well as your Counselors. This is important since working together, good communication and understanding each other’s needs will be critical when you are out in the dark. Swim tests, free-swim time and canoeing occur at Lake Eisenhower, so be ready to get wet! You will also be involved in sensory awareness activities to heighten your senses to the subtle sounds, movements, smells and feelings that you will encounter when you are out in nature at night. Your group will take part in the all-camp evening program and after everyone else goes to bed, you will go on a night hike. You will go to bed by 12:00 midnight.

Each day you will be involved in ecology activities, many of which you will be able to repeat during your night excursions. You will also have time for swimming and canoeing. At night you can compare your daytime ecology findings, begin to learn about the stars and planets visible in the night sky and learn about some of the animals that are out at night. A campfire on the beach with s’mores is also a possibility. Perhaps an evening canoe, bat watch, or quiet hike will take you through dusk. And of course there is always time for some just-for-fun games.

Each morning you will get up at the regular wake-up time and you will have a cabin rest time in the afternoon. On Tuesday night you will stay up until 12:00 midnight. If your group is up to it, Wednesday's bedtime will be 2:00 AM. By Thursday your group will be pretty tired and lights out will be at the regular camp bedtime.

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 at 2:30 PM as the week comes to an end.