Day 4- Food

What is local food?
Why buy local food?
What is a food mile?

Today we explore where our food comes from and delve into our complex global and local food system....How far does a pineapple or a cashew travel before it gets to your plate? Does it travel by boat....train...truck? What grows in California? What are Ventura County's top crops? And what about packaging of food items is it sustainable?

Day 3-Energy

What is the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy?
Why is energy important?
How can we conserve energy?

Energy day is always popular and delicious! After contemplating journal questions and discussing renewable and non-renewable energy sources, the fun begins! The big solar oven worked hard to bake brownies. Campers crafted personal solar ovens out of pizza boxes and made that delightful camping tradition…s'mores! Even though the sun didn't cooperate this year, the s'mores were still amazing. Solar ovens are enroute home to hopefully, have another go on a sunnier day. Pedal power was a plenty on the blender bike. The farm fresh Strawberry Kale Smoothies were a big hit.

Strawberry Kale Smoothies

1 cup orange juice
1 cup kale
1/2 cup fresh strawberries
1 frozen bananas

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Day 2-Land

The day begins with journaling and a farm nature walk. Along the way, campers encounter evidence or indicators that animals use and call the farm home. Today is about understanding the importance of open space, natural resources and waste management.  

Americans throw away approximately 250 million tons of trash/year. That is 500,000,000,000 pounds of garbage! Yikes! How we dispose of our waste or garbage has an impact on our land. Campers learn to differentiate between trash, recycling and compost and continue weighing and charting their own camp waste. Worm composting or vermicomposting is an easy way to reduce some of our waste bound for a landfill and everyone is excited to build their personal worm bin to take home.

UC HAREC began hosting 4-H Sustainable You! Summer Camp in 2014. Since then, the education staff has trained other UC Research and Extension Center (RECS) staff to deliver this curriculum created by Dr. Roslyn Brain of Utah State University. Similar Sustainable You! Summer camps are in progress at Desert REC in Imperial County and Hopeland REC in Mendocino County.  

Sustainable You! interactive activities are based around the five major areas of sustainability: land, air, water, food, energy and aim to develop an appreciation and respect for our natural environment. Each day, campers learn simple actions they can implement to lessen their impact on the environment. And while these are serious topics, it's summer….so it's all about having fun while learning.

The City of Ventura is again our partner. Their collaboration helps us deliver this amazing program.

Alli Rowe (right) and Kelsey Hammond (left), who each hold Masters in Environmental Studies, will be camp educators this year.

2019 Sustainable You! Summer Camp Staff:
Kelsey Hammond, Environmental Specialist, City of Ventura
Alli Rowe, Education Specialist, UC Cooperative Extension-Ventura County
Ben Zeko, Jr. leader, Student-Foothill Technology High School 
Gwyn Vanoni, Education Specialist, UC HAREC
Annabel Faris, Program Coordinator, UC HAREC
Susana Bruzzone-Miller, YFC Program Manager, UC HAREC

We are excited to welcome our 31 campers that include, for the first time, youth from Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Paula, Piru and Fillmore. 

Day 1: Air

Why is clean air important?
What pollutes our air?
How can you improve the air you breathe?.....all good questions our campers pondered today. But first day camp tradition calls for getting acquainted with each other while tie dying camp shirts.