Connecting Youth to Nature Camp, organized by the 4-H Youth Development Program and sponsored by the Disney Conservation Fund and UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program, was held at UC Elkus Ranch from July 20th-24th. The camp was 5 days of hands-on learning in the greatest classroom of all: the great outdoors! 53 young adventurers from Fair Oaks, JFK, Hatch, and El Granada Elementary Schools were able to experience life on a working ranch. Camp enrollment was geared toward CalFresh eligible schools, meaning that 50% or more of students receive free or reduced lunch.  

     “Connecting young people to the UC Elkus Ranch facility offers them opportunities to explore and learn in an informal, outdoor setting. The majority of the youth at the camp came from highly urbanized environments, where there is limited access to the wild, rural outdoors,” commented 4-H Program Coordinator, Jessica Guild.  

     Each day of camp focused on a different theme: Monday was “Habitat and Hike”, Tuesday was “Mammals and Livestock” oriented, Wednesday was all about “Insects”, Thursday was “Bird” themed, and Friday, arguably the most delicious day, was centered on “Food Systems”. A cast of 10 educators and student leaders were dedicated to curating an interactive camper experience.  

     “In the current educational climate, most students do most of their learning inside classrooms, seated and quiet, which is pretty much the opposite of the natural state of youth...getting kids outside and letting them run around and get their hands dirty, while at the same time giving them an opportunity to learn or make something, helps to affirm that while school might be boring, learning and education is not,” commented Healthy Living Ambassador Program Coordinator, Phil Minnick, who was involved as one of the camp educators.  

     Each day, everyone gathered in the barn area to hear the rules, tend to chores, and enjoy a snack before starting the day's lessons. From 11 to noon, the day's topic leader introduced the theme of the day and proceeded with the lesson. On “Hike and Habitat” day, Guild led a hike on the Dean Trail where she highlighted elements of water, open space, and the concept of habitat versus ecosystem. During the hike, one 8-year-old Fair Oaks child exclaimed: “The air is so fresh up here!” 

     Throughout each daily lesson were three principles: water education, technology, and journaling. The Disney grant allowed for technology in the form of Galaxy 4 Tablets to be incorporated in novel ways that helped students engage with the environment. The kids looked at pictures of native and local plants, and using the Foraging App on their tablets, identified those plants on Monday's nature hike. To balance out the activity, the educational hike was followed by a reflective journaling lesson about home habitats.  

     Water, technology, and journaling continued to be integral concepts throughout the week. For the “Mammal and Livestock” lesson, stethoscopes, pictures, and videos of the animals satisfied the tech aspect of the plan. During UC Elkus Ranch educator Robin Tierney's bird expedition, the children learned about the drought's impact on avian habitats, thereby accomplishing the water education goal. Kevi Mace, an Extension researcher, and Dr. Virginia Bolshakova, UCCE SM/SF Director, provided instruction on insects, teaching about edible insects and basic insect ecology. 

     “Unstructured time outside is a valuable learning tool in and of itself, in that it engages a young person's creativity, imagination, and problem solving skills - valuable skills that are necessary in childhood development,” commented Guild.  

     The week of camp was capped off with a delicious meal at the conference center where campers learned the importance of sourcing their food locally. Following a fun physical activity and a quick round of “Name that Spice,” the campers unleashed their inner Julia Childs. The students split up into teams of three and prepared yummy dishes like Turkey Tacos in Salsa Roja, Jicama and Carrot Slaw, Corn Salad, and Black Bean Brownies.  

"The food we made has a rainbow of flavors!" said a 10-year-old from Half Moon Bay about the lunch. 

The recipes were prepared using ingredients from the Elkus garden and with recipes from EatFresh.org.  Each group of students presented their dishes and said what ingredients they used and how they made the dish.  

“It was adorable,” reflected Minnick.  

     To digest their culinary masterpieces, the kids went on a nature walk where they learned about edible plants and flowers. Phil then led the kids through a seed planting activity, and each child was able to go home with his or her own seeds to start a home garden.   

     The kids left camp feeling empowered to make positive changes in their own habitats. The collaborative effort between all interacting elements of the camp ecosystem, from the leaders, to the volunteers, to the campers, is evident in the camper's responses to the survey question, “How will you protect the environment?”  

“I would take care of the animals and plants. I would also pick up trash.” – 9 year old camper.  

“I will try to participate in things of nature to learn more and know what way I can help in”-10 year old camper.  

“I would do the 3 R's: Recycle, Reuse, Reduce” -13 year old camper.  

“Try to walk more instead of driving”- 9 year old camper. 

“I will take short showers”-10 year old camper. 

And finally: “Whatever it takes!”-12 year old camper.