EcoTarium Rolls Out Summer Adventure Lineup

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Jeffrey Starr, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

The EcoTarium's popular Summer Discovery Camp announced six themed, week-long sessions from July 1 - August 9, 2013. Camp themes include Animal Keeper, EcoTarium Adventure, and Gizmos and Gadgets.

EcoTarium's Summer Discovery Camp is one of the nation's oldest day camps, tracing its roots to the Natural History Camp for Boys, the first natural history summer camp of its kind founded on the shores of Worcester's Lake Quinsigamond in 1885.

"Our three summer camp themes—Gizmos and Gadgets, Animal Keeper Camp, and Adventure Camp are designed to suit kids with interests in all different areas of science. Whether you’re into zoology, natural history, or engineering, our camp is designed as a community where kids can discover together—where friendship is fostered as much as education. As I see it, the only thing more fun than learning more about something you love, is doing it with your new best friend. Science should be fun and science should be shared. It’s my hope that a week or two at camp will set the tone for a whole lifetime of exploration and learning," says camp Director Lisa Levine.

Campers spend Monday through Friday indoors and out, investigating the museum and grounds. Depending on the camp theme, campers may get behind the scenes to learn how to care for zoo animals, engage their inner engineer, explore the museum's Tree Canopy Walkway, or learn tree-climbing skills using ropes and harnesses. EcoTarium counselors start the day by engaging kids in fun, thematic science activities, working by age group. After lunch, kids can create their own camp experience by choosing from a menu of activities, from outdoor games to watching a planetarium show.

Each camp week is divided into five age groups: Tadpoles (5-6), Eagle Eyes (7-8), Explorers (9-10), Investigators (11-12) and Counselors-in-Training (13-14). Each group explores that week's theme with age-appropriate activities and fun.

"The EcoTarium’s mission is 'to contribute to a better world by inspiring a passion for science and nature through discovery.' Our summer camps are designed to do just that, to spark a curiosity about science and the natural world and to start kids on a course of life-long learning. There are so many opportunities in our camps for exploring, building skills, making friends, and opening young minds to new possibilities," says Julieane Frost, Manager of Communications and Marketing at the EcoTarium.

The following camp themes and dates are offered for summer 2013: Animal Keeper Camp: Care & Feeding, July 1 - 5, where Kids learn about the habitats and diets of animals in the wild and then gain hands-on experience by helping to prepare food and maintain the enclosures of live animals at the EcoTarium; Gizmos and Gadgets Camp, July 8-12, July 29 - August 2, where kids learn the variety of ways toys and tools work through hands-on activities EcoTarium Adventure Camp: Tracking & Foraging, July 15 -19, where kids learn how to track animals, fish with a spear (mock only), make maps, forage for useful plants, create effective camouflage, "read" the landscape, hide and "sneak," letterbox for fun, and much more; EcoTarium Adventure Camp: Wilderness Living, July 22 - 26, where Kids create an outdoor home base, while learning camp-making and shelter-building skills; and Animal Keeper Camp: Toys & Training -- August 5 - 9 where kids find out what zookeepers do to make sure the animals in their care are happy and healthy.

Early Bird registration with discounted pricing is open now through April 30; regular registration begins May 1. Registration for camp can be done on the EcoTarium website or by calling the museum at 508-929-2703. The EcoTarium is located at 22 Harrington Way in Worcester.