| A
day in the life of an EARTHcamp camper
Thursday July 18 8:45
The staff meets us at the park and ride to carpool to camp. When we get to Windstar,
we spend some time watering our adopted plants and looking for our camouflaged
rocks. At this point only 5 of the rocks have been found!
9:00 Debbie asks
us to sit together in a circle and share a bag of Jolly Ranchers and a pitcher
of water with the rest of the group. The twist to this is that our wrists are
rubber banded together. THIS takes some skill to get the water into the cups and
not onto everyone in the room. Looks like today we'll be talking about working
together. About the interdependence of all living things. She calls it biodiversity.
9:30:
Rehearsal with Jeanie. I know my lines, I know the dances...I think! Did you know
it takes painted wood 15 years to decompose?
10:15 Hiking out to the wetlands
area, bringing along magnifying glasses, plastic tubs...and popcorn? Seems if
you throw popcorn (unsalted, unbuttered and safe for wildlife) into the water,
you'll see how the flow of the water effects how pollution travels. We scoop out
tubs of water along the edge of the pond and are surprised at how many living
things we find….the biodiversity of the area! We spend time making observations
and avoiding mud (or not).
11:30 Hollie sends us out to collect *textures*
from nature. I'm thinking I'll collect some fallen leaves, some gravel and a few
twigs. Someone else has brought what looks like an entire tumbleweed!
11:45
Two teams are given a 50-foot rope with knots tied in it. All we have to do is
untie the knots, but keeping our left hand on the rope at all times. Figuring
out just HOW to do it is not so simple.
| | |
| 12:00
Lunch.
12:30 Dear Children of the Earth. Seems it's Valente's favorite book,
so he gets to show the pictures.
1:00 Rehearsal. Just a quick run through.
1:30 We find pans filled with pieces of stained glass set up under the big
shade tree. The idea is for us to make a symbol of something we've learned at
camp. Pictures of Yoda appear (for peace!) and the earth, birds, cooperative fishermen
(it's a long story!) and tropical islands. The staff will make these into stepping
stones for us. They seem to want to do the quick set concrete AFTER we have gone
home. Not sure why!
1:45 Out to the cottonwood grove. One of the counselors
has set up a trail for us to take, blindfolded! We've been here a lot this week
but all of a sudden it seems very different. The trail is great. It goes around
the trees, under bushes and across the stream (well, some of us have chosen to
go INTO the stream but that's a good idea in this hot weather!). The best advice
is to keep holding onto the rope! Those that finish first can't wait to join the
staff in helping the others through the trail.
2:30 Snack and free time. Most
just head for the big old shade tree.
3:00 Using the *textures* we collected
earlier, we are given big sheets of paper to create a design using the stuff from
nature. Some make forests, oceans, meadows…..all showing how everything has
its place in the ecosystem.
3:45 A few rounds of volleyball.
4:00 Day's
over. I'm exhausted! | | |
