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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The
temperature is rising and afternoon showers have begun. Summer is
almost here and parents can send their children to one of
Florida’s four 4-H Centers for a week of fun and learning.
Youth don’t have to be
4-H members to join the fun, and the possibilities are as endless
as campers’ imaginations. Campers
age 8 to 14 choose marine camp or environmental “ed-venture”
camp. While campers age 10 to 18 can venture to shooting sports
and sport fishing camp.
“We really provide a lot
for youth to learn about and explore at our 4-H Centers,” said
Jerry Culen, a
University of Florida associate professor responsible for 4-H
environmental education and camping programs. “This is a great opportunity for children to enjoy the
outdoors and learn something new.”
Some of the planned
activities include owl prowls, sing-a-longs, field trips,
canoeing, swimming, campfires, games, and more.
Hailing from across the
sunshine state and around the globe, this year’s staff is ready
to have fun and help campers explore nature.
Youth will have a chance to interact with and explore other
cultures while they learn team building and leadership skills.
Separated from the Destin
Beaches by the Choctawhatchee Bay, the Timpoochee 4-H Center will
host two weeks of state 4-H marine camps (July 7-11 and July
21-25). An onsite marine lab equipped with aquariums provides
campers first-hand experience with Florida’s marine environment.
Whether campers choose
Camp Cloverleaf or Camp Ocala, the outdoors come to life during
environmental “ed-venture” weeks (July 7-11 and July 21-25 at
Camp Ocala; Aug. 3-8 at Camp Cloverleaf) as campers venture to
nearby springs and wetland tracts, canoe on lakes, investigate a
nearby tortoise colony, explore an onsite nature center and hiking
trails, and participate in tracking classes.
During shooting sports and
sport fishing camp (July 14-18) at Camp Ocala, the staff devotes a
week to teaching youth life skills through fun, noncompetitive
sport fishing activities and shooting sports skills and safety.
Tracks include archery, angling skills, ethics, aquatic
ecology, tackle crafting, and shooting sports.
In addition to state camps, county 4-H
programs offer residential county camping programs at the 4-H
Centers and local day camp programs.
Contact local county cooperative extension offices for more
information.
The 4-H program is the youth development
program of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service (CES) which
is headquartered in Gainesville within the University of
Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS).
4-H worked with more than 271,000 youth ages 5-18 last year in
Florida and has programs active in all of Florida’s 67 counties
and on five Seminole Tribes reservations in south Florida. The CES
is funded by a partnership between federal, state and county
government agencies.
For more information on 4-H summer education
programs visit the web site at www.florida4h.org.
Or call the state 4-H office at (352) 846-0996 and ask for
camping.
PHOTO AVAILABLE: Canoeing is one of the many
activities campers enjoy during 4-H summer camp programs. jpg
file tif file
State Marine Camps
Ages: 8-14
Dates: July 7-11
Location: Camp Timpoochee
Cost: Up to $235 per camper per week
Environmental Ed-venture
Weeks
Ages: 8-14
Dates: Camp Ocala: July 7-11 and July 21-25, Camp Cloverleaf: Aug.
3-8
Locations: Camp Ocala and Camp Cloverleaf
Cost: Up to $220 per camper per week
Shooting Sports and Sport Fishing Camp
Ages: 10-18
Dates: July 14-18
Location: Camp Ocala
Cost: Up to $210 per camper per week
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