Summer doesn’t have to create idle minds. Northwest Indiana parents are invited to engage their children in learning while having fun by registering them for participation in either Earth Camp or Camp Water & Me, two enviro-camps run by the Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County and offered through the City of Portage Parks and Recreation Department.
Appropriate for children ages 6 through 12, the enviro-camps help to introduce kids to environmental issues in an enjoyably entertaining way. Both camps will be led by Mr. Abe, the district’s educator, who brings environmental education to thousands of students each year in schools around Porter County.
Fee of $10 per child is required upon registration. Online registration is available on the Recycling and Waste Reduction District’s website, www.ItMeansTheWorld.org. Registration is also available by contacting the City of Portage Parks and Recreation Department, 219-762-1675, or visiting the department at Woodland Park, 2100 Willowcreek Road, Portage.
Camp Water and Me is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Thursday, July 8 through 11, at the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk. Kids will enjoy the beautiful lakefront setting and hands-on activities and games that will teach them about the important role water plays in the environment and human health. Activities will include a journey with Fred the Fish, a beach scavenger hunt, water relay races, sand castle building, water colors and more.
Earth Camp will run from 9 a.m. to noon July 22 through 25 in the Blue Spruce Room at Woodland Park. Children will have a fun-filled week of activities in the park learning the roles that water, trees and worms play in keeping our planet healthy through outdoor, interactive, hands-on experiences. Some activities will include the Recycling Olympics, a microscopic exploration of live worms, nature walks, scavenger hunts, Frisbee golf, creating Edible Landfills, making recycling crafts and a keeping Nature Detective journals.
For more information about these camps, contact Abe Paluch, 219-466-8278 or apaluch@ItMeansTheWorld.org.
The Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County is a government agency dedicated to improving the environment and quality of life for Porter County residents by providing convenient, voluntary waste reduction programs. The district promotes environmental stewardship among individuals and businesses through education programs, waste reduction services and other outreach programs to meet the statutory waste reduction goals set by the State of Indiana.
For more information on the district, visit www.ItMeansTheWorld.org or call 219-465-3694.