New York Restoration Project’s (NYRP) Summer Camp invites local youth, grades three through six, to become Swindler Cove Junior Naturalists by participating in a free, six-week program of team-building and environmental education activities at our Swindler Cove Park site. The Camp focuses on respect, courage, exploration and stewardship as essential parts of children’s lives and emphasizes the value of a harmonious coexistence with each other and nature.
Thirty neighborhood youngsters work with animals, perform environmental service, grow plants, practice public speaking and design their own interpretive tour of Swindler Cove that they later use to lead other students through the park during the following fall and spring. Camp activities culminate with a three-day, two-night trip to the cabins of Baker Camp on Lake Sebago. For many participants, this is their first overnight camping experience and a truly thrilling, hands-on introduction to hiking, fishing, boating and swimming outside New York City.
NYRP’s first Summer Camp program in 2008 focused on introducing students to the wild side of our urban environment through field studies, observation journaling, art projects and field trips to Orchard Beach in the Bronx and a water taxi tour of New York Harbor. Summer Camp 2009 exposed students to the ultimate outdoor experience, while teaching them about the world of green careers.