The Environmental Center

Josh Rhodes, Camp ASCCA’s Director of Environmental Education, and I recently had the pleasure of doing a presentation in Wetumpka for the Elmore County Public School System.

Our mission for the day was to inform teachers in Elmore County of available opportunities for their students to participate in Environmental Education programs at Camp ASCCA. I briefly told them of camp’s history, facilities, and strong backgroud in partnering with organizations to provide outstanding programs to those we serve. Josh then gave an outstanding power point presentation explaining in detail programs such as Living Streams, Project Wild, and the full scope of all programs.

Cindy Cochran, 4th - 8th grade Curriculum Specialist, set up our meeting and is very supportive of science based programs. Also attending were her supervisor, Dr. Andre Harrison, and several teachers in the Elmore County School System. The target group for our presentation was Science Teachers for grades 4-6.

As always, Josh and I are available to travel to schools or organizations to do a program on our Science Camps, the Oscar C. Dunn Rotary Environmental Center, and Environmental Education Programs. We are also available to give on-site tours and show teachers and interested parties our program firsthand.

Bookmark This Post:            

Recently the Camp ASCCA staff participated in an aquatic education training session. This training was provided by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Our two instructors were Doug Darr, pictured below, and Maurice Jackson.

Doug and Maurice taught the staff a variety of instructional games and activities. In the future, our environmental camps will benefit from this educational experience. Doug also taught us a few things about fishing and fish identification that we hope to pass on to our summer campers. While our fishing program has always been fun and relaxing, we hope to add a teaching element in the near future.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources offers a variety of services to the state. Their website is very useful in finding information about hunting, fishing, boating, state parks, and other outdoor adventure opportunities in the state of Alabama. You can also get information about licenses and even apply online or by phone.

The ADCNR has also posted coverage of the day’s activities. Follow this link to see their pictures.

Below is a video interview with Doug. In this brief clip, Doug talks about our day of educational training and what the ADCNR hopes to accomplish. The video is 3:34 in length and is a 5.8 mb download. You can also view photos from the day by clicking the link here or by clicking on Doug’s picture at the top of the page.

Watch Now:

 Doug Darr on Aquatic Ed. [3:34m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1021)

Bookmark This Post:            

On Thursday, January 11, the Camp ASCCA staff went through an aquatic training program. This program was taught by Doug Darr and Maurice Jackson, both with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The goal of this training was to enhance the programs offered by Camp ASCCA by educating the staff about the local aquatic resources.

The camp staff was taught many new programs that we will be able to perform with our campers. These programs ranged from activities that teach the different adaptations of fish, to a presentation on the geograghical regions of Alabama and the unique (often endangered) species found there. One definite outcome of this training will be a more educational fishing program. The camp fishing program has always been a fun recreational experience, but we are looking to improve upon it by teaching our campers more about how to fish, and why we fish.

Alabama is truly a unique state, with more aquatic resources than any other state. From the cold waters in the northern part of the state that are home to trout, to the estuaries of the Gulf Coast, no other state offers the aquatic diversity that is found in Alabama. We want to thank these gentlemen and the ADCNR for sharing their ideas and materials with us.

Bookmark This Post:            

Recently, Camp ASCCA received a donation of video tapes for our environmental program. The Emmy nominated Discovering Alabama series was graciously donated by Phillip Jones.

The Discovering Alabama series was created in 1985 by Dr. Doug Phillips. Acting as both host and producer, Dr. Phillips has an extensive knowledge of Alabama’s natural resources, as well as a personal commitment to conservation and education. With over 60 videos produced, Discovering Alabama provides an educational experience that is locally relevant to almost every student within the state. Adding to their educational value, Discovering Alabama programs are correlated with the State Exit Exam and with the Alabama Courses of Study.

Several of the tapes highlight the many rivers and abundant wildlife that make Alabama both beautiful and unique. We watched one of these videos entitled “Alabama Rivers” which focused on the quality of Alabama’s rivers and the environmental threats they face. This video also contained commentary from Alabama native and world renowned ecologist Dr. E.O. Wilson of Harvard University. These tapes are very informative and we plan to integrate their content into our environmental program.

For more information on the Discovering Alabama series, check out their website at www.discoveringalabama.org. For more information on the Camp ASCCA evironmental program, contact Josh Rhodes at the Camp ASCCA office.

Bookmark This Post:            

The month of October has proven to be very busy for environmental programs at Camp ASCCA. Drake School from Auburn, AL. sent their entire 6th grade class over 5 different day camps, a total of over 400 students. They participated in some of the more popular educational programs such as Living Streams and Map and GPS. The school wanted to equally emphasize team building for their students so group elements, zipline, low ropes, and cargo net were a part of the day.

We also had the opportunity to serve one of our local schools, Radney School from Alexander City. On October 6 they sent over 90 6th grade students for a day camp as a reward for being in the 90th percentile on their Science SAT’s. These outstanding students did many of the same activities as Drake but added a Classroom in the Forest program as well as activities in the new Dunn Rotary Environmental Center.

This coming Friday, October 19, we look forward to serving and educating approximately 70 5th grade students from Dean Road Elementary in Auburn.

Bookmark This Post: