archbold biological station’s 2017 ecology summer … · art projects volunteers from the lake...

ARCHBOLD BIOLOGICAL STATION’S

2017 Ecology Summer Camp ReportProduced by the Education Department

Updated 8/10/2017

Archbold Biological Station Ecology Summer Camp 2017

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2017 Summer Camp Report

This report presents an overview of the 2017 Ecology Summer Camp at Archbold Biological

Station. The intention is for readers to gain a sense of how our camp was run and what it

looked like. Environmental Educators planning or comparing their own ecology-themed camps

may find this helpful, as well as any readers interested in knowing how environmental education

is implemented at a biological field station. This report is intended to show the variety of camp

activities, as well as how different types of activities are intermixed throughout the camp.

Appendices, which include registration lists, volunteer hours, and the camp schedules of

activities are available from the Education Department for appropriate Archbold staff, but is not

made available to the public.

Photographs were taken by Archbold’s Education Coordinator Dustin Angell and the

Environmental Education Summer Intern Claudette Conigliaro.

Ecology Summer Camp

This season marked our 25th year running the Archbold Ecology Summer Camp. Our ninety-five

campers, aged 7-12, learned about local ecology, visited habitats at the Station and Ranch, and

met Archbold researchers. The Education Coordinator, Dustin Angell, along with an

undergraduate intern and 36 volunteers, ran five week-long day camps for the public, with an

addition two custom two-day camps for the families of Costa Farms employees. Each year the

camp is organized around a theme. Recent themes include: “Moths” 2009, “Finding Your Way”

2010, “Birds” 2011, “Mini Beasties” 2012, “Animal Senses” 2013, “Animal Defenses” 2014,

“Prescribed Fire” 2015, “Birds” 2016, and now “Citizen Science” in 2017.

Archbold Biological Station

Archbold Biological Station in Venus, FL is an independent non-profit biological research facility

founded in 1941 by Richard Archbold. The Station conducts and promotes long-term ecological

research and conservation, and has a strong commitment to education. The mission of Archbold

is to build and share the scientific knowledge needed to protect the life, lands, and waters of the

heart of Florida and beyond. For more information, please visit our website at www.archbold-

station.org.

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http://www.archbold-station.org/

Content Page

Microscopes 44-46

Live Snake Time 47-50

Catching Antlions 51-52

Bioblitz/iNaturalist 53-55

Seasonal Pond Exploration 56-59

Ranch Buggy Tour 60-63

Family Science Night 64

Games 65-66

Avian Ecology Program Visit 67-69

Plant & Restoration Ecology

Programs Visit

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Invertebrate Ecology Visit 73-75

Lake Annie 76-79

Morning Talks 80

Letter Writing 81

Camp Shirts 82

New Features and Surveys 83-93

Table of Contents

Content Page

Cover 1

Report Overview 2

Table of Contents 3

Camp Flyer 4

Education Coordinator 5-7

Camp Intern 8-11

Interns 12

Volunteers 13-14

Team Leaders 15-18

Campers 19-23

Sponsorships 24

Costa Farms 25

Camp Teams 26

Art Activity 27-29

Movie Time 30

Exploring Nature 31-34

The UnNature Trail 35-36

Guba the Gopher Tortoise 37

Science Notebooks 38-39

Bark Beetle Traps 40-43


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Camp flyer


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Education Coordinator – Dustin AngellThis was Dustin’s fifth time running Archbold’s Ecology Summer Camp. Dustin

organized and led the summer camp. His responsibilities included: promotion,

registration, overseeing an internship, volunteer training, program design,

collaborating with research programs, purchasing supplies, transportation, first aid,

t-shirt design, and photography.


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Summer Camp Intern – Claudette ConigliaroAssisting the Education Coordinator in running camp was Claudette Conigliaro,

the 2017 Environmental Education Summer Intern. Claudette, a student at SUNY

Cobleskill, a state university in New York, would begin her senior year in the fall as

a major in Wildlife Management. As part of her internship, Claudette also created

evaluation questions for the campers, a survey for the team leaders, and delivered

a seminar for Archbold staff.


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Research Staff & InternsOne of the most important aspects of summer camp was the involvement of

Archbold’s research programs. Research interns and some research staff visited

our campers with presentations, lab tours, and science games. Each participating

research program, with light guidance from the Education Coordinator, developed

their own activities. Campers were also able to interview the scientists about

college and science careers.


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Camp Volunteers and Art VolunteersAdult volunteers were an essential part of our summer camp. Our volunteers

helped with most aspects of camp, especially helping with camper safety,

transportation, and camp morale. For the sixth year in a row, we welcomed

volunteers from the Lake Placid Art League to help with Wednesday art activities.

This summer our 8 art volunteers and 6 adult camp volunteers donated a total of

381 hours toward camp.


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Team LeadersTeenagers, looking for leadership and volunteer experience, each donated a week

of their summer vacations to become Archbold’s Team Leaders. These teens acted

as positive role models for campers and helped lead camper teams during

activities. Team Leaders arrived early each day to greet campers and set up

activities, and stayed late to help clean up. This summer we had 22 Team Leaders

with a total of 868 teen volunteer hours. Together, adult and teen

volunteers contributed 1,249 hours toward camp.


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CampersThis summer we ran six camp sessions; five week-long day camps for the public

and two two-day private camp for Costa Farms. Overall, we had 95 campers and a

total of 406 user camper user days. Session sizes ranged from 11-18 campers.

2017 Camper Stats Actual Percent

Campers 95 100%

Sponsorships 29 31%

Male 58 61%

Female 37 39%

Returnees 54 57%

Recurring Returnees 32 34%


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Session 2 (10-12 year olds)


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Session 6: Costa (7-12 year olds)


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Session 7: Costa (7-12 year olds)


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Sponsorships & DonationsEach year donations from individuals and groups throughout Highlands County and

beyond make it possible for children from low-income families to attend camp.

Families qualifying for sponsorships have their entire registration fee waived. This

summer we offered sponsorships to all who applied. We sponsored 29 campers (6

general public/23 Costa campers). In past years, sponsored campers have gone on

to become camp’s future Team Leaders, science majors in college, and even

Archbold interns.

Thank you!


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Costa Farms (formerly Delray Plants)This summer Archbold partnered for the third year with a local business to create a

camp for the children of their workers. When we started this custom program in

2015, it represented a new model for our programming, which we have since tried

to institutionalize. Costa Farms is a local nursery employing almost 300 Hispanic

workers. Their staff helped us recruit campers from among the families of their

workers. They even translated parent letters and liability forms into Spanish. This

camp is different from out public camps in several ways. These included: shifting to

two-day camps with extended hours for easier pickup; providing breakfast, lunch, and

heathier snacks; keeping seven to twelve year olds together instead of separating

them; eliminating the night program due to transportation issues; providing a Spanish

translator during camp pickup; and adding a family pizza party. Thanks to the

generous donations of Robert and Donna Lloyd George and Costa Farms, we were

able to provide this program at no cost to the families. The Education Department

hopes to continue this partnership next summer.

Screenshot from costafarms.com


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Camp Teams and Ice BreakersOn the first day of each camp session, the kids were grouped into self-selected

teams of 3-5 campers. Each team chose their own team name and had a Team

Leader to help them. Campers also played ice breaker games. This year our ice

breakers included The Wind Blows Over and The Skittles Game.


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Art ProjectsVolunteers from the Lake Placid Art League visited sessions 1-5 to assist the

Education Coordinator in running an hour long art project. This summer the

campers worked in groups to create mixed-media collages based on the work of

Everglades photographer Mac Stone. Dustin got the idea from a SEEA conference.


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Video Time The Florida summer heat and humidity can be hard on staff, volunteers, and

campers. We tried to schedule most of our outdoor activities during the cooler

mornings, and utilized shade and air conditioning in the afternoons. The last part

of the day was sometimes spent relaxing and watching videos. This summer we

watched the films Moana and Zootopia.


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Exploring Nature Exploring Archbold’s nature trails was an important part of camp. While all camp

activities are structured, campers were sometimes given minimally structured

exploration time. These times allowed students to go at their own pace, make their

own discoveries, and be surprised by what they found. Even when outdoors for a

specific activity, campers were encouraged to stop for interesting animal and plant

sightings.


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The UnNature TrailThe UnNature Trail scavenger hunt is an Archbold camp tradition. Campers walked

quietly along a short nature trail while searching for artificial objects placed on the

trail beforehand. After finishing the hunt, campers shared and compared how many

objects they spotted. The UnNature Trail was used on the first day of camp to

introduce the campers to the Florida scrub habitat and motivate them to practice

observation skills. Top winners could choose a prize from our prize containers.

Campers were excited about the choice of edible crickets as one of the prizes.


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Guba the Gopher TortoiseGuba the Gopher Tortoise was used to encourage the campers’ observation skills.

On certain days the stuffed animal puppet was hidden along our path and campers

tried to find him as we hiked. Some campers were very motivated to find Guba

and others just wanted to carry him around with them for the week. One camper

liked Guba so much last year, that he found the same puppet online and ordered it.


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Science NotebooksEach camper received their own science notebook. Some pages contained

worksheets needed for camp activities, but most pages were blank and could be

used as the campers wanted. Some campers quickly invested time and care into

their notebooks, while others weren’t as interested. At the end of the session,

campers could bring their notebooks home.


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Bark Beetle TrapsCampers participated in a beetle trapping activity as part of a citizen science

project from the University of Florida called Backyard Bark Beetles. In order to

catch bark and ambrosia beetles to help UF map species distribution, campers

setup simple traps made out of 2-liter bottles, string, and hand sanitizer. The

project’s website provided instructions and a PowerPoint presentation to show the

campers. This was a popular activity with the campers. All the campers caught

beetles and were able to look at them with microscopes.


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MicroscopesAfter campers collected insects from their bark beetle traps, they were able to use

dissecting microscopes to observe them. With volunteer and staff supervision,

campers were able to learn how to use the microscope as well as attempt to

identify and differentiate the different kinds of insects they caught.


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Meeting a Live SnakeThe Education Department’s live snakes have long been summer camp favorites.

While meeting and handling Poser, a Florida Pine Snake, campers learned about

Florida snake species and the problems facing them. Campers were also

encouraged to appreciate snakes and understand their roles in Florida ecosystems.


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Catching AntlionsEach team caught antlion larvae to keep for the week in plastic cages. The campers

observed the antlions build funnel traps and even capture prey. Campers were

responsible for gathering ants each day to feed their antlions.


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BioBlitz/iNaturalistiNaturalist is a mobile app, online platform, and citizen science project where users

can share nature observations. Campers used the app to add observations to a

project setup by Dustin, called “Archbold Camp Bioblitz 2017.” Campers, volunteers,

and camp staff used Education Department tablets as well as personal mobile

devices to add to the project throughout the summer. When the bioblitz ended,

campers had made a total of 194 observations in which 62 species were identified.


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Seasonal Pond ExplorationArchbold Biological Station has over 350 seasonal ponds. Campers learned about

seasonal ponds from a Bill Nye video and then hiked to one of Archbold’s ponds.

Campers explored the pond using plastic containers and their hands, and were

able to catch tadpoles, spiders, fish, and insect larvae. Some of their finds were

brought back to the Learning Center for observing during the rest of the session.



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Ranch Buggy TourEvery Thursday, our campers were treated to a 3 hour buggy tour at the MacArthur

Agro-Ecology Research Center, also known as Buck Island Ranch. Campers learned

about conservation on private ranchlands, saw wildlife, and met Ranch ecologists.

This summer, campers were able to help pull up fish traps set in ditches and observe

previously caught fish in an aquarium back up by the office. Unfortunately, we were

caught in two rainstorms and had our buggy break down during two sessions.


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Family Science NightEvery Thursday evening the campers and their families were invited to an evening

program. The program included a photo slideshow and, depending on weather,

either a night hike or Archbold trivia game. Usually, thunder storms keep us from

doing night hikes during some of the sessions, but this summer we were able to do

night hikes during all five public sessions. The Costa Camp schedule does not have

a Family Science Night.


Image source: NASA

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Just For Fun GamesSometimes the campers needed a chance to let loose. Our daily schedule was

always fluid and playing games was a great way to fill extra time between activities

or cool off from the summer heat. The campers loved the games and asked to play

them every day. This summer we played Nest Robbers, The Tail Game, and Bird on a

Perch.


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Avian Ecology Research Program VisitInterns from the Avian Ecology Research Program visited the campers and taught

them about Florida Scrub-Jay acorn caching, foraging, and cooperation. Campers

played a foraging game where they competed as family groups to collect food for

themselves and a nestling. During the second round they had to forage with a

sentinel on watch, while an intern pretended to be a predator. The campers also

practiced their memory in a caching game involving hiding Starburst candies under

plastic cups. After the games, the campers asked the interns questions and

discussed what they had just learned.


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Plant & Restoration Ecology Research Program VisitInterns from the Plant and Restoration Ecology Research Programs visited the

campers at the Learning Center to teach them about xylem, phloem and

photosynthesis. Campers played team games where they competed in passing

water (ping-pong balls) from their roots, through their xylem, and to their leaves. In

another round they brought sugar from the leaves, down through the phloem, and

to the roots. After the game, campers were able to discuss the activity and ask the

interns personal questions about their careers.


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Invertebrate Ecology Research Program VisitInterns and staff from the Invertebrate Ecology Research Program gave campers a

look at Archbold’s insect collection and organized a pollination ecology relay race.

During some sessions, campers even met Dr. Mark Deyrup. After seeing the

collection, campers played a pollination game where they were the honey bees,

running around to fill up their hives. The relay race, which involved water balloons,

was a big hit with the campers.


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Lake AnnieFriday morning at Lake Annie was by far the campers’ favorite part of camp. This

lake visit was a chance for the campers, volunteers, and staff to relax and have fun

together. Watermelon polo, catching fish with hands and strainers, and taking

group photos were all part of the lake excursion.


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Morning TalksEach morning, camp started with 15-30 minutes of introductions for the day.

Claudette led campers in a discussion of the previous days activities, while Dustin

prepared them for what to expect that day, sometimes with a video. It was also

during this time that Claudette asked the campers survey questions.


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Letter WritingOn the last day of camp, we reviewed the week’s activities and then the campers

wrote letters to themselves. This activity offered campers some quiet time to

reflect on what they learned, enjoyed, and wanted to remember.


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Camp ShirtsEach year a new t-shirt is designed for camp. All the campers, volunteers, and staff

involved with camp receive a shirt. Some campers and volunteers take pride in

their collection of summer camp shirts and wear different ones throughout the

week. This summer, the shirts featured a Florida Panther drawn by Education

Coordinator Dustin Angell.


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New Camp Features and SurveysThis summer was notable for adding some new features to camp and improving

our camp evaluation methods. These new features included: signing up for Highland

County’s free summer lunch program, using electronic tablets and mobile apps,

participating in two citizen science projects, and partnering with the Florida Youth

Conservation Centers Network. Evaluation shifted from pre and post camp

surveys, which focused on content knowledge, attitude, and behavior, to a mix of

other methods. These methods included: asking the campers daily questions about

activity participation and pre-camp science exposure, surveying the teenage

volunteers to learn about their perspective on camp, and analyzing the camp

schedule to measure time spent on metrics like being indoors/outdoors,

active/inactive, or exposure to Archbold researchers.


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New Features

Food Program: This was our first time participating in the free summer meal program

offered by the Highlands County School District. For Archbold to become eligible,

Dustin attended training from the District and was responsible for making sure the

Station met the program’s requirements. Dustin picked up the meals every morning

from Fred Wild Elementary and handled all related paperwork. The District supplied

camp with lunch and an afternoon snack every day. The meals met with mixed reviews

from the campers, but were overall received unfavorably. Only about half the campers

ate the school meals, which created a lot of food waste, as it was required that extra

meals were disposed of. As the season progressed, Dustin became better at predicting

how many meals to order, but there was still waste. The Department will consider

whether to participate again next year.

Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network: The Florida Fish and Wildlife

Conservation Commission runs a free resource lending program for nature centers

called the Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network (FYCCN). Archbold joined in

order to borrow supplies for summer camp. The Southwest Regional Contact, Jake

RitzRoy worked with Dustin to find the appropriate resources. During camp we used

FYCCN’s pond field guides and gave away fish posters and animal bookmarks. Dustin

learned about FYCCN from a LEEF conference.

Costa Farms: The Costa Farms camp is not a new feature, in that it is a continuation

of our partnership started with Delray Farms in 2013, but it is a new relationship. When

Costa Farms purchased Delray Farms earlier in the year, we weren’t certain that the

camp would continue. Archbold wanted to institutionalize the program into our yearly

schedule, and though we had steady funding and two successful summers, we weren’t

sure what the new ownership would mean. Fortunately, Costa Farms decided to

continue with the camp, contribute to its funding, and work to improve attendance. With

their support, we served 23 children during two camp sessions, a significant increase

over the 13 campers and one session from the previous year.


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New Features

Citizen Science and Mobile Apps

Backyard Bark Beetle Project (http://backyardbarkbeetles.org/): Campers

participated in a beetle trapping activity as part of a citizen science project from the

University of Florida called Backyard Bark Beetles. In order to catch bark and ambrosia

beetles to help UF map species distribution, campers setup simple traps made out of 2-

liter bottles, string, and hand sanitizer. The project’s website provided instructions and a

PowerPoint presentation to show the campers. This was a popular activity with the

campers. All the campers caught beetles and were able to look at them with

microscopes. This activity also tied into the zylem and phloem activity run by research

interns from the Plant Ecology Program. Dustin learned about the beetle project from a

LEEF conference.

iNaturalist: iNaturalist is a mobile app and online platform where users can share

nature observations. It is a citizen science project similar to ebird. The website has

several major features, including user-generated field guides, projects, and distribution

maps. Users also help each other identify the species they are observing. Campers used

the app to add observations to a project setup by Dustin, called “Archbold Camp

Bioblitz 2017.” Campers, volunteers, and camp staff used Education Department tablets

as well as personal mobile devices to add to the project throughout the summer. Though

volunteers and staff were sometimes operating the devices, the campers were expected

to direct them as to what to photograph. When the bioblitz ended, campers had made a

total of 194 observations of which 62 species were identified.

Merlin: Merlin is a mobile app for bird identification from the Cornell Lab of

Ornithology. Merlin was installed on the Archbold tablets and used at the Ranch during

the campers’ buggy tour. The app was popular among the campers, who enjoyed looking

up the birds we were seeing and listening to their calls and songs. The campers obviously

preferred the Merlin app to the traditional field guides we’ve used during previous camp

seasons.


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http://backyardbarkbeetles.org/


Tablets and Mobile Apps: The proper role of technology in environmental and

outdoor education, specifically the use of mobile devices, is an open debate among

educators. Archbold is interested in better integrating technology into our outreach

programs and in following national educational trends like including aspects of

gamification and supporting students as content creators. We considered the possibilities

that the technology could become a barrier to authentic nature experiences and a

distraction from camp. We also recognized the potential for parents to feel pressure

about needing to have mobile devices for their children and for campers to be

embarrassed or jealous if they didn’t have their own. To address these issues, we were

considerate in how we discussed technology and how we used the apps. We purchased

four electronic tables for the campers and allowed campers, volunteers, and staff to use

their own devices. Throughout the camp season, the staff tried different ways of

introducing and running the app activities, responding to the needs of the campers and

what methods were working.

Based on experience from this first year using mobile devices, we recommend only using

Station owned tablets in future years. Here is some additional feedback and

recommendations for future use:

Problems with using personal devices:

• Too distracting. Some campers tried to play games with them.

• Less oversight by staff, so campers mistakenly used iNaturalist incorrectly.

• Noncompliance with rules for minors. iNaturalist requires users to be adults or use

an adult’s user profile. At least one camper made her own username, before being

corrected by Dustin.

• Varying expectations about sharing personal property. Campers didn’t seem jealous

or upset about other campers having personal devices, but they expected to use

them.

• Confusion due to operating system. Campers had slightly different versions of the

iNaturalist app depending on whether they had Apple or android devices.

Advantage of using Tablets

• Standard operating system on all devices.

• Archbold owns the devices, so there is no potential for personal property damage

• All the campers can have a turn using them.

• Durable and brightly colored easy to find cases can be used.

• Easy for staff to monitor and update.

• Larger screen makes apps easier to use.


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iNaturalist Application

• Worked best when tablets were handed out before camp started, instead of waiting

for the specific iNaturalist activity.

• Similar to collection jars and terrariums, tablets could be another resource campers

can have access to throughout the camp.

• iNaturalist requires supervision for misuse and mistakes.

• Campers loved using the app, but weren’t very interested in the bioblitz aspect.

• If used again, perhaps the bioblitz should be left out, or responsibility for adding

observations to project should be with camp staff after camp hours.

• Bioblitz would maybe work better if done as a competition.

• Tablets should be permanently labeled to keep better track of them during camp.

• To prevent unequal time with the tablets, campers should be encouraged to pass the

tablet after making two iNaturalist observations

• An iNaturalist practice session should be added to the camp volunteer training


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Camper Surveys

Camper Surveys: For the first time, we tried integrating evaluation questions into the

daily camp schedule. Instead of a pre and post survey asking questions about knowledge

content, attitude, and behavior, we focused on experience. The questions were designed

to either give feedback on activities or to get an idea of what the campers’ previous

involvements with science and nature had been. With this information, we could gauge

how their participation in camp added to their experience. It is important to note that,

due to our high percentage of returning campers (57%), they students already came with

more exposure to science than most children in Florida.

Camper Experience Before Camp At Camp Difference

Met an avian ecologist 85% 100% +15%

Met a plant ecologist 75% 100% +25%

Met an entomologist 85% 100% +15%

Touched a snake 95% 95% =

Held a snake 92% 88% -4%

Been in a seasonal pond 80% 91% +2%

Been to a cattle ranch 80% 100% +20%

Heard about citizen science 9% 100% +91%

Participated in a citizen science

project

3% 100% +97%

Used a dissecting microscope 50% 100% +50%

Used the iNaturalist app 0% 89% +89%

Caught an antlion NA 89% NA

Saw an antlion up close NA 100% NA

Percent of campers who found at

least 5/10 items on the UnNature

Trail

NA 98% NA

Data for analysis came from 59 campers who participated surveys. While sitting in groups,

campers answered questions posed by Claudette by raising their hands.


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Team Leader Surveys

Team Leader Surveys: This summer we surveyed our teenage volunteers, called Team

Leaders, to learn their thoughts on topics like volunteer training, their biggest challenges,

and their feelings on the activities. To survey them, we emailed an optional and

anonymous online survey. Of 22 teen volunteers, only 11 responded, but their answers

provided a new perspective on how camp is designed and run.

Team Leader Statements %

Were campers before becoming volunteers 64%

Wasn’t their first time volunteering at camp 55%

Would volunteer again 100%

Came to volunteer training 55%

Agree iNaturalist should be used next year 82%

Agree that campers should not be allowed to use their personal electronic

devices

73%

Considering a career in STEM 73%

Agree training should be in person instead of online* 82%

*When asked about the optimal length of training time, the average time was 1 ¾ hours.

Other Responses from Team Leaders

Teens favored:

• Socializing and meeting new people

• Seasonal pond

Teens learned the most about science from:

• Meeting and talking with the scientists

Teens most important lesson learned at camp:

• Patience

• Other Notable Responses

• Nature shouldn’t be interfered with

• Be helpful

• All kids are different with different levels of attention

• Being able to act as a role model

According to the teens, campers seemed to favor:

• Lake Annie

• Seasonal Pond


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Teens most challenging part of being a Team Leader:

• Classroom Management

• Some other notable answers

• Some kids just would not mix with each other yet they would always

hang around one another and cause a lot of unnecessary trouble.

• The most challenging part of being a Team Leader was being actively

involved in any games or activities while still watching over the kids.

Teens advice to future Team Leaders:

• Lead by example (2 responses)

• Make it as fun and as laid back for the campers as possible, and let kids do what they

want until it becomes unsafe

• Don’t act childish in front of the kids

• Sunscreen

• Treat the campers as friends and Mr. Dustin is always available for advice

• Bring a towel to the seasonal pond

• Be prepared and be nice

• Be excited about activities the kids do and get involved with them, because they look

up to you and will often mirror your reactions to things

• It’s ok to have fun, you just need to make sure you are still doing your job as a

counselor

• Be patient

Teens advice on what they would change about camp:

• Aside from two respondents that said they wouldn’t change anything, the other

responses were all different and didn’t fall into any categories.

• Some notable answers:

• Have some more interesting things on Monday.

• Spend more time outside.

• Make camp two weeks per session.

• Change the food at mealtime.

Teens rated their own performance as Team Leaders. They ranked themselves highest in

their demonstration of respect for camp staff and support for Archbold’s mission. They

ranked themselves lowest in their demonstration of interest in camp and science.


Camp Schedule Analytics

Time Spent Indoors and Outdoors: Perhaps the most important part of camp is

fostering authentic outdoor experiences. Due to heat, humidity, rain, and lightning, it

would be unsafe for our campers to be outside all the time, but we were able to spend

over half our time outside. Partly this was due to the Learning Center’s Prairie Porch,

an outdoor space with shade and a roof. Our campers spend almost 14 hours each

session outdoors, much longer than during their average school weeks.


Indoors

43%Outdoors

57%

Percent of Time Spent Indoors and Outdoors

13.75 Hours Indoors

18.25 Hours Outdoors

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Time Spent Active and Inactive: Physical movement is beneficial for children’s health

and ability to learn. Our campers spent almost 14 hours a session being active, much

longer than during their average school week.


13.75 Hours Active

18.25 Hours Inactive

Active

43%

Inactive

57%

Percent of Time Spent Active and Inactive

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Activities: Once categorized, the camp’s activities reveal the general pattern of how

the program is designed. The largest amount of time is spent exploring nature through

hikes, science activities, and meeting a live snake. The other large block of time is spent

at meals, including two snacks and a lunch.


32%

16%12%

8%

9%

8%

7%

5% 3%

Percent of Time Spent in Different Activity Types

Exploring Nature Meals

Presentation Meeting Scientists

Other Swimming

Cooldown Games

Art

Activity TypeTotal

Minutes% of Total

Time

Exploring Nature 615 32%

Meals 315 16%

Presentation 225 12%

Meeting Scientist 165 9%

Other 165 9%

Swimming 150 8%

Cooldown 135 7%

Games 90 5%

Art 60 3%

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123 Main Drive

Venus, FL 33960

(863)465-2571

www.archbold-station.org

www.facebook.com/ArchboldBiologicalStation

www.facebook.com/scrubedu

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archbold biological station’s 2017 ecology summer … · art projects volunteers from the lake...

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