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& Bath County youth attend nature camp, scholarships presented
BY: KATHIE SCHWEND, TREASURER; NATURE CAMP COORDINATOR,
Warm Springs Valley
Garden Club
WARM SPRINGS - Last spring, the Warm Springs Garden Club offered two scholarships to sixth-grade children from Bath County. The scholarship was for the full tuition to attend "Nature Camp," a camp that was begun in 1941 by the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. Located in Vesuvius, it was built within a fiveacre special use permit area surrounded by the George Washington National Forest between Mine and McClung Mountains. It was not intended (even though the staff makes the camp really fun) as a recreation camp, but has courses ranging from botany to wildlife management. It is designed for the kind of kid who's always looking under rocks or rolling away logs to see what's underneath.
The 2007 scholarship winners were Laura Haney, daughter of John and Olivia Haney of Millboro, and Grace Sheridan, daughter of Pat and Meg Sheridan, now of Staunton.
The girls attended the fourth session of Nature Camp in July/ August. Laura Haney wrote, "Thank you so much for sponsoring me. I had a great time at Nature Camp. My major was astronomy. I learned that the sun has four layers. I have made a lot of friends." Grace Sheridan wrote, "I learned about how to save the environment. I took great classes and went on awesome hikes. I was so lucky to have this experience and I'll always remember it. Thank you so much."
Each camper chose a major course they concentrated on for the session. They also got to sample the other courses as minor studies. Some of those classes in- cluded invertebrates, geology, entomology, forest ecology, herbatology, omniology (stream life), meteorology, minor disturbances, botany, astronomy, botany, conservation, ecology, herpetology (study of reptiles and amphibians), mycology (study of fungi and mushrooms), ornithology, wilderness survival and nature in literature. Each student had assignments they worked on in their chosen interests. They kept their own special notebook for these assignments. There was also time for socializing and exploring the surroundings.
A scholarship winner from 2006, Liz Halterman, daughter of Steve and Norma Halterman of Millboro, also attended camp in 2007. She wrote this poem to commemorate her experience:
"Meaning What"
By: Liz Halterman
What does Nature Camp mean to me?
It means the rocks and the streams
It means the mountains and the air
It means to give, to share, to care.
To give to those in need
To give life through a seed
To give happiness to someone glum
To give health to those living in a slum.
To share food, water and air To share shoes and outerwear To share all that I really know To share land and room to grow.
To care for the rocks and trees To care for the birds and bees To care for the plants and grass
To care enough to pick up trash.
If nothing else, this is what Camp has taught
Even if I never gave it this much thought.
Once we leave, we are different than before.
By being here, we have all gained so much more.
Nature Camp gives, shares and cares,
Gives us knowledge about the earth and air,
Shares with us the rocks and the trees,
Cares for us when we scrape our knees.
It has shown me what I can do,
It has shown me what others knew,
The more we destroy, the less we take
And the less we care, the more we forsake.
I wish to help life spring anew
I wish to help more than a few
I wish to help the rainforests mend
I wish to help pollution end.
I wish Nature Camp could stay much longer
And teach many who are so much younger.
Wishes are just wishes and few come true
But Nature Camp has shown me what I should do.
The Warm Springs Valley Garden Club has announced this year's scholarship winners. They are Justyn "Jessy" Essex, daughter of Kathleen and Ben Essex, granddaughter of Bill Gram of Hot Springs; and Mikayla Miller, daughter of Cary and April Miller of Millboro. As sixth-graders, Mikayla attends Millboro Elementary and Jessy attends Valley Elementary. They were selected with the help of the science teaching staff at their schools because of their interest in science and ecology.
It is hoped this camp will encourage Bath County youth to explore and continue their love of science and ecology throughout their youth and adulthood. The purpose of this camp is to create a corps of interested and knowledgeable young citizens who will continue
the fight to make the world a better place in which to live.
The Warm Springs Valley Garden Club appreciates this year's scholarship winners' participation.
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