On the hunt for invertebrates
Camp SunSplash is an environmental education camp held at Fairground Park. They employ teens to run their environmental education programming for campers. Check out what Fatima (a counselor) and Donisha (a camper) have to say about their summer experiences!
Getting up close and personal with a turtle!
"Hello! My name is Fatima Ndon, I am 16 years old and a Junior at Vashon High School. I am also a camp counselor at Camp SunSplash, and we are outside all day, every day with the sun beaming down our backs. So far my experience at the camp has been pretty good, I have built some type of close connection with each camper. By the end of summer, I want to be able to learn more about science. It’s not my strongest suit, but I am willing to do what I can to help prevent any problems and come up with a solution. One problem that I have heard of multiple times this summer has been food access. Not many people have the money to provide for their families and I think others have started to realize that. This summer I have seen many trucks outside on vacant lots or in public parks giving out free food to people who can't afford it. I am hoping that this will keep happening over the next few years!"
Exploring aquatic life with the Missouri Department of Conservation at Cuivre River State Park
"My name is Donisha Dukes. I am 12 years old and I go to Rockwood Valley Middle School. My favorite thing to do this summer was swimming and going on field trips. I attend Camp SunSplash, where we go swimming at Fairground Park and take our field trips by metro. One field trip I will not forget, is when we went to the Botanical Gardens to learn about how we harm our environment with pollution and cutting down trees. I learned about recycling and waste management. I found out how to stop littering and create local farmer’s markets. It would improve world hunger and the world would be a better place. We talked about creating better means of transportation, like riding the bus or bike to cut down our carbon count. I believe if people do those things we could change the world and our water would be cleaner. For the rest of the summer, after camp, I will continue to tell others about recycling and hopefully enjoy long days filled with swimming."
Campers and counselors rollin' down the riverfront!