Green Adventures Camp 2013
Weekly Themes

Week 1:  All for One & One for All

Kick off the summer by exploring the power of coming together for a cause through fun group challenges and community projects. We will discover how nutrition and attitude impact personal well being and how a healthy you and a healthy group can have a great impact on the environment. Climb, hike, run, and dig in the dirt! The 3 Musketeers were definitely on to something!

Week 2:  Weeds, Wings, and Wind: Pollen on the Move

Bees and butterflies, beetles and bats, wind and even water get it done. Where would we be without pollinators? Join us in the fields, farms, and gardens as we discover the thousands of ways plants get pollen and the ways insects and other creatures help out. Bees are an amazing part of this process, and we will peer into the hives to see what makes them buzz. Note: this is a fun-packed 3 day camp. No camp  July 4^th and 5^th

Week 3:  Power-full Planet

Making things requires energy, and energy comes from so many sources. Sunlight, water, wind, magnets, and even people can make electricity, heat food, and power machines. Explore a dam and the power of water, build and cook with a solar oven, and learn about how to use your own power to create electricity in our wide-ranging energy adventure.

Week 4:  Watershed Moments

Starting at the tiniest creek we wind our way to Lake Erie.  We will dip into fishing holes with our homemade poles and meet the creatures that dwell in the muck. Canoes will take you from bank to bank. Thanks to you, the waterways will be cleaner as our annual beach clean-up at Lake Erie returns this week. (Last year's activities won Green Camp a State Environmental Partnership Award!).

Week 5:  Michigan Rocks!

It may look like a mitten, but it’s made of stone! How did all this rock get here? What did pressure, heat and time have to do with its story? Come along for a wonderful week of collecting rocks and fossils, cutting and polishing your own rocks, and digging into the foundation of our state!

Week 6:  Nature’s Architects   New Theme!

Investigate fantastic structures found in nature: beehives, wasp nests, bird nests, spider webs, ant colonies,  chipmunk tunnels, ant-lion cones and crayfish towers. Animals create structures and homes that people find astounding. Have fun creating your own "nest". We challenge you to see how you can be inspired by all these creatures and be a builder and architect yourself!

Week 7:  Treasures in the Trash

As the saying goes….”Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”
Have fun with the three Rs - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! We spend our lives surrounded by ‘stuff’, but stuff can go keep going around. This week the Green Adventures crew will look into where it all comes from, and, especially, where it goes after we’re done with it. This week includes trips to recycle alley (S. Industrial resale shops) as well as the always-popular ‘Take Apart’ day and our annual trip to the Ann Arbor Materials Recovery Facility.

Week 8:  Incredible Edible Harvest

After working in the Green Camp Gardens all summer (and eating all those yummy fresh snacks!) this week is all about collecting, picking and preparing food. What can you do with tons of tomatoes, herbs and weird looking squashes? What spices do you put in a jar of pickles? How do you get honey out of those tiny honeycombs? Find out as we cook, preserve, visit kitchens, talk to chefs, and, most importantly … enjoy cooking and sharing meals with our summer friends!

“Sophie loved trying new foods fresh off the farm... couldn't wait to tell us about it.”

- Pam Labadie (parent of 1st grader)