Teens can now register for the 2013 West Virginia State Conservation Camp which combines outdoor recreation activities with environmental and conservation education.

The camp takes place June 10-15 at Camp Caesar in Webster County. Registration is available to teens between the ages of 14 and 19 by visiting www.wvconservationcamp.com, or by calling West Virginia University Extension Specialist Ben Spong at 304-293-9425. Priority deadline is June 1.

The cost for the camp is $185. Scholarships may be available to those who qualify.

The annual environment-focused experience introduces teens to West Virginia’s natural resources and to the social and economic benefits associated with wisely using and managing the state’s resources.

Campers from across the state participate in a week of interactive workshops, assemblies, outdoor recreation, evening campfires and social events.

Morning class sessions cover topics such as wildlife management, fish management, forest protection, forest products, conservation law enforcement, nature awareness, watershed management and parks and recreation.

During the afternoons, campers choose from among several classes in outdoor recreation activities, such as trap shooting, archery, rowing, outdoor cooking, fishing, rifle marksmanship and rappelling.

Camp instructors are natural resource professionals who, in addition to covering their subject matter, also introduce participants to career opportunities, educational requirements and suggestions for selecting appropriate post-secondary educational institutions for campers’ respective natural resource fields of interest.

Many of the campers attending State Conservation Camp receive a scholarship that covers all or part of the $185 camp fee. Scholarships are provided by garden clubs, conservation districts, hunting or fishing clubs, civic and youth organizations and similar groups.

For those who don’t meet the minimum age requirement for the Camp, Spong suggests looking at camp alternatives, such as the W.Va. Dept. of Environmental Protection’s Junior Conservation Camp at Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Jackson County. Contact Diana Haid at Diana.k.haid@wv.gov for more information.

West Virginia State Conservation Camp is supported by the WVU Extension Service and other local, state, and federal agencies with natural resources management responsibilities.

-WVU-

cw/04/25/13

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CONTACT: Cassie Waugh, WVU Extension Service
Cassie.waugh@mail.wvu.edu; office: 304-293-8735, cell: 304-376-1829