Displaying items by tag: Nature camp

Social Benefits 

Just as with a rural forest, an urban forest provides many benefits. Numerous studies have been done about the social 
and psychological benefits of “green” in urban environments. The findings of the studies make a strong case for the 
importance of urban forests. Urban public housing residents who lived in buildings without trees and grass nearby were 
asked about how they cope with major life issues. They reported more procrastination and assessed their issues as more 
severe than residents with green nearby. 
A study done with children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) found that children with ADD were better able to focus 
and concentrate after playing in natural, green settings, than in settings where concrete was predominant. 
Apartment buildings with high levels of greenery have been shown to have approximately half the number of crimes 
than those with little or no greenery. The results proved true for both property crimes and violent crimes. A similar study 
found that residents living in areas without nearby nature reported more aggression and violence than those living with 
nearby green. In addition to these specific studies, access to nature also provides humans with other social benefits. 
Parks and other green spaces provide a space for people to play, walk, jog, birdwatch, or just sit quietly. These activities 
are good for our physical health in a society that is increasingly sedentary. It is also good for our mental health by 
providing a place to unwind. Trees also reduce noise levels. 

Economic Benefits 

The economic benefits of urban forests are increasingly being documented. Economics often becomes the language 
used when it comes to urban forest management. Budgets of municipalities must cover an array of services, and the 
benefits of an urban ecosystem must often be proven to secure funding. In a study that considered the costs and 
benefits of municipal forests in five U.S. cities, the researchers found that for every dollar spent on trees, the benefits 
returned were worth from $1.37 to $3.09. A little math tells us this is clearly a good investment. 
Trees save money through reduced energy costs. Cities create what is referred to as a heat island. The concrete, asphalt, 
buildings, and other surfaces absorb and hold heat from the sun. During hot summer days, cities can be five to nine 
degrees warmer than surrounding areas. Shading, evapotranspiration, and wind speed reduction provided by trees help 
conserve energy in buildings. A study conducted in Minneapolis, Minnesota, showed that trees placed in the proper 
location can reduce total heating and cooling costs by eight percent. 
Homeowners not only reduce costs of heating and cooling their homes, but increase the value of their property by 
planting trees. Research suggests that property value can increase three to seven percent when trees are present. Trees 
also make homes and neighborhoods more desirable places to live. One economic benefit that urban trees can provide, 
but often don’t, is one based on products. Municipalities and tree services across the country have come up with ways 
to use the wood that is cut from an urban forest. Products range from specialty furniture, to musical instruments, to 
lumber for park shelters, to artwork. The income from selling products from the wood of trees being removed could be used to defray the cost associated with the removal, making trees an even better investment. 

Trees and Climate Change

The information about how trees impact climate change is taken from the National Arbor Day website 
http://www.arborday.org/globalwarming/treesHelp.cfm, and the American Forest Foundation website 
www.americanforests.org/resources/climatechange/ 
Deciduous trees, planted on the west, east and south sides, will keep your house cool in the summer and let the sun 
warm your home in the winter, reducing energy use. 
Just three trees, properly placed around a house, can save up to 30% of energy use. 
Trees or shrubs planted to shade air conditioners help cool a building more efficiently, using less electricity. A unit 
operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun. 
Neighborhoods with well-shaded streets can be up to 6–10° F cooler than neighborhoods without street trees, reducing 
the heat-island effect, and reducing energy needs. 
Shaded parking lots keep automobiles cooler, reducing emissions from fuel tanks and engines, and helping reduce the 
heat-island effect in communities. 
Trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary gas causing global climate change. Trees retain the carbon (C) from the 
CO2 molecule and release oxygen (O2) into the atmosphere. The retained carbon makes up half the dry weight of a tree. 
Forests are the world's second largest carbon reservoirs (oceans are the largest). Unlike oceans, however, we can grow 
new forests. One acre of forestland will sequester between 150 - 200 tons of CO2 in its first 40 years. 

• Learn about the rehabilitation of injured, sick and orphaned birds of prey during this live wildlife display. You’re sure to create lasting memories as you and your children interact with these amazing creatures!

• At Base camp, you will have the opportunity to build “nature sculptures” with the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie of the US Forest Service. During this activity, kids will utilize local, natural materials that surround them to create artistic “habitats”.

• This year, the Cook County Forest Preserve will be joined by their very own snake and turtle for an up-close and personal encounter.

• REI will have a presentation on PEAK, a hands-on, interactive program where children are taught to have fun outside while practicing responsible outdoor recreation. Children will also learn the 7 Leave No Trace principles: know before you go; choose the right path; pack your trash; leave what you find; be careful with fire; respect wildlife; and be kind to other visitors. REI will also be handing out some cool goodies as well.

by Swift Nature Camp
On April 22, 1970, 20 million people across America celebrated the first Earth Day. It was a time when cities were buried under their own smog and polluted rivers caught fire. Now Earth Day is celebrated annually around the globe. Through the combined efforts of the U.S. government, grassroots organizations, and citizens like you, what started as a day of national environmental recognition has evolved into a worldwide campaign to protect our global environment.
Since those early days, we have done a pretty good job cleaning up the planet. Yet , there is a staggering divide between children and the outdoors, child advocacy expert Richard Louv directly links the lack of nature in the lives of today’s wired generation-he calls it nature-deficit-to some of terribler childhood trends, such as the rises in attention disorders, obesity, and depression.
His recent book,Last Child in the Woods, has spurred a national dialogue among educators, health professionals, parents, developers and conservationists. It clearly show we and our youth need to spend time in nature.
Schools have tried to use nature in the class room for some time. At Holman School in NJ, Ms. Millar began an environmental project in the school’s courtyard. It has become quite an undertaking–even gaining state recognition. It contains several habitat areas, including a Bird Sanctuary, a Hummingbird/ Butterfly Garden, A Woodland Area with a pond, and a Meadow. My students currently maintain the Bird Sanctuary–filling seed and suet feeders, filling the birdbaths, building birdhouses, even supplying nesting materials! In addition, this spring they will be a major force in the clean up and replanting process. They always have energy and enthusiasm for anything to do with “their garden”.
Despite schools doing their best to get kids in nature , we as a nation have lost the ability to just send our kids out to play. Summer Camps are a great wayto fill this void. A recent study finds that todays parents overprotect their kids. Kids have stopped climbing trees, been told that they can’t play tag or hide-and-seek Not to mention THE STTICK and how it will put out someone’s eye.
Is the Internet and computers to blame for the decline in outdoor play? Maybe, but most experts feel it’s mom and dad. Play England says “Children are not being allowed many of the freedoms that were taken for granted when we were children, They are not enjoying the opportunities to play outside that most people would have thought of as normal when they were growing up.”
According to the Guardian, “Voce argued that it was becoming a ’social norm’ for younger children to be allowed out only when accompanied by an adult. ‘Logistically that is very difficult for parents to manage because of the time pressures on normal family life,’ he said. ‘If you don’t want your children to play out alone and you have not got the time to take them out then they will spend more time on the computer.’
The Play England study quotes a number of play providers who highlight the benefits to children of taking risks. ‘Risk-taking increases the resilience of children,’ said one. ‘It helps them make judgments,’ said another. We as parents want to play it safe and we need to rethink safety vs adventure.
Examples of risky play that should be encouraged include fire-building, den-making, watersports and climbing trees. These are all activities that a Summer camp can provide. At camp children to get outside take risks and play, this while being supervised by responsible young adults.
Swift Nature Camp is a Noncompetitive, Traditional OUTDOOR CAMP in Wisconsin. Our Boys and Girls Ages 6-15. enjoy Nature, Animals & Science along with Traditional camping activities. We places a very strong emphasis on being an ENVIRONMENTAL CAMP where we develop a desire to know more about nature but also on acquiring a deep respect for it. Our educational philosophy is to engage children in meaningful, fun-filled learning through active participation. We focus on their natural curiosity and self-discovery. This is NOT School.
In addition, regarlss of skill level, Swift Nature Camp has activities that allows kids to get better and enjoy. We promoted a nurturing atmosphere that gives each camper the opportunity to participate and have fun, rather than worry about results.
Our adventure trips that take campers out-of-camp on trips, such as biking, canoeing, backpacking. This is a highlight of all campers, they find it exciting to discover new worlds and be comfortable in them. We are so much more than a SCIENCE SUMMER CAMP.
Since the early days of Earth Day We have come a long way in protectin the planet Now its time to let our children play outside. This summer you can help your child appreciation nature by sending them to Swift Nature Camp. Summer Camp sets the foundation for a health life and is remembered for a lifetime by campers.
About the Author:
About the authors: Jeff and Lonnie Lorenz are the directors of Swift Nature Camp, a non-competitive, traditional coed overnight summer camp serving Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Midwest. Boys and Girls Ages 6-15 enjoy nature, animals & science along with traditional camping activities. Swift specializes in programs for the first time camper. To learn more clickAnimal Camps