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N.D. 4-H Camp Offers Something for Everyone

Registration for the 2019 camping season is open.

Youth who attend the North Dakota 4-H Camp this summer will be able to get involved in fun activities such as archery, learning about robotics and rocketry, making garden compost, fishing and improving their livestock handling.

Registration for the 2019 camps is open. Visit https://www.ndsu.edu/4h/camp for the camp schedule and descriptions, and a video about the camps. Contact your local Extension office for more information.

The camp is on 80 acres nestled in the cottonwoods along the Missouri River near Washburn.

North Dakota State University Extension’s Center for 4-H Youth Development offers a variety of camps every summer. They include special-topic camps that have a hands-on educational component, such as Livestock Camp and Hardcore Archery Camp. The Livestock Camp teaches youth to improve their animal care, handling and showing skills. Hardcore Archery Camp is three days of intense archery activities designed to improve shooting skills.

Other camps, such as the Adventure Camps, are packed with a variety of education and fun hands-on activities, such as exploring nature, canoeing, and learning about outdoor science and healthful living.

“These provide youth with a perfect opportunity to try out a new interest,” says Karla Meikle, NDSU Extension’s 4-H youth development agent in Morton County.

Other 4-H camp experiences include fishing, jerky making, caring for small animals, geocaching, outdoor cooking and learning about soils.

“Outdoor Skills, Whopper Club Fish Camp and Survivor Outdoor Recreation are very popular camps,” says Adrian Biewer, an NDSU Extension 4-H youth development specialist. “The Whopper Club Camp is for youth who want a fishing experience to better their understanding of equipment, fish biology and techniques. Survivor Outdoor Recreation Camp teaches teamwork and problem solving, with tribes competing in challenges for the coveted immunity idol and special privileges.”

Youth do not need to be a 4-H member to attend the camps.

The North Dakota 4-H Camp was renovated and expanded recently. The latest addition is the Butler Outpost building, which will be used for shooting sports and livestock activities.

The North Dakota 4-H Camp has been committed to providing a safe environment where youth build new friendships, master new skills, and gain independence and confidence for more than 50 years.

NDSU Extension agents, state specialists and volunteers who are experts in their field staff the camps. They design the camps to provide campers with a solid foundation of knowledge and experience to strengthen their abilities. The camp also has counselors who care for campers, monitor camp chores and conduct the recreational activities.

“All camp staff strive to be mentors and positive role models for the campers,” Meikle says.

In addition to the planned education program, each counselor leads recreational opportunities such as hiking on walking trails, getting dirty in the mud pit, experiencing evening campfires, going down the waterslide, tackling the obstacle course and participating in dances.

The gaga pits also are a popular attraction at the camp. Gaga is a fast-paced, high-energy sport similar to dodge ball.

“We strive to make each child’s camping experience safe, fun, educational and memorable,” Biewer says. “We have campers who return for multiple camps each season, and some have returned for as many as eight years in a row.”

Camps also include a Healthy Camp Challenge in which campers get points for making healthful food choices, having healthful habits and getting exercise. In addition, youth can win the Golden Plunger Award for cabin neatness.

“Our campers become more confident to try new things, and they learn to solve problems, build their confidence and feel better about themselves,” Meikle says. “The camp program teaches them lifelong skills while having fun.”

Check out the camp Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ND4HCAMP to see the fun campers had last year.


NDSU Agriculture Communication - March 6, 2019

Source:Karla Meikle, 701-667-3340, karla.meikle@ndsu.edu
Source:Adrian Biewer, 701-231-6184, adrian.biewer@nsu.edu
Editor:Ellen Crawford, 701-231-5391, ellen.crawford@ndsu.edu
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