While most people seek cover from the heat this summer over 120 youth participating in Green Stewards Camp are headed outdoors. Youth ages 7-12 from Communities in Schools and Housing Authority Sites are participating in 3-days of camp each week to learn about Austin watersheds, water quality, recycling, the impact of litter, and green gardening including native plants, beneficial bugs and compost.

Activities are led by Green Teen interns. Interns participated in weekly Green Teens after-school activities during the school year. The interns were selected for their commitment to participating in the weekly activities, their interest in the environment, and for the leadership skills they possess. They have been outstanding role models for our younger campers this summer!

A Peak Inside 3 Days of Green Stewards Camp

DAY 1
The first day begins with a watershed scavenger hunt as we hike down to East Bouldin Creek. At the creek students have identified wildflowers, chased after small frogs, and touched slimey algae to determine if the creek is clean or polluted. The students then set out to cleanup the creek. In our 4th week of camp with two more weeks of camp to go we have already collected 10 bags of trash.

DAY 2
Day two campers learn about the benefits of natural gardening and how it keeps our water clean. They cycle through stations to search and identify beneficial bugs in the garden, harvest tomatoes and peppers for salsa making, turn compost and touch worms to learn about vermi-composting.

DAY 3
The third day of camp we head out to a fieldtrip to Waste Management to learn more about our trash and how it is managed. Each week when students arrive at the landfill they are in awe at how not stinky it is and at how big the pile of trash is.

THANK YOU Waste Management and Applied Materials for hosting Green Stewards Camp fieldtrips and for their commitment to raising awareness about our waste stream and the importance of alternative energy.

Additional thanks to Communities in Schools and HACA for their ongoing commitment to learning about the environment and for their valuable collaboration.