Camp Fire C. Oregon expands environmental summer program to serve Madras and Warm Springs youth
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A new environmental program for youth, launched early this year, is spreading its wings to Madras this summer, thanks to a partnership between Camp Fire Central Oregon and the Central Oregon Health Council.
The program’s Madras-based session, called “ExplOregon: The Nature Chronicles,” will provide youth entering grades one thru six, with five days of outdoor summer camp July 10-14 at Sahalee Park in Madras. What’s more, the camp has a strong focus on environmental discovery and experiences with nature.
According to James DiRosa, Camp Fire Central Oregon’s outdoor and environmental coordinator, “ExplOregon was born out of Camp Fire’s mission to connect youth to the outdoors, to each other, and to themselves. This program is unique in that we’ll be doing nature-based activities that touch many layers of this mission. And what’s also unique is that it’s being offered for $25 per camper—it’s normally $375 for such a weeklong program. This is because of the financial support offered by our generous partner, Central Oregon Health Council. This camp is for all genders and includes free lunch.”
Also setting this program apart is that staff will include interns who are pursuing environmental studies and leadership. Having these interns working with the youth means kids will get relevant teaching and enrichment experiences, which also benefit the academic and career goals of these interns.
“It’s been really exciting to work with the interns to develop an engaging curriculum and lots of fun activities for this camp,” DiRosa says. “Our campers are going to be busy, gaining new skills and learning about nature in a whole new way—everything from art to exercise, engineering, research, and more. And our interns have so much passion around what they’re doing, so this infuses tons of great expertise and energy around this new program.”
The camp is open to 30 youth, so DiRosa is encouraging families in the Madras/Warm Springs area to sign up their kids as soon as possible to get a spot. Registration and more information can be found at https://campfireco.org/exploregon/.
The ExplOregon program is hosting a second session in La Pine August 14-18, with registration being managed by LaPine Parks and Recreation.
