It was another great year for the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s Green Mountain Conservation Camps (GMCC), Buck Lake in Woodbury and Edward F. Kehoe in Castleton.

GMCC has been operating for 48 years and runs from mid-June to mid-August.  It is a week-long residential camp for youth ages 12-16 years old that focuses on environmental education and outdoor recreation skills.  Campers are immersed in hands-on natural resources activities taught by trained natural resource instructors as well as agency biologists, foresters, and wardens.  Campers get the opportunity to hike, canoe, go fishing, receive hunter education certification, orienteer, and learn about wildlife and their habitat requirements.

“Camper feedback was incredibly positive again this year,” said Fish & Wildlife’s Education Coordinator Alison Thomas.  “When asked to evaluate their camp experience, campers repeatedly included participating in outdoor activities, learning about natural resources, and meeting new friends as their favorite part of camp.  Comments like these make me confident that the program is providing fun and interesting environmental education and outdoor recreation activities for the campers.”

By the third week at GMCC, the majority of days at both Buck Lake and Kehoe were rainy and stormy.  It was a damp camp start-up, but by the end of the season both camps were battling the heat with temperatures consistently reaching 90°.  Despite the very wet and stormy beginning and hot and humid ending, GMCC staff continued to provide a wonderful experience for the campers.  Constant revisions to the schedule of activities due to weather didn’t cause the GMCC staff to lose sight of GMCC’s goal, to teach kids about Vermont’s natural resources.

2013 GMCC Totals

• Basic Campers = 566
• Advanced Campers = 235
• Hunter Education Certificates = 516
• Trapper and Waterfowl Education Certificates = 129

Registration for the 2014 GMCC program opens in mid-January.  For more information about GMCC, contact fwgmcc@state.vt.us or 802-828-1460.

Image courtesy Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department