Creation Care Kids' Camp, June 20-23, 2011

Creation Care Camp week three is officially finished. This was our largest group with 21 campers, and like the previous two weeks, we had a great time! It just keeps getting better. Day one had us out on the long Geology hike through the San Marcos Foothills Preserve Park. We worked hard to understand the dynamic nature of how the earth is shaped and continues to be shaped. In addition we had a nice visit with a very friendly California King Snake and had the opportunity to watch several Brush Bunnies and gophers in a restoration area along Atascadero Creek. It was kind of like a zoo… On day two we focused on recycling and composting with a visit from my friend Eric. Kids are all certified recycling cops and will hold you accountable! After that my friend Dr. Mike Caterino of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History again visited us and we went sweeping for insects. The kids really enjoyed being able to tear apart old oak logs in search of larvae and termites. On day three we set out on our native plant walk. After touching, smelling and even tasting a few of the plants along the trial we came back to the farm for a snack and a time with Tima Lotah Link who shared with us how the Chumash of Santa Barbara used the native plants. She brought along several baskets, a bow, and many toys made from plants in our area. She even got us up singing and dancing a couple traditional songs. We finished the day planting pumpkins for a fall harvest party, beans to take home, and working in the field to help the tomatoes with Farmer Emiko. That evening brought campers and families from all three weeks out for some astronomical fun, a night hike, a slide show, and desserts. The Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit were on hand to help us see Saturn, rings and all, as well as share pieces of meteorite and starry tales. The hike felt a bit like a 60 person long Pied Piper serpentine up and around the botany trail. Lots of smiles, and I got to see the night-only blooming native Soap Bulb in full bloom for the first time. For our final day of camp Mark Holmgren once again led us on a bird walk through the San Marcos Foothills Preserve Park. We again got to see out resident pair of White Tailed Kites. Our last stop was with Max the Great Horned Owl and Kachina the American Kestrel presented by the Santa Barbara Audubon Society’s Eyes in the Sky program with Gabriele Drozdowski and Sarah Jane Robertson. It made it extra special in that while we were out hiking this week we found feathers from both birds. They live natively on the property. What a week!

Thank you again to all of our volunteers and helpers. I am overwhelmed that you all would volunteer your time to come out and share with us all. Thank you Mark, Mike, Eric, Tema, Alicia, Gabriele, Chuck, Pat, Paige, Emiko, Wally, Kayla, Makenzie, Megan, Sam, Sarah Jane, and Emma.

Also a very special thanks to Debra Warren who was our intern for the three weeks of camp. She left on Monday to head back home to Michigan. What a difference great help makes! You were a true blessing.

We have plans for a Harvest Festival in October/November as well as other potential afterschool and weekend events for kids, adults and families. Send me an email if you would like to be included on our monthly mailings marty.robertson@arocha.org.

Thanks!

Creation Care Kids' Camp, June 13-16, 2011

Week two of Creation Care Camp is completed. This week we had 14 campers grades 1st to 4th as well as 4 sixth grade camper/helpers. Like last week we started the week off with an epic geology hike. In addition to learning about the dynamic shaping of our earth we saw two ginormous gopher snakes (4-5 feet long each!). We also came upon a gopher that had been dropped from the sky by a hawk who circled above warning us to stay away from his lunch. Day two started off with us learning about sustainable lifestyles and ended with a visit from Dr. Mike Caterino, Curator of Entomology from the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. We netted insects galore and Megan caught a California King snake for all of us to touch. On day three we studied botany. We spent the morning hiking the hillside trail and learning about native plants and their usefulness to the Santa Barbara Chumash. During our snack time Tima once again shared with us several of her Chumash creations made from the plants we saw along our hike. Incredible! Afterwards Farmer Emiko, our interns Wally and Kayla, and volunteer Makenzie helped the kids plant pumpkins for a future harvest party in October (more about this as we get closer to October), as well as beans to take home in Be Green Packaging cups made from compostable bullrush - just stick the cups in the ground and water! And day four we learned about everything bird! We were again blessed to have Mark Holmgren lead us on a bird outing along the Atascadero Creek area of the San Marcos Foothills Preserve Park. We saw and heard Wrentits, Bushtits, Spotted Towhees, Band Tailed Pigeons, White Tailed Kites, Red Shouldered Hawks, and Turkey Vultures to name a few. We then met in one of the classrooms of Santa Barbara Community Church for a visit by Gabriele Drozdowski and Sarah Jane Robertson of Eyes in the Sky. Sarah Jane shared "Kachina" an American Kestrel, and Gabriele shared "Max" the Great Horned Owl. These are rescued raptors. How cool was that? We got to see and listen to these two beautiful birds up close and personal!

Don't forget that on Wednesday, June 22nd, all campers and their families are invited to our Astronomy evening at the farm beginning at 8:00 pm. Please come prepared to look at the planets and stars with the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit, take a night hike, and maybe be visited by some of our nocturnal residents! We'll supply the hot cocoa, coffee and tea. We ask that each family bring a finger food dessert to share - potluck style! The skies should be clear for an evening of great viewing and fun!

We are looking forward to next week's campers beginning on Monday!

Creation Care Kids' Camp, June 6-9, 2011

We have just completed our first week of camp for the summer, and it was great! We had 19 campers ranging in age from 4th to 8th grade. Several were students scholarshipped from Goleta Homework Club and Eastside Querencia Kids' Club. We hiked, we studied, we ate, we planted, we played and we collected scientific data. Day one took us on a Geology hike through the San Marcos Foothills Preserve. Our two mile hike looked at the concepts of geomorphology and the dynamic nature of the Santa Ynez mountain range. Day two caught us studying botany. We started the day hiking a short botanical loop on the Five Loaves site identifying native plants and learning their historic importance to the Chumash. When we came back to our site we were given a real treat when Alicia Cordero and her cousin Tima shared with us several Chumash items that they had made from the very plants we were observing. How cool is that! Afterwards, farmer Emiko had us planting pumpkins and beans. We started day three birding with Mark Holmgren, board member of the San Marcos Foothills Coalition. We saw a pair of young Scrub Jays and a pair of "amorous" White Tailed Kites. We participated in a sort of "trash" in an effort to learn more about how to live sustainable. We then went on an insect sweep around the property. Thursday four found us at Arroyo Burro Beach playing Erosion Explosion and gathering data for a Pacific Mole Crab study for NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries. Alicia ended our day with an amazing snack at the beach of Chumash treats: acorn mash, seaweed, salmon, Chia treats, and fry bread with nectar. Incredible!

Thank you to all of our helpers: Megan, Sam, intern Debra, Sean, and Emma. Thank you also to all the parents who made such incredible and healthy snacks for us this week.

It was a great week and a nice kick-off to our three weeks of camps. I look forward to seeing all the campers at our astronomy night on June 22nd at 8:00. The Astronomical Unit will be there with several telescopes and if the fog cooperates we should have some great views of Saturn. Come prepared for an adventurous night hike/walk along our botanic trail as we look for owls and other night friends.

Creation Care Kids' Camp

A Rocha will again be running its summer Creation Care Kids’ Camps this June. Kids will learn about and experience the wonder of creation as we explore the geology, botany, zoology, ornithology, entomology, astronomy, and maybe a few other ologies to boot! There will be three sessions. Session One (June 6-9) is for kids entering 5th through 8th grades. Sessions Two and Three are for younger kids (entering 1st through 4th grades) and will be held June 13-16 and June 20-23. (Session Three is now full. Please sign your 1st through fourth graders up for session two.) Each day’s program runs from 9:00-12:00 and will be held at the A Rocha field site at 1001 Cieneguitas Road (down by the barn). We have a really fun schedule and there are some additional activities still in the works. It’s going to be fun! Cost is an $80 donation to Santa Barbara A Rocha for the four day camp. We will again be offering a $25 discount to campers who sign up to bring one of our daily snacks. Please contact Marty Robertson (marty.robertson@arocha.org) with any questions or to sign up to bring a snack. We hope to see you at camp.
Please register online at  http://tiny.cc/arochacamp.

Some photos and video of what we have been up to