Fostered youths have fun week at Bonanza Creek camp
July 22, 2021
The Bonanza Creek Science Adventure Camp completed its fifth year with 25 campers last week.
The camp is part of the Fostering Science program, which serves youths aged 10-16 in care of the state (in foster care, care of relatives, etc.).
This year's camp was held on UAF's North Campus rather than the usual Bonanza Creek Bluff site, due to restrictions on transporting youths in vans.
Campers canoed on Smith Lake and collected water samples for chemical analysis. They learned about peat bogs and how to identify animal tracks. Artist-in-residence Natalie Ott Schuldt helped them practice nature journaling. They caught insects and spiders, jumped on a "mud trampoline" and "hot-seated" visiting scientists.
On the last day, campers participated in "The Amazing Race." Working in teams, campers put into practice everything they had learned that week, such as distinguishing a boiled egg from an unboiled one (without dropping it), figuring out the age of a piece of stairstep moss, completing a chemical analysis and moving like a snowshoe hare.
Most importantly, campers made lasting connections with instructors and youth experiencing similar challenges. Many campers return annually to the program, which is evolving to better meet their needs. You can find out more about the Fostering Science program and how to support it at the program website.