Eco-Warriors Camp: Tuesday

Welcome to Day 2 of Eco-Warriors Camp! In our quest to be Eco-Warriors, we will consider our impact on the environment, repurpose old materials, give back to our environment by potting new plants and use ingredients from our own garden for our Garden Kitchen snacks.

It was a great day for fishing! Although it sometimes feels as though our fish are getting better at snatching our bait and swimming off, we still had quite a few catches.

It was staring to smell like fall in Garden Kitchen this morning! Campers helped Miss Emma make Ginger Apple Compote served with crackers. The kitchen was filled with the warm scents of cinnamon, ginger and apple.

Ginger Apple Compote

  • 2 cups chopped apple
  • 4 Medjool dates (⅓ cup pitted and diced)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅓ to ½ cup of water

Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until apple has broken down and the compote is thick (about 20 minutes). If the compote is too thick to stir, add a tablespoon or two of water at a time. Store compote in an airtight container for up to five days and use on yogurt, pancakes, or oatmeal.

Latkes

  • 2 eggs
  • ½ shallot, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • 2 cups shredded potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes)

Directions: Drain excess water from potatoes. Combine all ingredients. Heat oil in tall-sided skillet over medium high heat, until hot but not smoking. Drop mixture by the spoonful into oil. Flip when the sides of latkes brown (about five minutes). Drain on parchment paper on a wire rack. Serve with plain Greek yogurt, sour cream or applesauce.

Our campers enjoyed Garden Time Yoga this week! After decorating a flower pot and planting seeds of their choosing, they learned a few poses and breathing techniques. This added a little extra relaxation and mindfulness to our day. Thank you to our visiting yoga instructors and garden volunteers!

As Eco-Warriors, we must consider our impact on the environment. In and activity called Fishy Story, our EduLeaders walk campers through common pollution scenarios. Each group starts with a fish tank filled with clean water and a pretend fish. The EduLeader begins to tell a story about the fish, but every so often, a different pollutant is added to the water. As campers listen, they’re responsible for adding the pollutants to the water. They add materials to represent oil, fertilizer, human and animal waste, trash, and more. By the end of the story the water is dark, murky and filled with junk! Campers notice that this is not a healthy environment for animals, nor did they want to drink from it. They were able to sift large items out of the water but had a difficult time separating items that had dissolved into the water. This demonstration helps us understand why prevention of pollution can be better than attempting to clean up after damage has been done.

A few reminders!

  1. Tie dye shirts will be sent home Thursday afternoon. They have dried in the sun but have not been washed yet. We recommend washing alone in cold water.
  2. Campers should come in long pants and closed toe shoes for the field trip on Friday. These are safety precautions from the facilities we are visiting. 
  3. Join us at 3:30pm on Friday for our Closing Celebration! Campers will prepare a song to share with families. We will still have After-Care for those who are enrolled.
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