2/12/2007

Register now for summer camp in the Ocala National Forest
CONTACT: Greg Workman (352) 625-2804

Do your children long to spend their summer days in the great outdoors? Would they love the chance to learn about wildlife from experts, and hike and canoe with other children their age?

Then it’s time to sign them up for the Ocala Outdoor Adventure Camp at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Ocala Conservation Center in the Ocala National Forest. Registration for the 2007 summer sessions has already begun.

The summer camp is for boys and girls, ages 9-14, and is based on wildlife conservation, firearm safety and outdoor skills. This year, the camp offers six one-week sessions beginning June 10.

The primary goal of the camp program is to provide children with the necessary skills and knowledge to become better sportsmen, while instilling an awareness of firearm safety, conservation and wildlife stewardship. In addition, campers will fish, canoe, swim, hike and participate in many other outdoor activities.

Tuition is $295 per camper per week and includes lodging, food, program materials and instruction for each session. Each week-long session is divided into three groups based on individual focus: wildlife and conservation, hunting and hunter safety and advanced outdoor skills.

“Campers in the wildlife and conservation group go wild, exploring nature,” said Greg Workman, director of the Ocala Conservation Center. “They learn about wildlife management, and enjoy many camp activities including basic wilderness survival and field first-aid, canoeing, swimming, fishing, hiking, gun safety and other fun hands-on outdoor activities.

For the camper who wants to take the hunter safety course, the hunting and hunter safety group is the way to go.

“This program will teach campers how to be safe and ethical outdoorsmen and women. They’ll learn about wildlife and its habitat and be able to apply what they learn when they go into the woods. In addition, they will have a chance to get their hunter safety certification, which is required by law before they can get their hunting license.

“They will receive firearm and archery safety instruction from certified range safety officers. They’ll also learn wilderness survival and field first-aid training, and do other traditional camp activities such as canoeing, swimming and fishing,” Workman said.

The final program, advanced outdoor skills, is designed for return campers who have received their hunter safety certification.

“This program is for campers who have an avid interest in the outdoors. They’ll get to experience an outdoor adventure, including an overnight primitive camping trip into the forest,” Workman said. “Before leaving base camp, campers prepare for the experience by learning the fundamentals of wilderness survival, orienteering, backpacking and campsite preparation.”

The Ocala Conservation Center is on a 57-acre peninsula, rich in history and wildlife in Marion County in north Central Florida. It is 20 miles east of Ocala, on Lake Eaton, in the heart of the Ocala National Forest. The facilities are rustic, yet comfortable, with air-conditioned cabins and dining hall. Classrooms are fishing piers, shooting ranges, nature trails, Lake Eaton and the vast Ocala National Forest.

For more information or for registration materials for the summer program, call (352) 625-2804 or go to www.OcalaAdventureCamp.com.