Life Science Adventure Camp
July 29–31, 2005

SHUMLA had its first Life Science Adventure Camp during the last three days of July. This inaugural camp took place along the Devils River and was attended by 14 six^th grade girls from the Comstock, Del Rio, and Eagle Pass school districts, as well as one sixth grade teacher from Eagle Pass. The students were selected by the principals and teachers of their respective schools on the basis of merit and enthusiasm for outdoor education programs.

Women scholars, scientists, and professionals served as the instructors and as role models for these young women. Lisa Evans, Education Specialist from the National Park Service in Del Rio, and Missy Harrington, retired science educator from Comstock were the biologists in residence for the camp. Laurie Clements, Val Verde Medical Center EMS, joined the team as paramedic and role model. McKinney Briske, Pecos River Kids Coordinator for Shumla School, served as the social director for the weekend, leading the girls in various ice-breaker activities and games. Kathleen Burgess acted as Drill Sergeant in charge of confiscating food out of the tents after midnight!

The educational focus of the weekend was how living things are classified, how organisms become adapted to their environment, and ecology. It was a three-day Life Science extravaganza taught through outdoor activities such as fishing, bird watching, and hiking.

Through nature hikes, the campers experienced up-close and personal various types of wildlife, such as rabbits, armadillos and buffalo, including a baby buffalo affectionately known as "Buttercup". They conducted bird identification using binoculars, collected plant and aquatic specimens, fished, and swam for hours in the beautiful clear waters of the Devils River. One of the plants collected – wild oregano – ended up in the spaghettiless spaghetti on Saturday night. It was a big hit.

Insects, plant specimens and specimens of various forms of aquatic life were studied with the aid of stereo dissecting scopes.  One of the most exciting activities was the dissection of a fish. The girls were able to view a beating heart, the visual lobes of the brain, the lens of the eye, spleen, tongue, gills, and the stomach and its contents. Gross, you say? No way! The girls proved to be excellent biologists.

Cloudless nights free of light pollution allowed the campers to study the planets and to behold two beautiful shooting stars. It was hard to go to sleep with such a spectacular light show in place.

Yes, it was the perfect ending to a perfect summer. Thank you Texas Parks and Wildlife Community Outdoor Outreach Program, Brown Foundation, Russell's True Value Hardware, Home Oxygen and Medical Equipment, Whole Earth Provision Company, and H-E-B Community Investment Program for making this program possible. SHUMLA especially wants to thank the land owners along the Devils River for their generous hospitality.

Information
For information about SHUMLA events or to volunteer for programs, contact the education division at education@shumla.org or call office at 432-292-4848.