Empire Ranch Foundation
Wild About the Grasslands! (WATG!)
2010 Spring and Summer Camps 

What is Wild About the Grasslands! all about?

Wild about the Grasslands!  is the Empire Ranch Foundation’s highly successful ecology and ranching heritage youth outdoor education program. The Empire Ranch Foundation, in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management – Tucson Field Office, provides a Summer Adventure Camp and two Spring Adventure Camps at the historic Empire Ranch in the heart of Las Cienegas National Conservation Area. This unique program aims to educate youth so that as citizens they understand the value of their natural and cultural resources and have the desire and means to practice sustainable stewardship. The goals of the program are to:

1.      Nurture an appreciation of the ecological importance of the Las Cienegas NCA and cultural heritage of Empire Ranch;

2.      Discover and stimulate personal meaning and connection to the outdoor environment through nature-inspired art and outdoor recreation activities;

3.      Promote an understanding of environmental sustainability and stewardship; and

4.      Develop 21^st Century skills in creative and critical thinking, use of technology tools, collaboration, and communication by working with master teachers, field scientists, land managers, and local experts. 

Spring Day Camp I: (Grades 5—8)
March 15 – March 17, 2010 
9:00am – 3:00pm
Through guided hikes and hands-on explorations these campers will discover the importance of the Cienega Creek as a precious resource to the Las Cienegas NCA and the Cienega Watershed. Students will learn first-hand about the importance of this precious water source to support a diversity of plants, wildlife, and its significance to the people who depend on it. They develop observation skills and learn about the natural and cultural history of the area and engage in hands-on activities such as birding, journaling, animal tracking, and water quality sampling. Students will be introduced also to the sport of letterboxing, or the use of a compass, problem solving skills and following clues to hunt for small waterproof  treasures. Students who attend this camp will be well-prepared for our summer camp adventure held in June of a compass, problem solving skills and following clues to hunt for small waterproof  treasures. Students who attend this camp will be well-prepared for our summer camp adventure held in June.

Spring Overnight Camp II: (Grades 6—10)
March 19 & 20, 2010
3:00pm – 1:00pm
This is an advanced adventure camp designed for students who attended our Summer Day Camp or Spring Day Camp I.  These “grasslanders” will learn first-hand about outdoor camping. They will enjoy an evening of activities focused on Dutch oven cooking, wildlife spotting, cowboy music, and viewing the night sky. The next day they will have fun exploring the semi-desert grasslands through geocaching and letterboxing, or the use of maps, compass, and GPS to find hidden treasures. Students will practice responsible outdoor recreation as they participate in a geocaching stewardship monitoring project on the Las Cienegas NCA.        

Summer Day Camp (Grades 6-8) 
June 7 – June 11, 2010
 9:00am – 3:00pm
This week-long, fun-filled adventure camp experience is designed for young teens. Through guided hikes and field study experiences campers discover the forces that shape the unique landscape of the semi-desert grassland and rich ranching heritage at the Empire Ranch that continues today. They develop observation skills, explore the habitats of the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, learn about the story of ranch life in southeastern Arizona, use Global Positioning System (GPS) devices for science and recreation, make new friends, and become inspired to be good stewards of our public lands. These young naturalists engage in hands-on, minds-on activities such as adobe brick-making, macro invertebrate study, birding, geocaching, letterboxing, journaling, and creating nature inspired art. 

The program is a project of the Hands on the Land National Network of Field Classrooms, organized under public lands agencies of the U.S. government.  Click website links below for more information. Empire Ranch is a Hands on the Land member site.
Learn more about us at the Hands on the Land website:
    http://www.handsontheland.org/profiles/profile_details.cfm?sitecode=emra  
Including a site tour photo slide show:  
    http://www.handsontheland.org/tours/tour.cfm?sitecode=emra&title=  
and an article appearing in Nogales International:  
     http://www.nogalesinternational.com/articles/2007/06/27/news/news6.txt 

Where is the program located? 

At historic Empire Ranch Headquarters, located in the heart of the 42,000-acre Las Cienegas National Conservation Area--U.S. Bureau of Land Management .  
Click here for map and driving directions.

What is the fee?  How do I register? 

Spring Day Camp I 
Cost: $85 per person (Early Registration)  
          $95 per person (After February 15th)
Fee includes custom long sleve t-shirt, journal, and expert instruction. Nutritious snacks provided. Bring sack lunch. 

Spring Overnight Camp II
Cost: $60 per person (Early Registration)
          $70 per person (After February 15^th)           
Fee includes: custom long sleeve t-shirt and expert instruction. Dinner, breakfast, and light lunch provided.

Summer Day Camp
Cost: $145 per person (Early Registration)
          $155 person (After May 14^th)
Fee includes: custom t-shirt, embroidered cap, journal, and expert instruction. Nutritious snacks provided. Bring sack lunch. 

Class size is limited, and early registration is encouraged.  Click here for registration form.

Are scholarships available? 

Limited scholarship funds are available. Click here for scholarship application form. 

Donations to support scholarships are welcomed and are tax deductible.  

Who are the camp instructors? 

Our team of professionals is experienced in teaching students with different knowledge, skill levels, and learning abilities. 
GAIL CORKILL, Ed. D. Education Director
NETZIN STEKLIS, M. S. Ecologist & Conservation Educator
PATTY COOPER, M. Ed. Elementary Education Teacher
JEFFREY COOPER, Local Naturalist & Community Steward

The team is supported by numerous volunteers and guest instructors from the Empire Ranch Foundation membership and from nearby communities and educational institutions.

Questions?

Contact Education Director at (888) 364-2829,  or email  admin@empireranchfoundation.org