43
Photo
Neighbors | Jessica Harker .Naturalist Marilyn Williams instructed children on how to complete a color scavenger hunt June 14 for the last day of the Park Pals summer camp.
Photo
Neighbors | Jessica Harker .Park Pals children gathered at the Old Log Cabin at Mill Creek Park June 14 for the last day of their summer camp.
Photo
Neighbors | Jessica Harker .Park Pals children stopped to enjoy the view of Lake Glacier from the walking trail June 14.
Photo
Neighbors | Jessica Harker .Children hiked up to Fellows Riverside Gardens from the Old Log Cabin June 14 during the final day of the Park Pals summer camp.
Photo
Neighbors | Jessica Harker .Park Pals summer camp met in the Old Log Cabin at Mill Creek Park June 14, kicking off the event with coloring.
Photo
Neighbors | Jessica Harker .Children went on a color scavenger hunt at the Fellows Riverside Garden June 14 during the final day of the Park Pals summer camp.
By JESSICA HARKER
Mill Creek Park hosted their annual Park Pals summer camp for 5- and 6-year-olds.
Naturalist Marilyn Williams hosted the week long day camp for 12 children.
“The park has been doing the camps for a long time. It’s a good way to get children out of the house and off of the electronics,” Williams said.
The theme of the week was “Where the Critters Are,” which Williams said focused on different animals and their habitats around the park.
“We have a lot of beautiful sights around the park, and even in a week we don’t have enough time to explore them all,” Williams said.
During the week Williams said that the group visited the Lily Pond, Bears Creek and the Old Log Cabin among others.
She said that each day started with coloring before hiking into nature to explore the different habitats.
“At this age the goal is to expose them to what the park has to offer, and to impart the importance of habitat maintenance,” Williams said.
Children spent the week looking at birds, searching for box turtles and finding salamanders.
“At this age many of the kids are shy at first,” Williams said. “But they get more comfortable as the week goes on.”
She said that along with learning about the park and its inhabitants, an important part of the camp is making friends.
The week ended with a special boat ride on Lake Glacier.
“By the end of the week children don’t want to go home from the park, and the encourage their families to come back throughout the summer,” Williams said.
The park will host a number of other camps for different age groups throughout the summer.
To learn more about these camps, and other upcoming park events, go to www.millcreekmetroparks.org.