Online registration for the 2017 summer camp program run by the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation will open Jan. 25, 2017 at 10 a.m.  Applications are to be submitted through the online at http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/29.html.

Now in its 70th year, the summer camp program offers week-long adventures in conservation education for children ages 11 to 17. DEC operates four residential camps for children: Camp Colby in Saranac Lake (Franklin County); Camp DeBruce in Livingston Manor (Sullivan County); Camp Rushford in Caneadea (Allegany County); and Pack Forest in Warrensburg (Warren County).

All four camps offer programs for children aged 11 to 13, while Pack Forest hosts children aged 14 to 17 for six weeks and Camp Rushford offers two weeks of programs for children aged 14 to 17. The complete schedule of camp offerings is available on the summer camp’s website and the online registration program.

Campers participate in a wide variety of outdoor activities including fishing, bird watching, fly-tying, archery, canoeing, hiking, camping, orienteering, and hunter safety education. Campers also learn ecological principles about fields, forests, streams, and ponds through hands-on activities and outdoor exploration. DEC counselors teach youth conservation techniques used by natural resource professionals, such as measuring trees and estimating wildlife populations.

Each week features a different sportsman education program (hunter safety, bow education, or trapper education).  Parents and guardians are encouraged to sign up their children. Space is limited.

All four camps will operate for seven one-week sessions (Sunday to Friday) beginning June 25, 2017, with the exception of Pack Forest, which operates for eight weeks. One week of camp is $350 per child for the 2017 year, and includes meals and trips.
For more information, visit www.dec.ny.gov, call (518) 402-8014, visit “NYS DEC Summer Camps” on Facebook, or write to DEC Camps, 3rd Floor, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233-5256