Earth Camp 2007 for Middle School

Earth Camp for Grades 7-9

June 18-22 & 25-30, 2007

Earth Camp is a partnership between the University of Arizona College of Science and the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum.

Conceived to honor the legacy of Columbia space shuttle astronaut Laurel Clark, the goal of Earth Camp is to educate and inspire youth to build leadership skills through experiential learning and conceptual understanding of earth processes. Earth Camp seeks to expand youth awareness of the interdependency of all living things, and create a sense of wonder related to the Sonoran Desert, ecosystems worldwide, as well as the "awe-inspiring" universal perspective.

Earth Camp 2007 will challenge youth entering grades 7, 8 and 9 to explore water ecology and sustainability issues by interacting with live animals, harvesting saguaro fruit, camping in the desert, on Mt. Lemmon, and on Kitt Peak, coring trees for tree-ring analysis atop Mt. Lemmon, exploring behind-the-scenes at ASDM, looking for water on Mars, scanning the heavens through telescopes, viewing the earth from space, sketching/writing in field journals, recording data and images on individual Earth Camp web pages, and preparing presentations to share with their families during a Learning Celebration at the conclusion of the camp.

A two-week experience ("base camp" at ASDM the first week and University of Arizona the second week) with day-trips and three overnight adventures, Earth Camp will engage youth with hands-on investigations everyday and provide opportunities to explore the museum's mission of living in harmony with the natural world.

Participants are selected by an application process. Applications due postmarked March 15th, 2007; early applications accepted. Space limited to 20 youth. For more information call Amy Orchard at 520-883-3083.

Important Forms:

About the Instructors:

Amy Orchard

Amy Orchard has worked as an environmental educator at ASDM since 2001. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Studies from Prescott College and has 13 years experience educating youth of the desert southwest about its flora and fauna. Amy currently manages the Junior Docent program at ASDM and has taught natural history to youth groups in numerous exciting locations such as Arches National Park, on raft trips down the Colorado River and in the Catalina mountains. Amy has facilitated youth programs such as a six-year course, which included survival skills and overnight backpacking trips. Amy is an experienced whitewater river guide and enjoys knitting, hiking, scuba diving, and hanging out with her family.

Sanlyn Buxner

Sanlyn Buxner is in her third year working with Earth Camp as part of the College of Science at the University of Arizona. Sanlyn is currently a doctoral student at the University of Arizona in the field of Astronomy Education and works for the NASA Mars Odyssey Mission. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado and has 11 years combined experience working for environmental centers, science museums, and university outreach programs. In addition, she has been a formal classroom teacher and runs professional development science workshops for teachers in various outdoor settings including snowshoeing in the Rocky Mountains and canoeing down the Colorado River.