National Wildlife Federation Wildlife Promise – January 09, 2012
By Max Greenberg

Wilderness Therapy Uses Nature to Help People HealMany of us have stories about taking solace in nature’s simple beauty, but few realize just how crucial a lifeline it can be. Take the story of 24-year-old Gwen Miller of Lombard, IL, who suffered traumatic abuse as a child and has since used nature as a refuge and emotional salve. Her goal is to help other survivors of childhood abuse recover through exposure to the outdoors: Miller’s [introduced people to nature] by leading inner-city kids on hikes and backpacking trips, as well as traveling to Washington, D.C., to lobby for legislation that encourages kids to go outside. Miller’s outdoor …   >>> Read More

On this day the 5^th graders from Christel House Academy were hiking trails, looking into the canopy, and chasing crawfish.  This was a school day for these students but they were far from the classroom.  Today they were at Ft. Harrison State Park as part of Camptown’s Eco Camp Day.  The Eco Camp Day and How Wild is Your School? are two of Camptown’s nature education programs that we take to the schools.  During these programs students will learn about habitats, ecosystems, and the impact of trash and recycling on our environment all through hands on interactive activities.

Camptown  participated again in the Hoosier Outdoor Experience September 17th and 18th.  Last year over 18,000 people visited the HOE and this year looked like a record crowd.  This is the third year of HOE and the third year Camptown participated.  Camptown had a family camp set up were participants could practice setting up a tent, play a game of corn hole or ladder ball, observe cooking demonstrations or just share camping stories and get questions answered.