SPLASH! Critter Camp to Start Aug. 4

BERNARDSVILLE, N.J. – Children of all faiths ages 4-12 are invited to learn about creatures on land, in the air or in water at Splash! Critter Camp, an interfaith week-long camp from Monday, Aug. 4, through Friday, Aug. 8, at St. Bernard’s Church, Bernardsville.  Offering full- and half-day sessions, the camp is co-sponsored by St. Bernard’s, the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge (ISBR) and GreenFaith, an interfaith environmental coalition.

Campers will learn about local “critters” in New Jersey, how to protect and sustain the Earth’s resources, engage in hands-on science and arts projects, listen to guest speakers and interfaith storytelling and eco-music, and participate in active group games and art projects.

Full-day campers will spend an afternoon with a field biologist studying insects and another with the camp staff at the Schiff Nature Preserve in Chester. They will also join ISBR for a Jumma prayer service as part of the interfaith camp experience. All Critter campers will explore watersheds with the Great Swamp Watershed organization and participate in a hands-on critter experience with experts from the N.J. Audubon Society.

Critter Campers will be able to earn the Biodiversity Badge co-sponsored by YUNGA (Youth and United Nations Global Alliance), WAGGGS (World Assoc. Girl Guides and Girl Scouts), The Green Wave, CBD and the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN). Each enrolled family will receive a special four-color book on Biodiversity courtesy of YUNGA.

To earn this badge, campers will:

• Learn about N.J. critters that live in the air or on land or in the water;
• Observe bio-diverse critters through hands-on nature exploration;
• Raise awareness of biodiversity in our waters;
• Learn how biodiversity benefits humankind;
• Become aware of threats to biodiversity; and
• Take action to protect biodiversity.

Among the stories that campers may hear include: “Elijah, the Ravens and the Whirlwind” (airborne animals); “Noah and the Floating Zoo” (aquatic animals); “Tales from Abraham’s Family” (land animals); “All New in the Garden of Eden” (animals worldwide); and “Special Beach Breakfast” (How Kids Can Make a Difference for Animals). 

The Rev. Dr. Skip Vilas, Priest-In-Charge at St. Bernard’s, said, “Helping children learn to be good stewards of the Earth’s wildlife and resources is vital to our sustainable future. This interfaith Splash! Critter Camp for area children is the second in a series of interfaith kids eco-camp initiatives associated with St. Bernard’s commitment to the GreenFaith certification process as a Green Sanctuary.”

            Splash! Critter Camp will run half-day and full-day sessions. Half-day camp will run from 9:30 a.m. to noon (half day @ $50/week); full-day camp runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and includes lunch (halal) and snacks (full day @ $150/week), August 4 to 8.  A special family rate for full-day ($325) and half-day campers ($125) makes the camp affordable for larger families. For those campers who want to bring a friend to camp for a day, the daily half-day camper rate is $15, and for a full-day visitor camp experience it’s $30. Camper scholarships are available.

For more information, see the Splash! Critter Camp web site at www.splashcampnj.com or contact camp director Betsy LaVela via email at splashcampnj@gmail.com or phone at (973) 635-7028; or call St. Bernard’s Church at (908) 766-0602.  St. Bernard’s Church is located at 88 Claremont Road, Bernardsville, N.J., and its web site is:  www.stbernardsnj.org.

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