Over the past two weeks a lot of fun and science has been going on at the Serene Lakes Science Camp.
While many of the campers have previously spent lots of time in and around Serene Lakes, one goal of this camp was to open their eyes to the incredible nature all around us. This involved making observations up close and from a bird’s eye view.
The focus of Session 1 was terrestrial (land) insects around Serene Lakes. During this week campers zoomed in to learn about the millions of insects living around us. This wasn’t just limited to mosquitos, we also found butterflies, ants, beetles, lacewings, stoneflies, ladybugs, cicadas, and more. Campers came up with their own questions about the habitat preferences, role in the food chain, and color patterns of these insects. On a hike up towards Rowton Peak we looked at how flowers and insects are interdependent on one another and the sheer number of ants that can live in a downed log.
During Session 2, the focus of the camp zoomed way out to encompass the Serene Lakes ecosystem as a whole. We investigated water quality, how some insects can be used to assess the health of the waterway, and how this affects the fish. Campers asked and answered their own questions about water temperature, dissolved oxygen, depth, soil types, and making water filters to remove pollutants. On Tuesday, we explored down Serena Creek comparing a smaller, faster waterway to the larger and warmer lakes above.
Finding time for fun: In between all this science, campers had a great time splashing around the beach, going on scavenger hunts, and playing camp games like werewolf, park ranger, and everybody’s it. At the end of each session, campers gathered around in a group to share with each other their science questions and what they learned by doing experiments to test them.
See all the fun we had for yourself in the Camp Photo album!
Serene Lakes Science Camp 2020
Several of you asked us about our plans for the camp in 2020. Our current plan is to follow the same schedule as this year, Monday – Wednesday the week before and after Serene Lakes Days. Over the next couple months, Headwaters will be working with the SLPOA Board of Directors to finalize these details and will share the camp information with you in late October.
Interested in more science?
Headwaters runs science programs with 6th – 12th grade classes all over Northern California where students get to learn science through conducting their own original scientific research. If your child’s school might be a good fit for this let us know and our planning team can take it from there. Also check out our Girls Only Summer Science Camp that happens the week before Session 1. This camp is open to rising 7th-12th grade students and is staffed entirely by female scientists. This 5 day overnight camp creates a supportive and inspiring environment for girls to realize their potential as amazing scientists.
