Saturday I was invited to attend the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters ‘Get Outdoors- Youth for Conservation’ kids camp. Matt has been a longtime member of the O.F.A.H. and worked for them for several years. He was helping out at a few of the camps so I decided to tag along and get some pictures of all the great things this organization does for not only its members but for children and conservation.
The camp was founded by Robert Pye and his wife Kathy. I got the pleasure of chatting with Robert when he took me and a few of the kids out fishing. He told me of his first date with Kathy and how the idea of the camp came to life on the back of a napkin during their dinner. Years later the camp is the only camp of its kind in Ontario and has grown so popular that its spots are coveted and fill up within the first day of registration.
I got the chance to catch up with the Camp Coordinator, Alesha Caldwell. Alesha has been involved with the camp since she was young. She was one of the camps first campers and she loved the experience so much she has since dedicated her time as a volunteer, then got a position as a summer staff and now has been offered a fulltime position with the O.F.A.H. - even before her graduation from the University of Guelph, which is such an accomplishment! You won't find anyone more organized, safety conscious and dedicated to kids'conservation and leadership experience than her.
The really great thing about the camp is that it is SO hands on. The kids get the ‘traditional’ camp experiences like sleeping in cool cabins, eating in a big mess hall, campfires, swimming and meeting new friends BUT they also get such unique experiences that go above and beyond other camps. They get to try archery with a variety of different bows and targets, they get to learn from the experiences of real conservation officers and try shooting at the .22 range. The kids are taught how to tie their own fishing flies that they get to take home afterwards, and they are able to swap fishing tales as they boat along the lake in hopes of snagging the days biggest catch. I thought the camp was such an inspiration as it is mostly run by volunteers and really teaches the kids so much about the outdoors, conservation and for the older kids it allows them the opportunity to get involved in a really amazing organization.
When I was on the boat with Robert, he was really involved with educating the kids, which was really neat to be a part of. He didn’t just hand them a rod and say ‘cast away’ He spent one on one time with each of them allowing them to choose their own bait, he showed them how to secure it to the hook and the line and then the proper way to hold the rod and cast. I really loved that I got to see him in action with these kids because without his vision, time and perseverance there wouldn’t be a camp that does these incredible things and reaches out to so many.
If you would like more information on the camp, go here:(http://www.getoutdoors.org/)
Or becoming a member of the OFAH, go here: (http://www.ofah.org/)
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