For four weeks this summer, the North Country Animal League hosted a summer camp for young animal lovers.
It was the first time in more than 10 years that the camp was in session. The camps are led by Lusana Masrur, NCAL’s humane education and communications manager, and supervised by the executive director, Tracy Goldfine (and her rescue dog, Buddy).
The Humane Heroes camp, designed for kids ages 8-11, centers not only on having fun with animals, but also on taking proper care of pets and rescues, as well as being kind to one another, and the environment. In short, teaching the campers how to be humane.
Masrur, who led the camp, explained; “This camp will be one to help them understand the bigger issues to animal welfare. … Through fun and games, our ultimate goal is for them to be able to put themselves in an animal’s shoes and think about the bigger world outside what they’re used to. …
“We just want them to know every single thing they do has an impact on the world around them. … We hope this will help them become more compassionate and empathetic towards human beings and animals alike.”
The camp features the dogs and cats of NCAL, as well as visits from farm animals and wildlife, experts in tow.
Games and cute, fuzzy faces make it more fun to learn about pet maintenance, animal care and safety. Each day is devoted to an animal, including cat, dog, farm animal, and wildlife day.
Farm day was centered on Steve, a friendly lamb brought by the head of Cloverworks Farm, Katie Sullivan. Steve grazed and enjoyed the attention as his surrogate “mother and father” explained Steve’s dietary habits, lifestyle and herd behaviors.
Though Steve was a big hit, when asked, the campers’ favorite day was unanimously wildlife day. Northeastern Reptile Welfare League drove all the way from New Hampshire in a vehicle packed with turtles, tortoises, a bearded dragon, iguana, baby alligator, boa constrictor and a Macaw parrot.
The wildlife expert, Christina Swaan, told each animal’s story, including how they came into her care, and the work involved in taking care of them. Many campers jumped at the opportunity to hold the bearded dragon, or pet the Macaw, and only a few jumped back from the 9-foot-long snake.
Though the camp was lots of fun and games, at the end of the week when the kids recounted their favorite days, camper Lillian Quevedo surprised everyone with her choice of Video Day. The campers made videos with the cats and dogs for NCAL’s social media to encourage adoption, and received many interested inquiries, and even an adoption credited to the videos.
Lillian stated, “It made me feel good that some people were interested after the videos.”
The videos were an important lesson in how the kids could make a difference and help animals in need, making their voice heard despite their young age.
More camps to come
Though the Humane Heroes camps have finished for this year, the Vet Camps are still approaching. The Vet Camps, geared toward children ages 12 to 15, will be more educational and intensive, lasting three days as opposed to a whole week.
The camps are designed for kids with a passion for animal care and veterinary interests, where they can learn from professionals: how to resuscitate animals, perform stitches, and even observe real surgeries in progress.
According to Tracy Goldfine, the camp was designed as the sort of camp she would have wanted to attend when she was young.
“There’s a shortage of technical camps that really get kids involved in practical science and experiences in this area. When I was a kid, I wanted more than anything to become a veterinarian, so the Vet Camps are for those kids who have a passion for helping animals, and really want to get into a technical field like veterinarian or vet tech or any health profession,” Goldfine said. “This gives them hands-on, practical experience.
“I remember I did a class when I was younger at the local high school — I was in elementary school at the time — and it was this three-week seminar about being a veterinarian and it meant the world to me, and it’s probably what led me to be in the work I am.”
NCAL hopes to give kids a chance to explore their interests and learn practical skills, as well as further their passion for animals. Whether it will lead to careers in animal welfare, or just help take care of pets at home, the camp was a fun and rewarding experience for all participants.
An undertone throughout the entire camp was the idea of making a difference, no matter how young you are. As Masrur stated, “Even though you’re really little, your voices can be really loud.”
Sage Lively, a Stowe High School junior, is an intern at the Stowe Reporter and News & Citizen.
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