The Greenway Foundation

Revitalizing Rivers. Reconnecting Communities.

Native November at SPREE Holiday Camp

CAMPERS LEARN ABOUT NATIVE ANIMALS OF THE SOUTH PLATTE AND NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY

How did early Native Americans use the South Platte River, get food, and entertain themselves? What animals are native here and which ones come from somewhere else? These are just a few of the questions campers explored at SPREE’s recent Adventures Outside Holiday Camp. 

​Campers who joined us on Monday focused on native animals. We learned about the native black-footed ferret population, which experienced sharp decline in the 1980’s due to habitat loss and disease but is now growing again. We made a yarn food web including ferrets and other animals of the prairie, gaining insights about the interconnectedness of organisms in an ecosystem.  We also explored the South Platte River, looking for native fish and animals as well as the invasive rusty crayfish and Asiatic clam. We concluded our day by making pinecone turkeys and creating clay sculptures of our favorite native animals. ​

On Tuesday, the group learned about Native American history. We made costumes and acted out the Ojibwa legend of how the beaver got its tail. Campers made mini bows and arrows out of twigs and feathers and also decoded messages made out of symbols. We had fun learning about the Arapaho and Cheyenne by building miniature tepees and decorating shaker instruments and whirligigs. The afternoon was spent catching critters in the river and enjoying the great play spaces at Johnson Habitat Park.
A For more information on SPREE’s Adventures Outside Holiday Camps (when school is off but work isn’t), visit: thegreenwayfoundation.org/holiday-camps. 

The following camps are now open for registration:
Monday, January 18: Get Energized! 
Monday, February 15th: Animal Mystery 
Monday, February 29th: Feathered Friends 
March 28- April 1: Attack of the Mini-Beasts! 
Monday, April 11: Mad about Macros 

SPREE’s Adventures Outside Program is also opening a third summer camp location in 2016. Visit www.coloradogives.org/greenway help us raise funds for crocs, nets, tanks, staffing and scholarships for campers who will be attending camp at Joe Shoemaker Elementary. Thank you for your support.

Happy Holidays to all our campers and their families! 
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