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By MELINDA SACKS / Special
to the Mercury News
shammai
Mading's chocolate brown eyes widen noticeably as she recalls the
red tail hawk she saw one day at S.N.A.K.E. Camp last summer.
"We were walking up the hill,'' recounts the junior birder, 7-year-old
third grader from East Palo Alto, "and we saw him!'' Shammai described
how she observed the bird's "really good eyes'' -- keen eyesight
that helps the predator hunt -- as the graceful creature circled
overhead.
It is one of many new facts about animals and nature that Shammai
and her fellow campers learned during their week at the day camp.
S.N.A.K.E. stands for Science and Native Adventures for Kid Explorers
and it is sponsored by Environmental Volunteers of Palo Alto.
The idea is to teach kids about nature and their environment through
hands-on experiences.
In small groups, children in grades two through six explore, experiment,
climb, hike, study and participate in arts and crafts based on three
different themes. One week is dedicated to birds, one to the study
of early California Indian tribes and another explores water, from
clouds to the ocean.
"I liked when we collected acorns and smashed them up the way the
Ohlone Indians did,'' says Oscar Estrada, 10, who attended S.N.A.K.E.
Camp last year. "We even built a fire and roasted the nuts. You
learn and you have fun and then you learn some more.''
Kenny Serrano, 10, remembers finding out neat things about falcons.
He also became fascinated with planting and growing things.
Shammai, Oscar and Kenny were among a group of students from the
East Palo Alto Charter School who were offered scholarships to S.N.A.K.E.
Camp last summer. As enthusiastic members of their school's Garden
Club, the outdoor-theme camp was a natural fit for their interests.
All three would love to be able to attend camp again this year,
but once again it is more than their families can afford.
"S.N.A.K.E. Camp offers these children hands-on experiences in
local natural places like the Baylands near where they live so they
can better understand and appreciate nature,'' says David Ujita,
director of development for Environmental Volunteers.
"Eventually these children will help to preserve our local natural
heritage by becoming responsible stewards of the earth.''
Each week of camp costs $285
per child.
For
more information on the Environmental
Volunteers of Palo Alto, go to
www.evols.org.
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A CLOSER LOOK AT NATURE
