A child’s behavior can suffer from an absence of the outdoors. This became an increasing issue during the coronavirus pandemic and the months following as quarantining, isolation, and virtual learning led individuals to stay indoors more often. Nature-Deficit Disorder, coined by Richard Louv in 2005, “is a nonmedical condition that attributes behavioral changes in children to less time spent outdoors”. (https://parentology.com/what-is-nature-deficit-disorder/)

To provide additional learning opportunities in an outdoor setting, 4-H worked with the Casey County 4^th grade teachers at three elementary schools and the middle school sciences teacher to implement two environmental education day camps. 4-H Environmental Education Camps provides hands-on education focusing on natural resources held at Kentucky 4-H Camps. 

Through coordination with the Casey County public school system, all 4^th grade students and 7^th and 8^th grade science students participated in a Lake Cumberland 4-H Environmental Education Day Camp in the spring of 2023. The agent worked closely with the teachers to receive paperwork and parental permission of the students to participate. School buses were arranged for the transportation to and from camp as well as a sack lunch (from the school’s cafeteria) for each student. Camp provided a lunch for each instructor, teacher, assistant, bus driver, and teen leader. 

For our 4^th grade group: each participant was provided a water bottle, drawstring bag, along with a bandana representing their team color. Teachers, assistants, and teen leaders were assigned to the teams to provide supervision as well as help navigate to the various classes. Teams learned about birds of prey from Liberty Nature Center, learned about reptiles from the Kentucky Reptile Zoo, learned about mammals, as well as worked together on challenge course obstacles. A total of 190 students, teachers, and student helpers participated in the day camp. 

The middle school group learned about dairy cattle and their production from Southland Dairy Farmers Mobile Unit, about birds of prey from Liberty Nature Center, macro-invertebrates through a stream study, and worked together to support one another through challenge course obstacles. Over 100 students, teachers, and student helpers participated in the day camp.  

We plan to continue this program each year and hope to receive financial assistance to help with an overnight camp.