The pandemic brought a new world and challenges to all aged people in the Boone County Community.   Hort Kids Camp was one of the first small group programs allowed to return in the summer of 2020.   It consisted of 11 children between the ages of 8 to 12 and two instructors.   With the challenges of only allowing 10 in a group including instructors, Hort Kids Camp changed to one instructor and dividing the children into two groups never crossing paths at our Boone County Environmental and Nature Center.  

The beauty of Hort Kids Camp during the pandemic was allowing a way for the children to escape the daily challenges of being at home with their families and enjoying nature activities with a small group of people their age.  Exploring the woods and creeks is always a favorite, as the children learn about leaf identification, animal tracks, and finding living creatures in our local water sources.  

Hort Kids Camp is a three-day camp for four hours each day and the young participants still had the challenges of wearing masks and social distancing as we continued our learning about fruits and vegetables that we can growing in garden.  The children were taken to a demonstration garden to harvest crops and cut flowers. It was fun to watch the children create flower arrangements and surprise their parents as they were pick up at the end of the day.

Parents and children thanked Lacey Kessell and Gina Ligon for continuing with Hort Kids Camp during the pandemic and creating an outlet for their children to explore nature.