Spend spring break with friends searching the woods, ponds, and swamps for amphibians.  Learn about the habitat requirements of frogs and salamanders and why these animals are so important. If you like to search for animals, and you don’t mind getting dirty in the process, come on down.  We will be camping - indoors or outdoor, depending on the weather forthe overnight.  Bring lunch and a snack for Wednesday.  Dinner and breakfast provided.

Location: Flag Ponds Park

Program Fee per person: $15 for members; $25 for nonmembers.

Reservations are required. Register online, by mail, email to cypressswamp@co.cal.md.us

Welcome to the Salamander Soiree Spring Camp 2014 undefined April 16 and 17 (10am-9am)!  Please go over the packing checklist (below) with your camper so that s/he will be fully prepared for camp – this will be especially important for this camp, maybe more so than our summer camps.  We will be holding camp rain, snow, or shine; warm temperatures or freezing cold – please be sure that your camper is dressed appropriately for the weather and has extra clothes packed.

This camp will begin on Wednesday, April 16 at 10am at the Flag Ponds Education Building.  We will have camp all day Wednesday and overnight to 9am Thursday, April 17.  The park will be closed to the public those days and the front gates will be pulled closed.  Let yourself in outgoing gate (it will be closed but unlocked), close it after you, and proceed then to the education building (that’s the larger of the two buildings).

Wondering what we’ll be doing at camp?  Here’s a smattering of our activities:

Hiking, playing games, taking part in the first ever “Flag Ponds Great Log Roll Off” – searching for salamanders and other animals just waking up for the year, going for a night search for amphibians in the swamp …not to mention, making our own dinner over a campfire-including s’mores for dessert and spending the nite with our new friends in the park.  It promises to be an adventure!

Unless, it is super warm – like above 50 degrees – we will be setting up tents in the Education Building.  If it is warm, we will be setting up those same tents outside, behind the Education Building.  Either way, tents will be provided.

Don’t forget to bring lunch and a quick snack for Wednesday.   This camp involves a lot of food - dinner Wednesday, breakfast Thursday, and snacks will all be provided.  If you have any food allergies/issues it is important to let me know ASAP.

Again, please help our camp staff to protect our campers on this spring adventure.  Campers will be expected to be properly dressed for camp.  If you have questions about what to wear or send, please call me at Battle Creek Nature Center at 410-535-5327 or send me an email at galete@co.cal.md.us. 

What to bring – in a duffel bag or backpack to leave in the building

___extra socks

___extra full set of clothes (including long pants, long sleeved top, and underwear)

___extra sweater or fleece

___plastic bag for wet clothes

___rain gear or rain poncho

___pajamas or sweatpants for sleeping in

___flashlight

___personal toiletries in a Ziploc bag labeled with camper’s name

___medications (if needed)

___extra pair of shoes – sneakers or hiking boots

___ bug spray

___ sunscreen

___towel

___sleeping bag and pillow

___sleeping pad (optional)

In a backpack to carry on the trail Wednesday:

____bag lunch for Wednesday

____small snack for Wednesday (GORP, granola bar

____water bottle (1liter size)

____sunscreen

____ insect repellant

What to wear -

Head

_____ball cap or visor (or warm knit hat if it will be cold out)

_____sunglasses (optional)

Upper Body: wear layers – avoid cotton if possible, layers will work best

____ T-shirt or long sleeved shirt depending on weather forecast (a fabric with as little cotton a    possible, could be 50/50 blend)
_____ Wool/poly fleece or sweater (not a cotton sweatshirt)

Lower Body: - avoid cotton if possible (jeans will get wet and be cold)
_____ Nylon or poly fleece pants (again even a poly cotton blend is better than 100% cotton)

Feet:

_____ Comfortable shoes – sneakers or hiking shoes  - even hiking sandals would be fine depending on the weather

**Tents, dinner Wednesday, and breakfast Thursday will be provided – please do not send extra snacks**

Take the “Unplug Challenge” - Please do not bring any electronics. 

An additional note:

Why Not Cotton clothes?

Once wet, cotton clothes tend to stay wet.  Wet cotton clothes will not insulate and do their job of keeping the person wearing them warm.  So jeans and cotton sweat shirts will not make great camp wear.  The weather on Assateague is often quite different from the weather at home.  It is almost always windy and damp - and it will be chilly, especially at night.  Campers will, of course, be much happier if they are comfortable and warm.  Here are some other fibers to consider - 

1. Wool - derives its insulating quality from the elastic, three-dimensional wavy crimp in the fiber that traps air between fibers. Depending on the texture and thickness of the fabric, as much as 60-80% of wool cloth can be air. Wool can absorb a fair amount of moisture without imparting a damp feeling because the water "disappears" into the fiber spaces. Even with water in the fabric wool still retains dead air space and will still insulate you.

2. Poly Fleece fabrics - synthetic material often made of a plastic (polyester, polyolefin, polypropylene, etc.). This material has a similar insulative capacity as wool. Its advantages are that it holds less water (than wool) and dries more quickly. Poly fleece is manufactured in a variety of different weights (thicknesses) offering different amounts of loft and insulation. This allows for numerous layering possibilities. The disadvantage of most fleece fabric is that it has very poor wind resistance and hence a wind shell (raincoat or windbreaker) on top is almost always required.