Outdoor Camp / Day

In an effort to promote environmental education and public engagement, Fundacion Montecito will be hosting a day camp for students involving many activities that will be fun and informative.

There will be two groups of students, with a maximum capacity of 30 students in total for each group. The goal is to create groups of students that are similar in age, between 10-13 and also 13-15. The purpose of this is to tailor the activities to the different ages, with an overall goal to teach the children at different maturity levels about the environment and the important issues surrounding their environment.

List of Activities:

Landart

We will start the Outdoor Camp at Finca San Pedro, from there we will hike as a group to the beautiful hills nearby; “Reserva Montécito,” which is registered as a private natural reserve in Sogamoso. Here we will create Land Art, which is the creation of art using natural items and objects, such as rocks, trees, leaves, branches, flowers, etc.

Some ideas we have for the Land Art are as follows:

• One big picture of the planet
• Different groups forming different pictures connected to the environment (trees, animals, mountains, etc.)
• Every individual forms a picture of one thing they love, or is very important to them.

After finishing the art, we will hike as a group back to the Finca, where the other activities will take place.

Video Presentation and Crafting

After the land art, we will be showing a number of videos (suitable for that audience) to raise awareness about the “Three R’s” which are Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. We will also discuss and teach about the importance of water, the wetlands and the Páramo ecosystem. After this theoretical discussion and input, we will have three activities to reinforce the new information:

• The group of children will be split into two separate ones. One sub-group will craft toys or useful items out of scrap garbage, meanwhile the other group will be taught about ecological footprints and what they are, as well as why they’re important.
• After a brief explanation, each individual will be given paper that they will need to trace their footprint on, which will represent their ecological footprint. Inside, each student will draw or write all of the things they need, want, and consume inside to see just how much of an impact they personally create on the environment.
• The last portion of the activity involves a discussion with the group, where we ask the students to reflect upon their footprints and analyze the different things they’ve listed. Here we’ll figure out with the students which items are necessary and which are not. This will help the students to evaluate their own impact on the environment and influence positive change within them for the future.

Once complete, we will switch the groups up and complete the activities again so that every student gets to participate.

Muisca/Cultural Stories

We will then move into a more relaxed and more intimate atmosphere, most likely the traditional Cusmuy, where we will gather the children around and share information about the Muisca culture. The focus of this talk will be very general; highlighting the Muisca traditions, customs, language, agriculture, and their deep connection to the environment.

Joint Supper

As a way to end the day in a more relaxed way, and to help the children unwind, we will have a joint supper with all the groups. This will give students a chance to reflect on the day’s activities, as well as share any feedback, questions, or suggestions they have with us. Proposed supper is sausages, bread, cheese, and vegetables.

More activities:

Games

A number of games will be played with the students to share, have fun together, and to strengthen the social and group behavioural intelligence of the children. Some of the children that are interested can assist with setting up the twist bread, but for the rest of the students, we can play more simple games with them, such as:

• Table games
• Tag
• Hide and seek
• Drawing

Twist Bread

We will have a campfire and allow each child to create their own twistbread. We will be providing music for the students as they create their twist breads by someone playing a guitar. Students may choose to create their own sticks for the twistbread, or use some of the pre-made sticks.

Camping

Students will be able to set up tents in the garden of the Finca, and can sleep there overnight.

Joint Breakfast

An opportunity to teach the children about healthy dieting and hygiene, we will all prepare a fruit salad together. We can discuss things like washing hands before cooking, the importance of freshly prepared meals and a balanced diet/nutrition in general.

Planting of Trees and/or Plants

Budget permitting, the students will be able to (as a group or individually) plant a tree or some type of plant that will be long lasting and will have a positive effect on the environment. There will be a predetermined area of the Finca where the students could plant, and ideas about patterns or pictures to make with the plants can be discussed.

Bracelets

Every child will be given the materials and instructions on how to craft their own bracelet. This bracelet will be a reminder for them of their time at daycamp, as well as be a reminder for the information they’ve gained about protecting the environment.