Over the summer for the past three years I have been a volunteer at a NYSDEC (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation) Environmental Education Camp at Rushford. At one time I was a camper there, and was asked to come back as a volunteer. I was thrilled at the opportunity. The times I had there as a camper were ones I will never forget.

Volunteers work for two weeks, mostly kitchen duty washing dishes and helping with meals. But we also get to go out with the campers and counselors on lessons. For me, that is the most fun. We learn about the different ecosystems and environments, like the pond, forest, field and stream. I like to watch the kids as they explore and I have fun playing games and making friends with them. I've never spent a bad summer at Rushford. We are always doing something fun and exciting.

During the course of the week, the campers have a lot of activities to keep them busy. They go out on lessons, but also play camp games, swim in the pond, watch movies, go fly fishing, visit the local Hanging Bog, hike through the woods, go on a night hike, and even spend the night away from camp under the stars. At the end of the week, the campers put on a skit they created with an environmental message at the closing campfire. It's really great to see how they open up and make friends during the week as well as learning about our environment.

Being a volunteer is very rewarding. Not only do the campers look up to us as a role models, but we gain a lot of experience from the counselors and learn a lot, too. I am always sad to leave knowing that I probably won't see those friends again. But I hope to come back to camp as a counselor some day so my Camp Rushford memories will always grow. fl