Summer camp provides kids opportunity to explore nature in Franklin Park

Julia Felton
Tuesday, June 21, 2022 10:33 a.m. | Tuesday, June 21, 2022 10:33 a.m.

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Courtesy of Dave Gray

The Ultimate Eco-Adventure Camp gives kids the opportunity to explore nature.

Courtesy of Dave Gray

The Ultimate Eco-Adventure Camp gives kids the opportunity to explore nature.

Courtesy of Dave Gray

The Ultimate Eco-Adventure Camp gives kids the opportunity to explore nature.

For kids who don’t want to stay cooped up inside all summer, an outdoor camp in Franklin Park can help them explore nature.

Dan Gray of CDG Sports is hosting an Ultimate Eco-Adventure Camp for kids ages 6-13. They’ll explore Blueberry Hill Park, Linbrook Park and Acorn Park, he said.

“It’s a discovery camp,” Gray said. “That’s the whole idea — to get kids that normally wouldn’t go out into nature into parks, to get them out there to discover what’s around them.”

Gray, along with several other coaches, will lead the group on nature hikes through the parks, where they can explore unique topographies and wildlife, he said.

“The purpose is just to use our senses to hear, to see, to smell, to feel what’s around us,” Gray said. “If we step 100 yards outside of what we know, the woods offer such an opportunity to discover insects, small animals, butterflies, birds.”

The trail at Linbrook Park, he said, includes a hilltop view that allows people to take in the entire park.

During hikes, Gray said participants have seen snapping turtles, salamanders, deer, turkey, squirrels and a variety of birds.

“One year, we even saw a fox,” he said.

Other activities include bug catching and bird watching with binoculars. They also will visit a stream to find crayfish, he said.

“These kids get so excited they can actually discover crayfish,” he said.

Gray began with sports camps in 2005 and expanded his offerings to include the nature-oriented camps around 2008, he said. Each camp consists of 40 to 50 kids, and there’s a waitlist of more children who want to join.

This year, the camp will run two sessions — one from July 25 through July 29, and the other from Aug. 1-5. Each session costs $130 and is held from 9 a.m. till noon daily. More information is available at https://cdgsportsevents.com. Registration is required.

“What’s great about the camp is every day is different,” Gray said. “Every day presents a new opportunity, a new discovery, a new set of experiences.”