20th Anniversary Of Nature Safari Day Camps Of Local Non- Profit Saved By Volunteers
A 4800-acre day use natural area located SW of Calgary, the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area (ASCCA) has been impacted by COVID-19 like many non-profit organizations offering education programs.
The ASCCA was set to celebrate its 20th anniversary of immersive ‘Nature Safari Day Camps’ but due to COVID-19 restrictions and staff availability, a decision was made to cancel the onsite camp for the safety of participants, while being open to alternatives.
“It was heartbreaking to have the program cancelled when so many campers could benefit from being outside in nature. I turned to our Day Camp volunteers. They are alumni of the program, students, parents, and ASCCA Educators. We had a meeting about what did this camp mean to them, how can we keep this feeling of outdoor community going in a virtual world?” – Laura Griffin, Day Camp Coordinator.
This led to the creation of Nature Safari Webbed, a website where campers could access content such as nature videos, crafts, activity sheets, musical nature stories created by volunteers and staff for free to get them inspired to go outside. To encourage dialogue with the campers, Flipgrid and Zoom calls are used so campers could share what they were discovering on their personal safaris.
“Everyone brought their own talents; it very much feels like our usual Safaris. I have been inspired day after day by the love these volunteers have for the campers, the program, and the ASCCA. We have no sponsors; this could not have happened without them.” – Griffin
