Chase Lybrand climbs down from a tractor during a farm tour as part of Camp Conservation. This year, campers will be touring Hy-Hope Farms and Satterwhite Dairy.

Taylor Mazza, Jessi Pitts and Tessa Taylor put together birdhouses at a previous Camp Conservation. This year, campers will be able to make butterfly houses.

NEWBERRY — Conservation and education starts with young people. With that belief in mind, Danielle Rowe, district coordinator for Newberry Soil and Water Conservation District, is heading up this year’s Camp Conservation, held July 20-24.

For ages 6-14 or first through eighth graders, Camp Conservation will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day at 3205 Werts Road in Silverstreet. Parents will need to bring their children and pick them up every day from this location, Rowe said.

The camp is designed to get children outdoors this summer and to get them excited about conservation efforts. Rowe said last year’s Camp Conservation was a one-day camp, but before this year, she did not think they had had one for four to five years.

Campers will be able to participate in animal tracking, education of land and timber and wildlife management all in one week, Rowe said.

Kids will be able to participate in animal tracking, education of land and timber and wildlife management.

Some of the activities that participants will be doing throughout the week include a bike rodeo with the Newberry County Sheriff’s Department. Rowe said that members of the NCSO will be giving bike safety lessons to campers and then taking them on bike trails. For this activity, Rowe said she recommends the children to wear closed-toe shoes.

The NCSO will also be bringing their bloodhounds to the camp for a presentation on their tracking skills for the campers as well as partnering with the Department of Natural Resources for a boating and fishing presentation.

Hy-Hope Farms and Satterwhite Dairy have also partnered with NSWCD to host farm tours for children during the week so they have the opportunity to see dairy, crops, chickens and turkeys.

“We’ll also have a reptile show with live reptiles,” Rowe said about the camp.

Rowe, who is also executive director of Keep Newberry County Beautiful said they will also have a day where campers work with many different recyclable items.

Similar to the television cooking show, Chopped, Rowe said there will be various recyclable items for the children to use to create something unique.

“We’ll have activities, contests and games,” Rowe said.

At last year’s Camp Conservation, campers made bird houses. This year, Gary Peters with the South Carolina Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will be coming to do a presentation on pollinators and each camper will be able to make and decorate their own butterfly house.

Thanks to NSWCD members and business partners, Rowe said that Camp Conservation will be a free camp to the limit of 40 kids who register. The only thing Rowe said they ask is that each camper bring a bicycle for the bike rodeo that will take place on July 24.

“If your child does not have a bike, we need to know upon registration so we can make arrangements for extra bikes,” Rowe said.

Lunch will be provided daily during the camp. Campers will also be decorating a rain barrel with their hand-prints which will be raffled off at the NSWCD’s banquet to help with next year’s camp expenses.

Campers will be split up into three groups: 6-7 year olds, 8-10 year olds and 11-14 year olds.

Registration will be open until July 7 at 4 p.m. and can be done by contacting Rowe at 276-1978 ext. 101, coming by the office at 719 Kendall Road in Newberry or downloaded online at www.nswcd.com and brought in.

“Conservation and education of that starts with young people,” Rowe said. “It’s really important that they get not just the necessary education that they need, but that it is presented in a fun way so that they’re able to take the information and make good, responsible decisions about the environment and about sustainability.”