More Gardens! free Environmental Summer Camping & Climbing in the Minnewaska State Park & Mohonk Preserve.
Our summer camp gives access to the great outdoors to families providing free outdoor education and environmental arts in local community gardens and parks every year in the month of July. The urban youth and their families who join our free summer camp live in Mott Haven, Bronx that has one of the highest rates of asthma, diabetes and poverty in the country. Our campers understand the impact of pollution and environmental destruction firsthand. They are given the opportunity to enjoy nature, and they also want to get a chance to advocate for a healthier neighborhood and planet.
The youth will gain hard skills learned from adaptive rock climbing, hiking, and camping. They will also gain valuable skills such as communication, discernment, critical thinking and foresight to help them thrive in the challenging environment of the South Bronx.
The tactile dance with nature through rock climbing creates a portal for personal and community accomplishment, responsibility, and self-acceptance. Our program helps the campers to take this shared sacred state in the outdoors back to NYC to empower our urban communities.
The campers and their family members are taken for a
Campers, counselors, and parents teach and share what they learn with the wider community throughout the year at Padre Plaza community garden, sharing their love of the outdoors through plays and interactive presentations to hundreds of community members at the local farmer’s market.
Through games, creative arts and nature excursions campers,
Nature awareness including plant, animal, and insect identification
Creative arts such as book-making, theater, and puppetry on environmental themes
Outdoor Education such as swimming in the ocean and in lakes, tree climbing,
hiking and canoeingOutdoorspersonship including
tenting , fire building, wilderness first-aidCooking and learning healthy eating for and by campers, parents, & staff
Registration at Padres Plaza Community Garden from 3-5pm on
First day of Camp to get ready for our trip is on