Program teaches kids preservation

It’s not often that a group of kids get to learn how to fire a cannon and dig for treasure in the same week.
But that’s exactly what the Fort Scott National Historic Site is offering to kids age 10 to 14 later this month.
The site is offering its annual Trailblazer Program, dedicated to teaching kids about the national park service. The camp will be held from July 28 to Aug. 1 and will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
Registration opened up July 14 for the program, and by Thursday morning 15 out of 16 available spots had been claimed.
The program consists of several areas of focus, including archaeology, living history, and caring for museum resources. Each area of focus includes different activities for the youngsters, including a prairie safari, digging for buried treasure, searching for bugs and other activities.
But the program allows the children to not only learn, but also to teach their parents. At the end of the program, children are given the opportunity to present a play that explains some of what they’ve learned.
“The kids really seem to enjoy the camp,” said Kelley Collins, chief park ranger. “They especially love to share it with their parents at the end.”
New this year are activities that relate to global climate change, energy conservation and keeping the planet clean.
Collins said the rewards of the new “green” activities will be reaped years in the future.
“We have a responsibility as citizens to take care of the Earth,” Collins said. “National parks care for some of the most untouched natural resources. However, those are being affected by climate change as well.”
The program, just 10 years old, already has a few repeat customers.
“We have had some of the kids come back to us as volunteers, and so that’s really neat to see,” Collins said.
Someone from each division of the park will speak to the campers, including someone from the maintenance department to speak about preservation, museum techs, park rangers and park guides. The program coordinator is park ranger Barak Geertson.
For more information, persons may call (620) 223-0310.

Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 132.