Salmon Camp!

 The first two weeks of Salmon Camp have been successfully completed! I believe I mentioned before that each week we have a group of 18 children and these first two sessions were grades K-1st. Liz, Mike, and myself each have our own group of six kids. My group name is The Awesome Otters... and awesome we were! My group the first session was so great and sweet, the second session was just as great.. just a little bit more free-spirited. I honestly had a great time and it went really well. Our theme of camp is Habitat so we taught them what makes up a habitat and different types of habitats as well as what animals live in those habitats and why it's important to protect them. Everyday we go out and do some type of exploring that's related to the session and add some environmental education activities as well. And it's pretty sweet because on Fridays the camp meets in town at the Kodiak Refuge's Visitor Center, we do some activities with the kids and then the families come in for awards and a cookout! It's so much fun! Everyone in the coummunity just loves and supports Salmon Camp so much, it's great! Each session is filled already and plus there some kids on the waiting list. One thing Salmon Camp is famous for is the Salmon Song that we sing everyday and goes as such:

Just a little egg I am, buried under rocks and sand

Soon I'll be an egg with an eye, then an alevin and a little fry

Chorus:  I'm a Salmon (clap clap), I'm a Salmon (clap clap)

I'm a Salmon, I'm a Salmon, I'm a Salmon (clap)

Just a little smolt I am, catch me catch me if you can

Predators think I look tasty, but I have lots of friends with me

Chorus

A great big Salmon is what I am, swimming in the big ocean

Back to river I'll smell my way, maybe you'll see my kids some day

Chorus

So that's the famous Salmon Song we sing and I'm sure the parents hate us by the end of the week because it's catchy lol. It goes to the tune I'm a Nut if you want to try sing it! Well I wanted to share some of the pics with you of the great time we had at camp the last two weeks.

Here's Liz doing a lesson. This is the Beach House where we spend the majority of our time for camp.

 Awesome Otters from Session 1!

 Here I am with my Awesome Otters from Session 2.

 This awesome little guy was on my team & he made me the wonderful shell necklace I'm wearing in the pic.

 One thing we've been doing at camp is funny pics with our campers so I thought I'd share one with you.

 Exploring on the beach!



Here are the Awesome Otters from Session 2!





Here is Liz presenting an award to a camper last Friday with all the families there.

Well as you can see everyone had a blast! It was honestly an excellent group of kids. Next week Mike & I are going to Port Lions for two days to put on a miniature version of Salmon Camp for the kids there while Liz & Karen will be doing the same thing at Ouzinkie. Both Port Lions and Ouzinkie are villages on the island and we will be taking a plane ride to get there. I'm excited to see these other parts of the island!

I wanted to leave you with probably one of the cutest stories ever. Yesterday after the cookout at Salmon Camp, Rachel, a five year old camper who was in my group was leaving with her mom when her mom informed me that Rachel wore her hair in a braid the other day because one day at camp I too wore my hair in a braid. Then when she left I told her bye and that I had fun with her this week and she said, " Bye! I love you soooo much!" It was just precious! So moral of the story, kids can pick up the smallest things and that's why it's important to be the best role model you can for them. That's a good reminder for myself and everyone who works with kids to watch how you act and what you do. Well have a great rest of the weekend!