Fourth- and fifth-grade students in Oswego County attended a unique camp this summer. While others are brushing up on their arts and crafts, improving their athletic performance or advancing their learning, these youngsters are becoming protectors of Lake Ontario.
Run by Oswego County’s CiTi BOCES and funded by a new federal grant, the Guardians of Lake Ontario camp aims to create lifelong advocates for protecting the lake, as the federal government ramps up the new underwater preservation area, the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary.
“The main purpose of this camp is to help students be able to see and feel and be a part of a resource that's in their backyard that's incredibly important for them to think about how can we be a guardian of this Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary so that in future years it's still here.” said Crissy Scales of CiTi BOCES.
On a recent day, the campers left the classroom and spent the day at the lakeshore, at Mexico Point State Park. There, they broke into groups to work on solutions to issues such as microplastic pollution, shoreline erosion and more. A crew of campers served as internal reporters, gathering video and interviews to stress the importance of sharing the lake’s story far and wide.
One group placed three sizes of colored rocks at the edge of the lake, intending to return the next day to see how the lake’s waves moved the rocks.
On the final day of the camp, the students held a showcase to show their projects to other campers, members of the community, and family members.
Many students said they did not intend to pursue careers in conservation because of the camp, but that they would be much more aware of need to help the lake cope with its challenges. “Protect it and don’t let anybody hurt it,” said one.
One of the camp’s teachers, Oswego Middle School technology teacher Eric McCrobie, guessed that many of the children in his school had never even been to the lake, even though it’s right in their backyards. The message they took was a simple one: “If you don't do something about all the stuff that washes up and all the microplastics, it's going to affect the ecosystems. The fish populations are going to die down. A big part of our community relies on this lake and it's going to diminish slowly.”
Organizers hope that the federal government will look at the success of the camp and create permanent funding for it.
