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 Yonkers, NY - Beczak Environmental Education Center’s Summer Adventures day camp is one of the best values for Westchester summer day camps.
The cost is as economical as some county or town-sponsored day camps, while the programs are led by educators with degrees in marine biology and environmental studies. Summer Adventures also offers internships to Yonkers teens with an interest in science: ten Riverside High School students are hired as counselors through a grant with Yonkers Public Schools.
Summer Adventures 2009 offers two one-week sessions. Session 1: Beczak Safari, runs from July 20 – 24, 10:00 AM- 2:00 PM. It's for 6 - 9 year olds, and the cost is $200. Session 2: Habitats of the Hudson, runs from July 27 – 31, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM. It’s for 10 - 12 year olds, and the cost is $250.
“This year we’ve added field trips to each camp,” Vicky Garufi, Beczak’s Education Program Manager, says. “The younger children, in Session 1, will visit Greenburgh Nature Center and have a visit from Snakes, Scales and Turtle Tales, a naturalist program specializing in sea animals. The older children in Session 2 will walk in the Piermont Marsh, hike along the Palisades cliffs, and visit the Science Barge to compare eco-systems.”
Omaira McPartlan, a Yonkers mother of three sons, an eleven-year old and twelve-year-old twins, says, “My boys are returning this year because they didn't get their fill of the Hudson. They are looking forward to taking trips with Beczak’s camp and learning more about nature. I love Beczak’s camp because it encourages all children to feel the beauty and serenity that is right in their backyard. It teaches them how all things—animals, people, plants, and fish—are interrelated and gives them an appreciation for their environment. These are great life lessons offered at a very affordable price.”
Laura O’Halloran, a mom in Dobbs Ferry, is sending her ten-year-old daughter there this year for the first time. She says, “I look into a lot of camps each year—from circus camp to spy camp. Beczak’s camp, in their beautiful riverfront center, is unique. It blends nature and learning in a fun way. We’re excited!”
Summer Adventures 2009
Session descriptions
Session 1: Beczak Safari
July 20 – 24, for 6 - 9 year olds, 10:00 AM- 2:00 PM, $200
Strap on your safari hat and get ready for a HOOTING, CHIRPING, and SPLASHING
good time! Discover some of the most fascinating wildlife of the Hudson Valley and beyond—northern pipefish, shrimp, and blue crabs to bald eagles, great horned owls and tree frogs—through seining in the river at Beczak, a local field trip to Greenburgh Nature Center, plus a visit from Snakes, Scales and Turtle Tales.
Session 2: Habitats of the Hudson
July 27 – 31, for 10 - 12 year olds, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, $250
Young environmentalists will head out for field expeditions to the Piermont wetlands, NJ Palisades, and the Science Barge at the Yonkers Pier to discover the remarkable diversity of plants, animals, and habitats within seven miles of Beczak’s riverfront center.
Experiment with data collection tools including hydrometers, thermometers, and turbidity tubes. It’s a guaranteed good time filled with exploration and observation, hiking and games.
ABOUT BECZAK ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER
Beczak Environmental Education Center is a non-profit environmental education facility that presents exhibits and programs for all ages to raise environmental awareness and to encourage informed stewardship of the Hudson River, the Saw Mill River and the Bronx River.
Located on the banks of the Hudson in the City of Yonkers, at River Mile 18, Beczak Environmental Education Center is an adaptive reuse of the former Social Club for Habirshaw Cable & Wire. Named after Joe Beczak, a Yonkers fisherman and environmentalist, this spacious interpretive center has several fish tanks, telescopes trained on the Palisades cliffs and rotating exhibits. Outside, the two-acre park features a welcoming riverfront lawn, an easily accessible tidal marsh and a beach used for river exploration and seining. Approximately ten feet off shore is an Estuary Monitoring System, a computerized water and weather monitoring station in the Hudson that posts real-time data on Beczak’s website.
Founded in 1989, Beczak has become a vital part of river communities from Staten Island to Poughkeepsie providing schools with multidisciplinary programs that are easily integrated into their educational curriculums. The Center also hosts numerous river-related programs including professional development for teachers, River Explorers for children, Lunchtime Learning for seniors, public forums and cultural and social events.
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