Camp nurtures love of nature in heart of the urban jungle

Sticks, stones and bendy willow branches are some of the best stuff to make into arts and crafts.

They’re free and found underfoot while walking wooded trails and can be turned into whittled sculptures, baskets and paintings on rocks that last forever on bedroom shelves, like memories made while discovering nature at Green City Adventure Camp at Evergreen Brick Works.

The best part of this camp in the heart of the city is that everything kids need is in their urban backyard.

“We’re creating natural connections in the city,” says camp director Andy Halse of the program which attracts kids from neighbourhoods across Toronto, where concrete playgrounds are sometimes more prominent on the landscape than trees and open green spaces.

Green City is one of four new camps to join the Fresh Air Fund this summer. Grants from the fund help subsidize camp fees for families that can’t afford them.

The relationship with Mother Nature develops while children explore the natural surroundings, getting up close and personal with bugs, wild flowers, trees and birds as they hike and bike through valleys, grow their own food and forage for berries in the quarry, explains Halse.

For kids who’ve never learned to ride a bike, there are plenty on hand at camp for their use. Before they know it, they’re riding the trails with the wind in their hair.

It’s called being a kid, and it’s what camp in the city is all about.

As for those nature-inspired crafts, there’s no limit to what priceless art is created, such as a bird feeder made from pine cones. Now that’s a keeper. If you have been touched by the Fresh Air Fund or have a story to tell, email lferenc@thestar.ca or phone 416-8694309.