4-H “On the Wild Side” program is a world of discovery for Sacramento children

In early June, nearly 200 fourth- and fifth-graders from low-income areas in Sacramento will canoe across Lake Vera, hunt for frogs in the forest, gaze at the Milky Way and fall asleep to the sound of crickets. They are students in the Sacramento START after-school care program who will travel 60 miles outside of Sacramento for a 4-H camping experience called “On the Wild Side.”

A two- or three-day environmental education summer camp, “On the Wild Side” was developed by UCCE 4-H Youth Development advisor Marianne Bird two years ago.

“Most of these children are from urban settings,” Bird said. “They just love being at camp, finding fish, insects and plant life. It is a world of discovery for them.”

In addition, the camps meet the 4-H objectives of engaging kids in fun, hands-on learning experiences.

“For many of the students, it will be the first time they feel the warmth of a campfire, explore life in a lake, take a hike or sit with a sketchpad in the forest,” Bird said.

Last year’s “On the Wild Side” camp stirred the curiosity of a diverse group of students. More than half, 54 percent, were African American, 25 percent Latino and 15 percent Caucasian. Sixty-three percent were girls and 37 percent were boys.

Bird conducted pre- and post-tests to measure what the participants learned through the outdoor experience. Comparing the average scores using a statistical software program, Bird was able to be 95% confident that the students’ higher scores on the post-test were not by chance. The children also had the opportunity to write what they enjoyed about camp on the post-test.

“When I went canoeing, I saw a lily pad and got to feel a flower that was on it,” one child wrote. “I went hiking in the night and looked at the stars,” wrote another.

Seventy-one percent of participants rated their experience at camp as excellent, 23 percent rated it good.
The program was equally enriching for the teenagers who served as teachers. At the end of the event, one youth commented on the sense of accomplishment.

“I know that we accomplished much more than to entertain our campers,” said Lisa Kong, a teen-teacher volunteer. “Just looking at them and comparing the depth of their observations and questions about nature before and after camp was enough to prove they really learned something. And for me personally, that silent praise is the best praise anyone can ever receive.”

Sacramento START is offered collaboratively by school districts, the state of California, Sacramento County, city of Sacramento and the UC Cooperative Extension Youth Development Program. “On the Wild Side” was made possible by support from Sacramento County 4-H, Sacramento START and the Sierra Club.

The dates of the 2002 “On the Wild Side” camps are June 1-2 and June 14-16. For more information contact Marianne Bird, (916) 875-6811, mbird@ucdavis.edu.

(May 2002)

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