The Peru Gazette

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar today announced that online registration for the 2025 Summer Camps program will open on Sunday, March 23, 2025, at 1 p.m. Parents and guardians can register youth for a week of camp, manage their account, and complete required forms and waivers through a link from the DEC Summer Camps webpage. Guardians are encouraged to register early since weeks fill up quickly and are advised to monitor the webpage for upcoming announcements on 2025 camp forms.

“At DEC’s summer camps, youth have the opportunity to take part in various lessons and workshops to develop outdoor skills, learn about nature and wildlife, and build a foundation for lifelong environmental stewardship,” Interim Commissioner Mahar said. “We encourage families to sign up early for these great opportunities and for sponsors to support the next generation of conservationists.”

Now in its 78^th year, the DEC Summer Camps program offers week-long adventures in conservation education for children ages 11 to 17. DEC operates four residential camps for kids: Camp Colby in Saranac Lake (Franklin County); Camp DeBruce in Livingston Manor (Sullivan County); Camp Rushford in Caneadea (Allegany County); and Camp Pack Forest in Warrensburg (Warren County). Opening of specific camps is dependent on staff availability.

Camp Rushford will offer five weeks of programming for children ages 11 to 13 and two weeks for 14- to 17-year-olds. Camp Colby will operate five weeks of camp for 11- to 13-year-olds and two weeks for campers ages 14 to 17. Camp DeBruce will offer six weeks for kids ages 11 to 13 and one week for 14- to 17-year-olds. Camp Pack Forest will host children ages 11 to 13 for three weeks and 14- to 17-year-olds for four weeks with one Outdoor Adventure Week. Individual campers are limited to one week of camp registration. If spots at camps are still available after May 24, campers will be allowed to sign up for additional weeks. The complete schedule of camp weeks and ages is available on the Camp Weeks and Availability webpage.

At camp, kids will have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of outdoor adventures and are encouraged to try new things. Activities may include fishing, birding, fly-tying, archery, canoeing, hiking, camping, orienteering, and hunter safety education.

DEC campers engage in fun, hands-on activities and outdoor exploration focused on local field, forest, and freshwater aquatic ecological principles. Campers might collect insects in a field, use nets in a stream, investigate soil composition, measure tree sizes, or practice taking field notes and writing in journals. Trips to nearby State lands might include kettle bogs, State Parks, fish hatcheries, or nature museums.

One hunter education program of gun, bow, or trapping is offered at each camp during four of the camp weeks. Class size is limited for hunter education programs and campers must sign up during registration and complete required homework in advance. Registered campers will receive booklets prior to their session at camp.

Camp Pack Forest will offer an Outdoor Adventure Week during Week 4 (July 20 – 25). DEC encourages teens ages 14 to 17 who love being outdoors to sign up for this popular program that will help deepen their enjoyment and widen their horizons. During this week, campers will develop hands-on outdoor skills that go above and beyond the traditional camp week. In addition to typical camp activities, campers may be engaged in team- and trust-building activities, forestry, citizen science, conservation science, and more. Guest DEC and natural resource professionals will introduce campers to a variety of career options.

All four camps will offer seven one-week sessions (Sunday to Friday) beginning June 29, 2025. One week of camp is $350 per child for 2025, and includes lodging, meals, trips, and a camp t-shirt. This significant value for a week-long overnight camp is supplemented by assistance from New York State to help make camps and the education benefits they provide affordable for more New Yorkers.

In addition to inviting guardians to register children to participate in the DEC environmental education Summer Camps program, sporting clubs, civic groups, and environmental organizations are encouraged to sponsor one or more children for a week at camp. Information about becoming a sponsor and managing sponsor accounts is available at the Sponsoring Youth to Camp webpage on DEC’s website.

For more information, please visit the DEC’s website, email EducationCamps@dec.ny.gov, visit “NYS DEC Summer Camps” on Facebook or write to DEC Camps, 3rd Floor, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233-4501.