Published Wednesday, March 19, 2008 10:28 AM
Updated Wednesday, March 19, 2008 10:29 AM

 

Students among first for camp exhibit

A group of students from the Montessori Day School in Summerville were the first to test the hands-on interactive indoor camping journey called Camp Carolina, debuting at the South Carolina Aquarium.  

Camp Carolina, which opened March 15, is the first major exhibit at the South Carolina Aquarium in over 4 years.

“We want to see get families together and back into nature,” said Beth Nathan, public relations manager for the South Carolina Aquarium. “This exhibit will be a great opportunity for a shared family experience and a great teaching tool for how to be responsible with the environment. We’re glad to have the Montessori Day School here to give us an idea of how our ideas are working.”

The exhibit appeared to be a big hit as students scattered, enjoying a nature-based journey through the upstate region of South Carolina. The exhibit, which was designed to incorporate learning at every turn and to increase each visitor’s appreciation of wildlife, utilizes educational components and technology-based interactive throughout.

Aquarium staffers were on hand to answer questions and offer insight. One staffer demonstrated the enormous wingspan of the bald eagle by having kids hold a measuring tape as he measured it out. Another staffer told onlookers about the life span of possums, and the fact that they help control the roach population. The hope is that guests will walk away with a greater understating of the importance of leaving nature the way we found it.

“Camp Carolina is just what our visitors have been asking for – a fun and interactive way for families to reconnect with wildlife and wild places,” said Kevin Mills, president and CEO.  “In an age when so many children suffer from what author Richard Louv calls ‘nature-deficit disorder,’ that hands-on connection is more important than ever.”

Camp Carolina’s 11 interactive sites, all designed by Aquarium staff members, were constructed in only three months, partially with reclaimed and sustainable materials. It is the result of a year’s worth of planning by staff and volunteers alike, which share the mission of teaching the importance of conservation. The exhibit is completely interactive and is designed for and accessible to children of all ages.  

Encompassing over 2,000 square-feet, Camp Carolina highlights both fish and mammals native to South Carolina. Guests can climb across the 30-foot traversing wall, cross the 7-foot long stream by the swinging rope bridge and visit the interactive campsite, or learn from the staff about the eating habits of possums. Other animals featured include a bald eagle, a mating pair of barn owls, skunks, a hellbender and a diverse collection of aquatic species.

Mills, who was watching the kid’s reaction to the exhibit, liked what he saw.

“I love it. I’m so thrilled. We’ve all seen the designs for some time. It’s so great to see it all come together –– to see the kids in here having fun.”

To get a few ideas for a real outdoor excursion, guests are encouraged to visit the front porch at Bower’s Bait and Tackle, where interactive buttons illuminate outdoor points of interest such as campgrounds, parks, trails, waterfalls and the Heritage Corridor.

Contact Sharon Gnau at 873-9424 ext 215 or sgnau@journalscene.com