Press Room

Scholarship Program For ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Summer Camps

By Severance, Nancy
Published March 25, 2009
The Wild Birds Unlimited ® initiative and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will enable 200 children to attend camps at ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Centers this summer. The $50,000 grant, which represents the third year of funding support for the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ program, will make the dream of summer camp a reality for young people in communities across the United States. The recipients of the scholarships will join other campers as they connect with nature and learn more about the environment people share with birds and other wildlife. 

With more than 40 ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Centers across the country, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ has a long history of providing life-changing experiences in natural settings. From Strawberry Plains ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Center in rural Mississippi to the Seward Park ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Center in urban Seattle, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Camps shape stewards for a sustainable future. 

"It will fall on the shoulders of our next generation to address the huge environmental problems of today and the new challenges that lie ahead," said ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ President John Flicker; "It is critical that we narrow the divide between young people and the natural world."

"This generous additional gift comes at a time when the economy is forcing parents to make difficult decisions," said Judy Braus, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's Senior Vice President for Education and Centers. "Thankfully, this funding will help 200 families avoid the choice of not sending their kids to ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ camp."

Parents, teachers, and caregivers should apply now to give children the opportunity to attend one of these camps. Eligibility is determined by each ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Center. For more information about applying, plus general registration, camp programs and scholarships, visit the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ website.

Remarks from previous campers:

"Learning about nature is always fun when you have someone else to do it with you. I want to go to this camp because I want to learn about animals, so that I'll be able to love and care for them in the future."

"I learned about many important things on the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ trips. A few are habitat and diversity. They taught me how watersheds are everywhere. I learned about diversity too and that it means how everything is different, like people are."

"³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ camp means making friends, going on adventures and going hiking. I saw different kinds of birds like ravens and a Cooper's Hawk. I played in the Arroyo Seco. I felt happy every minute at camp."

Wild Birds Unlimited, the original and largest franchise system of backyard birdfeeding and nature specialty stores with almost 275 locations in the United States and Canada, specializes in bringing people and nature together with their birdfeeding and nature products, their expert advice and educational events. www.wbu.com