Educational Opportunities

Naturalists at Large at Camp Shalom provides a place for students to live, learn, and play in a group setting that encourages personal growth and self-discovery.

• Freshwater biology
• Plant communities – botany, ecology, plant identification
• Adaptations of plants and animals for surviving this land of little rain
• Geology – landforms, continental drift
• The stars – cosmology, constellations, and ancient mythology
• Environmental resource management
• Watersheds
• Water resources – pollution, sewage treatment, water sources
• Outdoor skills
• Invertebrate zoology and bird watching

We will also stress the importance of safe outdoor travel. Emphasis will be tailored to complement the goals of the school.

• The academic aspects of the program emphasize the study of water: fresh, marine, and brackish
• The natural history of the Santa Monica Mountains
• Man’s role in the modification of the mountains
• Using natural resources wisely

Leadership development and decision-making is enhanced through group building and initiative activities.

Activities

Hiking, initiative games, group challenges, high and low challenge/ropes courses, art, astronomy, earth science, life science, and age appropriate environmental science activities. There is a lake (with canoes and a swimming area) on site and extensive hiking opportunities. Group and individual challenges, cooperative challenges, increased identification with the natural environments (i.e. San Bernardino Mountains), and basic natural history of the area are also offered. Introduction to environmental science concepts, minimum impact wilderness travel, and a shared common experience are included.

Educational Overview

Members of the class are organized into groups of twelve-fourteen students. Naturalists at Large instructors will work with their groups to teach basic outdoor skills, supervise meal preparation, conduct outdoor education hikes (primarily a mix of “walk and talks” and hands-on activities) on the Cedar Lake. Students will be placed in situations that en-courage them to work together (e.g. cooking, setting up camp, camp chores, etc.). In addition, they will be encouraged to solve problems posed by the NAL instructors, comprised of both intellectual and well thought-out and well executed physical problems (initiative games).

Studies Include:

• Freshwater biology
• Plant communities – botany, ecology, plant identification
• Adaptations of plants and animals
• Geology – landforms
• The stars -constellations, & mythology
• Environmental resource management
• Water resources – pollution, sewage treatment, water sources