Seventh Year of ACE Camp, Yet Another Success

     This year marked the seventh annual Adventure Camp about the Environment (ACE). The camp was held from Sunday, June 12th through Wednesday, June 15th at the 4-H Camp in Halsey. A total of 41 campers traveled from all over the state to attend camp, with 13 of them returning for a second or even a third year! This year, 12 NRD’s across the state were represented, including two for the first time: Lower Elkhorn NRD and Upper Elkhorn NRD.
     The campers had the opportunity to learn through hands-on activities about Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts, energy, wetlands, water quality, forestry, soils, range, wildlife, fishing, GPS, and careers in natural resources. Activities included building and testing solar cars, searching for aquatic creatures in the Middle Loup River, painting with soils, and finding geocaches with a GPS. Some of the presenters came from NRD’s close by, while others came from all over the state to help teach the campers, including employees from USDA-Natural Resouces Conservation Services, Pheasants Forever, and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
      Many sponsors continue to help make ACE Camp successful from year to year. The main sponsors every year are Nebraska's NRDs and the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts Foundation. Other sponsors that help make camp successful are the Nebraska National Forest, Nebraska State 4-H Camp, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and the Hooker County Turner Youth Initiative.