I often get asked what my favorite program is at The Cibolo. My answer, without a shadow of a doubt, is our Nature, Art, and Culinary Camp program.
Typically, when I focus on the pros of the programs and why it’s so meaningful, I focus on the amazing development we see over the summer in our campers.
Campers may at first be shy and unsure about being out in nature, or struggle to interact with others and develop a sense of ownership over the space. However, it can’t help but make me smile seeing them gain confidence over time by interacting with their peers, learning and getting excited about the Texas Hill Country.
Another lesser-known area in our camp program where we see similar progress and growth is in our camp counselors. Seeing counselors learn stories, gain ownership of ecology information, practice their conflict resolution skills and develop a deeper sense of belonging at The Cibolo are just some examples of the growth witnessed in our counselors this summer. All organizations aiming to make the world better reflect on their past actions, current efforts and future plans. From the very foundation of The Cibolo, some of the first trails were built by young people — the Trailblazers.
The Trailblazers of the Cibolo continued to make an impact years afterward, always working to help better the Nature Center and considering what it meant to be positive members of the community.
In the present, we see counselors coming in that truly add such a level of life and excitement to The Cibolo. Even amongst dealing with challenging campers, hot weather, bugs and all the other challenges they faced, our amazing counseling staff continued to rise to the challenge.
With smiles on their faces, positive attitudes and a commitment to teaching campers how to conserve our natural world, our counselors created a positive impact in our community.
The final day of summer saw tears all around as counselors had to say goodbye to each other, many of whom formed friendships, and say goodbye to being out at The Cibolo every day of the week.
Our answer for a while has been Trailblazers. Trailblazers is a Saturday program that occurs every spring and fall semester, allowing any teenager interested in being at The Cibolo to visit for citizen science research programs, volunteer opportunities and more nature conservation activities a few times a month.
They get to socialize with other peers and mentors passionate about conservation, give back by volunteering at the center, and learn a little about The Cibolo in the process. However, for our teens who are interested in a career in conservation or wish to be consistently involved in the work of The Cibolo, we’re thrilled to announce the development of a new Teen Ambassador program.
The Teen Ambassador program will train the shining stars our organization has the pleasure of working with as camp counselors or Trailblazers to implement interpretative educational lessons in the Visitors Center, Teaching Garden, and on the trails this fall. Whether it’s leading a game to guess the carrying capacity of a bat, introducing guests to our Gray-banded Kingsnake, or explaining the intentionality behind and replicability of the Teaching Garden at Herff Farm, our ambassadors will be out on the trails and ready to teach this fall. If you’re walking a trail and lucky enough to come across one of our ambassadors, consider stopping and talking with them. They’re a great way to learn about the soul of The Cibolo from the folks best qualified to tell it
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