State Department of Environmental Protection using social media to reach campers

CHARLESTON, WV – West Virginia’s State Junior Conservation Camp is down but not out. The popular June camp for 11- to 14-year-olds was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic but organizers have put together a virtual version in its place.

From June 22-26, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) will offer daily video playlists on its YouTube channel, “Environment Matters,” covering traditional camp activities such as hunter safety, crafts, wildlife, kayaking, forestry and other environmental topics. There also will be live webinars. The free videos and lessons are tailored to camp-age viewers, but anyone is invited to tune in.

In addition to the agency’s YouTube channel, links to all virtual camp offerings, plus other educational resources, will be accessible through the WVDEP’s Youth Environmental Program (YEP) website (https://dep.wv.gov/environmental-advocate/YEP/Pages/default.aspx).

Representatives from the WVDEP, as well as the divisions of Natural Resources and Forestry, are featured in the camp videos and webinars.

No registration is required for the virtual camp videos but those wishing to tune into a live webinar must register in advance. For a complete camp schedule and information on how to sign up for a webinar, visit the YEP website. (https://dep.wv.gov/environmental-advocate/YEP/Pages/default.aspx).

Sponsored by the WVDEP, State Junior Conservation Camp annually is conducted at Cedar Lakes in Jackson County. The first camp was held in 1981.