MANSFIELD, PA— Seventeen high school students from the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania spent four days studying environmental education at Mansfield University’s Earth Camp during the week of July 9. The entire camp was cost-free to the participants thanks to a grant from Shell.
Taught by Mansfield University faculty, staff and students, along with volunteers from Mill Cove Environmental Area and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), camp participants spent the week learning about the natural world through hands-on classes, outdoor recreation and teamwork activities.
Much of the field learning was done at Mill Cove 
Environmental Area, but trips to the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, Hills Creek State Park and Asaph Field were also included. The group also travelled to WETM-TV in Elmira, NY to learn about weather and climate from meteorologist Shelby Clark. Campers stayed in the residence halls and ate on campus.
“The focus was on how local climate change impacts in the environment,” Lee Stocks, associate professor of Geosciences, said. “I think it was a tremendous success.”
“This camp would not have been possible without the generous support of Shell Appalachia, plus the backing of the Institute of Science and the Environment at Mansfield University and Mill Cove Environmental Area,” Jennifer Demchak, chair of the Department of Geosciences, said.
Stocks and Demchak served as co-directors of the camp.
To see more photos from Earth Camp 2017, visit the Department of Geosciences Facebook page at facebook.com/MUGeosciences/