By: Bianca Gray, 9 years old
The following is a submission of one of our applicants to this year’s Chaa Creek Eco Kids Summer Camp.
Officially known as the Children’s Summer Camp Scholarship Program, the annual event gives 24 young Belizeans between the ages of 8 and 13 a chance to learn about their natural world through a mix of adventure, social interaction, fun and hands-on education aimed at instilling a sense of wonder and responsibility for the environment.
The Eco Kids are selected after submitting a 300 word written essay which is reviewed and shortlisted by the Chaa Creek scholarship committee with the winners going on to attend the summer camp.
Chaa Creek will be providing all lodging, three healthy meals and snacks each day, structured educational activities, arts and craft materials, tee shirts, 24-hour camp counselor supervision, and guided tours conducted by licensed naturalist guides.
Good luck potential Eco Kids!
Why I want to be an Eco-Kid
I want to be an eco kid because I think it would be fun and I like to watch animals.
I have five dogs and seven puppies. My favourite animals are cats, dogs, horses, bunnies, foxes and wolves. I also like butterflies and birds. I have seen morfo and monarch butterflies. I have also seen some birds, I have seen the Yucatan blue jays, peacocks, owls, the national bird toucans, doves, pigeons, hummingbirds and woodpeckers.
I love horses and ponies, and I would love to come and ride them. My favourite horse is the Mustang. I have only ridden one horse before, and it was not tamed well. My five dogs love me. Their names are Sugar, Nella, Sushi, Peanut and Butter. My five dogs are only three girls and two boys. I have never been to camp before. I think I will have a lot of fun. I want to go bird watching and look at different animals. I love to be outside and I like to look at nature. I watch survival shows so I think it will be fun. My sister went to Eco kid camp before, and she said it was awesome.
I think I will learn a lot there. I want to have fun and make new friends. I want to learn more about nature and animals. I also want to learn about recycling, reusing, and reducing. My dogs are recycled dogs. They are all abandoned dogs that we found on the street. I reuse plastic bottles as water bottles for school. I reduce the time I spend on the computer. I want to learn about organic gardening, so me and my family can eat healthy. The most important thing about being an eco kid is learning and having fun at the same time.