Friends of Rogers campers enjoyed hiking and exploring the great outdoors. (Submitted photo)

SHERBURNE — Friends of Rogers Environmental Education Center, Inc., recently finished its six-week youth summer camp.

During the weekly program, 135 campers enjoyed daily activities such as outdoor exploring, hiking, canoeing, fishing, survival skills and fire-building.

The campers finished up with an All-Star week filled with favorites from previous weeks, including hiking to the Farm Tower, water activities, roasting marshmallows, counting snapping turtles, building forts, critter netting and archery.

"This year focused on education staff leading special activities each week of camp, including fire-building, archery, and hands-on environmental education programs such as Project WET curriculum," said Friends of Rogers Education and Communications Lead Ariah Mitchell.

Mitchell noted lessons based on Next Generation Science Standards were also offered, including "Buzz and Bloom Pollinator Adventure," a new Rogers school program.

"At Rogers Summer Camp, the kids are outside nearly all day every day, connecting with nature on the trails at Rogers and utilizing the environmental education facilities," Mitchell said.

"There is a large variety of activities so every child can find something they’re passionate about. A mix of team building, crafts, and games is incorporated into each weekly session," she added.

Mitchell said the eight to10-year-olds and 11 to 13-year-olds had a blast on the archery range, learning a new skill with National Archery in the Schools Program-trained instructors, while the six- to seven-year-olds enjoyed fishing and netting for aquatic macroinvertebrates.

Because the camp is nearly all outdoors, counselors had to be extra inventive with crafts and activities on days when air quality or inclement weather kept campers inside, Mitchell explained.

Erica Clark, camp director for Rogers Summer Camp, shared some of her favorite moments.

"When campers' faces light up as they catch a fish, in archery when they get into the swing of it and hit the targets with more accuracy, and the day spent at our Adams Farm property," Clark said.

Mitchell said Rogers Summer Camp has been offered to New York youth for more than a decade and will welcome campers back for more summer fun in 2027.

The Rogers Center is New York state's oldest environmental education center, according to its website. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation operated the center until 2010.

Since 2011, Friends of Rogers, a private nonprofit organization, has operated the facility, providing school programs, public programs and annual events.

The DEC and Friends of Rogers work together to steward the land and its lessons for generations to come.

For more information, visit friendsofrogers.org.