Reinstein Woods Environmental Educator Assistant Mike Adriaansen received a partnership award this spring from Houghton Academy, a Buffalo Public School.

Mike has been working with Houghton students since he started with DEC more than 12 years ago. He has helped 128 students from the school attend Camp Rushford. Students have the opportunity to canoe, fish, swim, and learn wilderness skills during their time at camp.

Mike coordinates the campership program and works with the students throughout the year to familiarize them with fellow campers and the outdoors. Mike organizes activities such as planting native seedlings, hiking at Reinstein Woods, and snowshoeing in the months leading up to camp.

It is clear that Mike has had a positive impact on this program. When his name was called for the award, you could hear the excited cheers of many current and past campers! Some of the students Mike has worked with have returned to camp and gone on to become counselors. Mike continues to encourage students to get involved and attend Camp Rushford. He is a champion of connecting kids to nature!

The campership program is supported by Friends of Reinstein Woods. The Friends group pays to transport kids to camp and funds supplies, food, and entrance fees for camper activities throughout the year.  We are so honored to have Mike Adriaansen as a part of the team here at Reinstein Woods!

Congratulations to Mike for a well-deserved award!

“This week was the highlight of my summer.”

So proclaimed one of the campers who attended Camp Rushford, an environmental education summer camp in Allegany County. The camper was one of more than a dozen kids who attended camp through NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s campership program, offered in partnership with Friends of Reinstein Woods. The program recruits kids from urban, underserved areas and enables them to go to camp for free. Friends of Reinstein Woods also pays to sponsor a child to attend camp through the Peter Losi Memorial Campership.

The children spent a week immersed in hands-on learning and fun, discovering the wonders of field, forest, and pond, as well as studying the impact of humans on the environment.  A grant from the Junior League of Buffalo provided bus transportation for the children attending camp this summer.

The students had a life-affirming experience, as expressed here:

“This week was the best week of the summer… My favorite part of camp was to make new friends and to play games that I never played before.”

“I had a great time meeting new friends, bonding with counselors, and seeing things I have never sought to see. I would for sure love to come back and have another great time!”

Four of the campers in this program received “Outstanding Camper of the Week” awards. Some of them will have the opportunity to return to camp next year, furthering their development as the next generation of environmental stewards.