The 5th grade students of Borrego Springs Elementary had an amazing time at Camp Borrego that took place February 24 - 26. For many of them it was their first night away from home. The students spent time in the Visitor Center, toured the paleontology and archaeology labs, played games with their peers, put on skits about Anza-Borrego’s unique paleontological finds, participated in meal prep and clean up, hiked, and participated in plenty of team-building activities.

The curriculum was carried out by the facilitators, Naturalists At Large, and the topics covered during camp included adaptations to the desert, the unique flora and fauna, rock types, extinct animals of the Park, and indigenous history of the region. The students also learned how to recreate safely outdoors in the desert. They met with Park Ranger Jessica, who shared her job responsibilities with the group and how she came to be in that role. Several students exclaimed their interest at becoming a park ranger in the future!

While the students were not able to camp outdoors due to the extreme, rainy weather, they were able to sleep at the UCI Steele/Burnand Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center. The rooms contain dormitories with bunk beds, which made for quite the slumber party!

We are incredibly grateful for the anonymous donation that funds the Carl Ellsworth and Patricia Mary Miller Scholarship for Youth Education that made Camp Borrego possible this year and each year. Some of our goals at the Anza-Borrego Foundation include connecting the local Borrego Springs community to the State Park and to facilitate outdoor learning in underserved communities. Camp Borrego allows us to accomplish both of those goals!