Organizers of the summer Dino
Camps project in Tumbler Ridge announced earlier this week
that the six-week pilot program, scheduled for July and August
2003, is sold out.
A joint initiative between Northern Lights College and the
Tumbler Ridge Museum Foundation, the dinosaur theme camps
met with such
enthusiasm that 60 children were registered, more than a month
in advance of the July 7 start date. A waiting list has been
established, in case of cancellations, and organizers are already
taking names for next year.
"
Our marketing efforts took a while to gather momentum, but once
they did we were overwhelmed at the response," says Carolyn
Golightly, Tumbler Ridge Museum Foundation President. "It
was obvious when it happened. We went from a trickle of inquiries
to a flood and before we knew it, the camps were full. Judging
by the response, we’ll easily fill twice or three times
the spots next year."
Dino Camps 2003 is a pilot project, designed to test the
market and to test the curriculum, which is being developed
and delivered
by camp coordinator Marisa Gilbert, a palaeontology student
from the University of Alberta.
From her office in the Tumbler Ridge campus, Marisa is fine-tuning
the curriculum, which includes field trips to nearby dinosaur
trackways and to Hudsons Hope, simulated excavations, games
and instruction in geology, palaeontology and history. This
curriculum
will be expanded over the next year to include programs for
adults, seniors and students of all ages.
Many of the Dino Camp participants are from Hudsons Hope,
Chetwynd and Farmington, but some from as far away as Kelowna
and Port
Alberni and in several cases the children are grandchildren
of local residents. Each participant will receive a certificate
of completion, t-shirt, water bottle and his or her own
handmade cast of an authentic dinosaur print, as a memento
of Tumbler
Ridge and the Dino Camp experience.
For more information,
log on to www.nlc.bc.ca, or call 250-242-5591 to register
for Dino camps 2004.
