Montgomery Village kids enjoy five days of camp: Week 7

Ready for a hike

Every week of Outdoor Adventure Camp had a similar schedule. Each new group did roughly the same activities as the group the week before. 

Week seven most of the kids were from the Montgomery Village Boys & Girls Club. 

Mondays were filled with team building, introductions and a scavenger hunt, the rest of the week there were many activities including how to set up a tent quickly and pack a backpack for a long hike. There were always many trips to the lake and creek, especially during the heat of the afternoon. Fridays always ended with an ice cream and watermelon victory social.

Outdoor Adventure Camp is a confidence builder. It's a new program for Ijams and it's made possible with the help of these generous partners:

          • West Knoxville Sertoma Club 

          • Boys and Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley 

          • Grassroots Outdoor Alliance 

          • Horny Toad Activewear 

          • Pelican International 

          • River Sports Outfitters

Additional food and funding provided by:

          • South Knoxville Alliance  

Ijams offers camp scholarships for kids in traditionally under-served communities. After the first four weeks we've seen kids from Walter P. Taylor, Western Heights, Middlebrook, North Ridge Crossing, Halls/Powell and Haslam, Norwood and Montgomery Village Boys and Girls Club. 

Here's some highlights of week seven:

- Jennifer Roder. Story and photos by Stephen Lyn Bales. 

Open your eyes. It's time for the team scavenger hunt.

And a four-leaf clover is worth 50 points!

And a creek walk to look for crawdads and salamanders. 

There's a faux storm coming, must set up the tents quickly. 

Then repack and head out on the trail.

Outdoor Adventure Camp

Click the weeks to look back at the fun!

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3 

Week 4

Week 5
Week 6

And a thank you to the South Knoxville Alliance

North Cove Bridge repaired as Eagle Scout project

The North Cove Bridge, built in 1997, received a major overhaul. Christopher Penny, Eagle Scout Candidate from T45 of the Boy Scouts of America, rebuilt the bridge with his family and troop. Chris raised five hundred dollars and received another donation of five thousand dollars of lumber from Core Tenn. Inc.

The bridge was dismantled and a telephone pole was carried by hand from the parking lot at the home site. A utility pole was purchased and donated by Ed Yost. The pole was replaced and the bridge was redirected on Sunday and reopened the following Saturday after railings were installed.

- Thank you, Christopher, Troop 45, Core Tenn and Ed!

Campers found their inner artist: Nature Day Camp Week 2

Watch out Eddie Van Halen

Summer camp is over. Eight busy, fun-filled weeks. They came and went so fast, it's hard to believe the camps are over. Here's a look back at our Art in the Park camp for ages 6-8 (Entering Grades 1-3)

Pablo Picasso once stated, “Every child is an artist.” The campers discovered their inner virtuosos through a variety of mediums and modes of art, as well as the unique way nature can inspire those creative juices. Whether it be painting, designing clothing, making music or using natural materials and even recycled items to make musical instruments and band uniforms. 

We caught up with the kids on music day. Enjoy. 

- Jennifer Roder/Stephen Lyn Bales. Photos by Katie Plank. 

St. Peppers Recycled Garb Club Band

The Ijams Flute Recorder Ensemble and a stirring rendition of "Hot Cross Buns"

Ijams summer camp is over, on-site field trips begin

Now that the summer camps are over and the kids are all back in school, the on-site field trips have began. Yesterday, we welcomed fourth-graders from Tate's School. 

Sabrina DeVault (far left) led the group and the topic was Water Ecology which included a one hour hike to Toll Creek and the Tennessee River and a one hour session of dip-netting the Plaza Pond, i.e. oodles of tadpoles, newts, dragonfly and damselfly larva, snails, backswimmers, water striders and one very odd worm-like fishfly larva.

Thank you, Tate's!

We also welcome our new AmeriCorps educator Sammi Stoklosa (sitting in center with kids).

For information about booking your class call On-Site Coordinator Sabrina DeVault: at (865) 577-4717, ext. 116.  

Campers go down the rabbit hole. Nature Day Camp Week 1

Summer camp is over. Eight busy, fun-filled weeks. They came and went so fast, it's hard to believe the camps are over. Here's a look back at our Down the Rabbit Hole camp for ages 5-7 (Entering Grades K-2)

Once upon a time at Ijams Wonderland, a place recently discovered where caterpillars speak, smiling cats disappear into thin air, it's always time for tea and everyone dances the Lobster Quadrille.

- Jennifer Roder. Photos by Katie Plank.

It was a place where Alice and Al soon outgrew their houses

And the Mad Hatters wore Cheshire grins

Bugs eaten and more at our Bugs-Travaganza!

Jennifer Roder prepares one of her specialities: Chocolate Chirp Cookies, i.e. butter, flour, sugar,
chocolate chips and crickets

Bugs-Travaganza! We celebrated all things buggy with a fun-filled afternoon of creepy, crawly fun last Saturday! Every hour, there was a different activity such as Cicada Tomat-uh, Aquatic Insects, Edible Bugs and finally Bug Night.

- Stephen Lyn Bales

A dip-net brigade!

A sweep-net brigade with volunteer leader Joe!