Conservation Heroes inspired by Camp!
Avid Learners
Sariah and Malachi, siblings ages 9 and 11, are doing great things lately, thanks to their foster parents and the Foundation’s Enrichment program. First, it was Sariah’s spring soccer league and Malachi’s football season. Next, they got to go to summer camp!
At Disney’s conservation camp, Sariah and Malachi were completely engrossed in learning all about wildlife and conservation. After each day, their non-stop chatter was a telltale sign they were loving it! Even Sariah, who’s usually quiet, was rambling on and on about her day-excitedly describing the nice people, the fun things she did, and all she saw! Her foster mother was delighted to see her enthusiasm.
The children were able to explore, learn, and interact at this camp. After they’d completed their first week, the foster mother said they were “beside themselves” when they found out they’d be returning for a second week! We can certainly see why, because activities at the camp were abundant and unique! Sariah and Malachi learned about conservation and recycling, the migration of birds, animal nutrition, and more. They saw giraffes and elephants up close, interacted with the keepers, created enrichment toys for the animals, and even met a dog who sniffs out turtle nests. Malachi was also able to meet the dolphins at The Living Seas. After all of that learning, of course the camp let them go on some rides as well!
Malachi had much to share with the Foundation about camp. According to Malachi, it helped him “feel like everyone else”. He was also thankful to have the experience since he can now identify many different types of birds and animals. Malachi said, “The Disney Camps were so fun! We learned about animals and recycling and why it’s so important to take care of our environment. Did you know that White Rhinos are not named that because they are white, but because the word White in Swahili means wide, and it stands for their wide mouth!?”
A Lasting Impact
Malachi’s foster mother explained “After going to camp, Malachi is a conservation hero! He’s very concerned about conserving water. He tells us we shouldn’t be wasting water. One example of this is when his sister splashes and water goes out of the pool. He tells her not to do that because he doesn’t want to have use more water to refill the pool. Another thing is he wants to recycle everything and will call people out if they don’t!”
Sariah says that the Foundation helped her do “normal kids things” and she was excited to start school, so she could tell her friends about all the cool things she did over the summer! “Camp was AWESOME! We learned a lot of animals and about conservation! I got to meet some of the animal keepers too. They have a really cool and important job… When we went to the beach on vacation, I made sure I filled in all of my sand holes so the turtles could get to the water!”
Sariah and Malachi have clearly found inspiration. Thanks to conservation camp, they’ll protect the earth and learn all about their world, including wildlife both near and far. They’re putting their new knowledge into action!
Our hats go off to Malachi and Sariah!