Eco Campers learn to fish

By Daniel Curtin
Hometown Weekly Reporter

Kids were fishing at Lake Sabrina in Wellesley last Monday during an Eco Camp hosted by the Wellesley Conservation Council. The first day of the camp saw middle-school-aged participants catching fish while learning about the natural environment around them.

The Youth Commission in Wellesley partnered with the Wellesley Conservation Council to run the camp, which lasted five days. The program allowed campers to experience and appreciate many of the beautiful natural areas the town of Wellesley has to offer, like Morses Pond.

Matthew Hornung, who works as an advisory member on Wellesley Conservation Council, played a large role in running the camp. “We started this last year, so this is the second time, and we increased participation up to 25 for this year,” he said. “We put this together with a lot of partnerships with various groups in town. The various activities throughout the week have the overall goal to expose the [kids] to the environment - nature in their own backyards - and introduce them to some to some of the skills involved.”

Among the useful information taught to the kids was how to identify poison ivy and other flora in the area.

Mass Wildlife provided the fishing rods and bait, in addition to teaching the kids how to cast and how to safely remove a hook from a fish’s mouth. Jacob Averka, who works with Mass Wildlife, says it’s satisfying getting to work with the kids.

“It’s definitely very rewarding to share your knowledge and to see people get enjoyment in the outdoors and [recognize] what it has to offer. Especially now, when it’s tougher to get kids outside doing outdoorsy stuff,” Averka said.

Pete Jones, one of the directors on the Wellesley Conservation Council, believes that with the amount of time people spend on their phones today, it’s very important to take time away from technology and enjoy the benefits of the great outdoors.

“We’ve been tied to our smartphones for so long now, and the kids don’t get a chance to see what’s happening around them as much. This opportunity for the Council is to basically get them out here enjoying all this, and then to become [pro-conservation], and then they can continue it for generations to come,” Jones said. “What we’re losing is that social aspect of it, where kids … get together with their buddies and fish, getting to talk about what they caught.”

Judy Barr, another member on the board of directors for the Conservation Council, believes the camp shows kids the natural beauty of the area.

“It’s to get them outside,” Barr said, “and to get them to appreciate, especially in Wellesley, the beauty that really does exist here.”