Campers will be able to enjoy an additional week of summer camp at Camp Pack Forest in Warrensburg, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens announced today. Youth ages 11 through 13 years old can attend the new Outdoor Skills Adventure Week to be held August 17-23.

“With Governor Cuomo’s commitment to expanding recreation opportunities throughout the state, DEC will offer an additional week of camp at Pack Forest,” Commissioner Martens said. “For the first time, the new Outdoor Skills Adventure Week will focus on outdoor recreation and developing life-long skills for future sportsmen and sportswomen. Campers will have a new opportunity take part in a variety of lessons and workshops to develop their outdoor skills including fishing, hunting and trapping techniques; wildlife observation; camping skills; and more, all taught by camp staff and professionals.”

This special week of camp will offer opportunities for youth to hone their outdoor skills through a variety of activities. Areas of instruction and demonstration will include: a fishing seminar, turkey calling, a muzzleloading demonstration, field archery, wildlife identification, fly casting, casting competition, a hunting dog demonstration, electronic wildlife tracking, a field dressing demonstration, night-time animal tracking, fur handling and preparation, orienteering, Global Positioning System cache searching, demonstration and safe use of fire arms and environmental conservation officer and forest ranger career explorations.

Highly trained camp staff, DEC Environmental Conservation Officers, DEC Forest Rangers, fishing instructors, sportsman educators and biologists will conduct or assist with classes. Campers will have opportunities to learn outdoor skills through hands-on experiences in a safe and fun atmosphere. This week focuses on extensive field and outdoor recreation adventures, and campers will be provided information on how they can attend Sportsman Education classes in their local communities.

Parents may register campers through DEC’s convenient, online registration system and pay by credit card, e-check or with a sponsor code. Fees for the 2014 camp season remain $350 per one-week session per camper. Summer camp dates and a link to the online registration system are posted on DEC’s website: http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/29.html.  Families without internet access should call the camp office at 518-402-8014 for information on how to register for camp alternatively.

For more information please visit DEC's website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/29.html, call 518-402-8014, visit “NYS DEC Summer Camps” on Facebook or write to DEC Camps, 4th Floor, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233-4500.