Marine biologist offering virtual children’s camp

A free summer camp focusing on fish and animals is being offered to the children of Canyon Lake by Canyon Laker Darien Satterfield. Darien is pursuing a doctorate degree in Marine Biology at the University of California at Davis and will be leading the camp, which will be held online via Zoom.

The 10-week program will take place on Wednesdays and Fridays. Each week a new topic will be covered and will include an activity and time for discussion. Right now the camp is already into Week Two, but Darien said the camp is not being held in consecutive order, so children can jump in at any time without feeling as though they have missed anything.

“I’m hoping to share with others what it is like to be an animal scientist,” Darien said. “We will even practice collecting data.”

Darien puts together activity kits and drops them off at each of the campers homes so that each child can actively participate. Although the camp is free for participation and Zoom meetings, optional activity packets cost $10 per camper.

All ages are welcomed to join this educational and fun virtual camp, Darien said. Seven Canyon Lake children, ages 3 to 10, are currently signed up for the camp, but there is room for many more.

The summer camp classes start with a show and each participant tells of his or her art projects from that week. She said the kids then talk about what they have learned from the previous lesson and the rest of the activity is Darien speaking about the animal of the week. The campers learn about the animal’s habitat, what it eats and everything it needs for survival. Darien asks the campers many questions in order to keep them involved, she said, and they end with a question and answer session.

Darien has planned a fun socially-distant adventure for the campers’ final outing. She plans on leading a kayak trip with campers and parents to see what animals can be spotted around Canyon Lake.

The animals that will be discussed are categorized into 10 weeks: Dinosaurs, Ocean Critters, African Wildlife, Antarctic and Arctic Wilderness, Farming Animals around the World, Jungles, American Plains, Urban Animals, Bugs and Life on Canyon Lake.

To sign up for the camp and obtain instructions for logging onto the Zoom meetings, parents can email Dorien at Drsatterfield@ucdavis.edu or go to her Facebook page and message her.

Darien Satterfield, a Canyon Lake student studying for her doctorate in Marine Biology at UC Davis, holds a fish during one of her recent outings. Darien is holding a virtual summer camp for Canyon Lake children focused on fish and animals. Photo courtesy of Darien Sutterfield