DEC Summer Camp
Spots Up for Grabs

Lottery Begins March 1st

OTSEGO COUNTY
Children ages 11 through 13 throughout Otsego County have an opportunity to win a free week at a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation summer camp through a special lottery offered by the Otsego County Conservation Association. The lottery is open through the month of March, with winners announced on March 31, OCCA officials said.

“For over 75 years, DEC summer camps have offered young people so many wonderful educational experiences in the great outdoors,” said Amy Wyant, OCCA’s executive director. “We are pleased to be able to once again offer this opportunity to children in the area.”

Children ages 11-13 can enter the lottery with parental permission by filling out an entry form on OCCA’s website at occainfo.org/camp/. The form requires name, age, and contact information, and asks the children to answer a single question: Why do you want to go to DEC summer camp? Wyant said, “We’ve awarded camperships through essay contests in the past but decided to simplify things for this year.”

Winners will have multiple sessions and camps to choose from, Wyant said. DEC currently offers camps at four locations across the state, including in the Adirondacks, the Catskills, and western New York. Camp activities include hiking, canoeing, fishing, and archery; exploring diverse habitats; and learning basic ecological principles and skills. Camps run for five days, with the first available session beginning on July 2 and the last ending on August 18.

“Through generous funding from the Tianaderrah Foundation, we’ve been able to send many kids to DEC summer camps over the years,” Wyant said. “Everyone who has gone has told us what a great experience it is.”

For more information, call OCCA at (607) 547-4488.