LA SALLE - University of Illinois Extension recently held a “Find Your Spark in the Park with 4-H” camp at Rotary Park in LaSalle co-sponsored with the City of LaSalle Park District. Participants ranged in age from 8-12 and came from all over LaSalle County to attend.

The week-long camp featured a different 4-H project area each day for the campers to explore. The sparks (interests) included poultry, nature, sports nutrition, aerospace, cats, and dogs.

Poultry day included live chickens. The campers learned about the pullets, the stages of development within the eggs, and the parts of an incubator. They learned how to care for the animals and were able to interact with them.

On the next day, campers learned about sports nutrition from St. Bede Academy’s wrestling coach, Sam Allen. He taught them about hydration, healthy eating habits, and the importance of daily exercise. They also learned some new exercises and how to monitor their heartrate. Aerospace was a blast for the campers who got to design, build and fly their own rockets. They used a PVC pipe and 2-liter bottle launching pad to try out their designs.

On the last day of camp, volunteers from Illinois Valley Animal Rescue came to talk with the youth about cats and dogs. They learned how to care for the animals, groom them, and train them. IVAR volunteers John McKirgan and Bill Jacobsen brought Mayday the Minister, a dog rescued not far from the park where the camp was held, to meet the kids. Marilyn Worsley, a cat volunteer, brought some kittens. The nature part of the camp was ongoing and included a little hike and a scavenger hunt. Everyone, even the animals, had a great week.

To learn more about local 4-H programs, please contact Beth Dellatori, 4-H Youth Development Educator at beth5@illinois.edu or call (815) 224-0889. You can also visit their website to see programs in the counties of Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall and Putnam, at https://extension.illinois.edu/blmp.