Greenkill Trek Continues Huntington Spring Tradition
A decades-long tradition of Huntington School District sixth graders trekking to the Greenkill Environmental Education Center in Upstate Huguenot continued this spring as hundreds of students from Woodhull and Jack Abrams intermediate schools made the journey and had a ball in the process.
The youngsters participated in a series of informative and unique lessons, hiked and experienced a variety of outdoor activities and thrills. This year, each intermediate school sent students to the camp for four days and three nights. The 1,000 acre site, which is located about ten miles from Port Jervis, is owned and operated by the YMCA of Greater New York. The three-hour bus ride to the camp was understandably filled with anticipation and a sense of excitement.
The trip was coordinated by teachers Allison Von Vange and Keith Meyers. Once on site, the youngsters were assembled in groups of 12 and hiked through wooded areas with a trained naturalist, studied pond and forest ecology, learned about orienteering and survival skills and related outdoor themes.
An all-day hike was popular with the students, who cooked hot dogs and hamburgers over a camp fire. Jack Abrams School is named after the man who originally discovered Camp Greenkill for the Huntington School District in 1976. Mr. Abrams was working as principal of Jefferson Elementary School at the time. One of his colleagues, Anthony Baressi, who later served as Jefferson principal, helped organize Huntington’s participation in the camp program. Since then the district has sent more than 7,000 sixth graders to Camp Greenkill.
"The camp staff is so accommodating to us and has a very well structured program that runs so smoothly,” Mr. Meyers said. “It has been virtually untouched for over 30 years. Anyone who went there when they were in sixth grade probably had a very similar experience as this year's crop of sixth graders."
"The most memorable part of the trip for me was going on the all day hike and having the cookout," said Alex Borma, a Woodhull sixth grader. “Greenkill was a great place to be,” one of the Jack Abrams School students said. “It was great experiencing new things, especially the waterfall and fossil ridge.”
This year’s participants encountered a new building on the camp’s grounds carrying the name Evergreen and certified as a LEED green structure. “The building, in addition to being a functioning dorm building, is used to teach the children about the importance of constructing a building that is environmentally sound,” Mrs. Von Vange said.
The new structure includes Plexiglas portals that allow students to see the unique materials used under floors and behind walls. Insulation is made of recycled materials, including wood, countertops and even some of the stone. There are recycling stations throughout the building, and water is heated more efficiently than in the standard process.
Mr. Meyers and Ms. Von Vange both participated in the Camp Greenkill trip when they were Huntington sixth graders. They returned as chaperones when they joined the district’s faculty and have been trip coordinators for the past 12 years.
"Through the years, I've seen the students become involved in all the activities,” Mrs. Von Vange said. “Especially rewarding is seeing the faces of students who would have otherwise never had such an enriching opportunity. Each year I look forward to bringing our sixth grade classes to Greenkill."
Once again, the Huntington Foundation provided financial assistance for families needing it to send a son or daughter on the trip. Jack Abrams School staff members and families who made monetary contributions, making the journey affordable for those struggling through tough times.
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