Seventeen Pike County 4-H’ers spent much of last week attending 4-H Summer Camp at the 4-H Center in Columbiana.

The theme for the 2016 4-H Summer Camp was Wild West and, to a one, the campers said they could not have had more fun or learned more if they had spent a week in the Wild West.

Emily Rolling, Pike County 4-H foundation agent, and CeCe Lotierzo, agent assistant, accompanied the 4-H’ers and had as much fun as the kids.

“Four-H Summer Camp is held at the beautiful 4-H Center and the 4-H’ers had fun, learning experiences from early in the morning until after dark,” Rolling said. “They participated in arts and crafts, fishing, canoeing, paddle boarding, clover hop, rock climbing, giant swing, robotics, rocketry, archery, swimming and the Wild West Survivor activity.”

Nighttime activities included a Wild West hoedown and a marshmallow roast with many stories shared around the campfire.

Several of the campers were first timers, some had been before but Alisa Kay Culpepper, who was attending for her fifth consecutive year, was the most experienced camper.

“I go back to 4-H Summer Camp every year because it’s a blast,” said Culpepper, a rising 10th grader at Pike County High School. “I get to meet new people and make new friends and I learn so many new things.”

Each summer camp, there are new and exciting things to do and Culpepper said this year paddle boarding was a favorite activity.

“Clover hop was a team-building activity and it was fun and challenging,” she said. “The camp theme was Wild West one night we had a hoedown and danced to country songs. I really liked Wild West Survivor. We learned to light a fire and to make a shelter for animals. “

Culpepper said the Alabama the Great program was an up-close introduction to a snake, an owl and a turtle and the campers learned things about those animals they had never known or expected.

For Culpepper, 4-H Summer Camp has been a stepping-stone to where she wants to go.

“I want to be a CIT, a camper in training, at 4-H Summer Camp next year,” she said. “You have to be 15 years old and go through an interview process to qualify. I’d really like to be a CIT, for the experience. A CIT has to stay at camp all week long and that would be a blast.”

She plans to attend Auburn University and earn a degree in animal science.

“I want to be a veterinarian. I love animals, and I’d like to take care of them,” she said.

Rolling said 4-H provides building blocks for almost any career that a young person might choose and summer camp is a good learning experience. Campers learn to be more independent. They learn to accept responsibility and to be team players. They learn new skills and develop new interests.  They build friendships and make memories that last a lifetime.

“Four-H Summer Camp registration opens every year in February at the Pike County Extension Office,” Rolling said. “Spots are limited and are given on a first-come, first-serve basis. Camp is open to all Pike County 4-H’ers, ages nine through 14. I encourage all 4-H’ers that would like to attend camp to begin planning now.”

Rolling said now is also the time to begin thinking about getting involved in the Pike County 4-H program as a volunteer. For information, call the Pike County Extension Office at 334-566-0985.