For More Information Contact:
Colleen Pillus: (845) 486-2000, cpillus@dutchessny.gov
The Dutchess County Parks Division will once again host its popular summer programs for children ages 9-17 at Bowdoin Park in the Town of Poughkeepsie and Wilcox Park in the Town of Milan. Featuring hands-on activities such as hiking, starting camp fires, finding food and water and other survival skills, tracking, archery, Nerf tag, and building group problem-solving skills, each program’s sessions are held Monday-Thursday from 9:30am to 4pm with early drop-off and late-pick up options available. Registration is first come, first served and is available on the Dutchess County Parks website. Sessions cost $170 each and due to the programs’ popularity, each child will be limited to one session of each.
County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro said, “Dutchess County’s award-winning parks have so much to offer. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get swept up in the rush of life. Our summer programs at our beautiful Bowdoin and Wilcox parks give children the chance to play, explore, and build essential life skills while instilling a greater appreciation for the natural world around them.”
The Adventure Program and Survival Program, for ages 9-11, will be held July 8th-11th or July 22nd-25th. The Adventure Intensive Program and Survival Intensive Program, for ages 12-14, will be held July 15th-18th or August 5th-8th. These programs will be at Bowdoin Park.
Additional programs include Complete Survival at Wilcox Park for ages 12-14 on July 29th-August 1st and Living Survival at Bowdoin Park for ages 15-17 on August 12th-15th. These sessions will mimic a real survival situation framed in the context of a story that changes every year. Complete Survival requires students to have participated in Survival Intensive and ends with an optional overnight stay. These programs are limited to 20 participants.
Dutchess County Parks Naturalist and program instructor, Dave Beck said, “Kids often take our environment for granted. In the wild, every choice and action has consequences. Our summer programs are designed to allow them to play games, run around to exert bottled up energy, solve puzzles, and test their strategic thinking while making lifelong friends. Whether we’re hiking, learning survival skills, playing games or telling stories, we are outside experiencing the world.”
Summer program registration is available online or by printing and mailing in the form included with the Summer Program brochure. Send completed forms with payment to Parks Naturalist, Bowdoin Park, 85 Sheafe Road, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590.
To learn more about the programs available at Bowdoin Park as well as other Dutchess County Parks, visit the Parks Division website at dutchessny.gov or call (845) 298-4600.
