An Interview with Aisha Mitchell of the Hartshorn Summer Program

For this article, we interviewed Aisha Mitchell, Director of the Hartshorn Summer Program, which is held each year at the Peabody Mill Environmental Center on Brook Road in Amherst. 

This is Hartshorn’s 24^th year.  What makes it different than other day camps around?

The Hartshorn Summer Program is an environmentally based, on-site, hands-on camp with science components.  Camp is held at the base of the nearly 600 acre Joe English Reservation, which includes over 10 miles of trails, ponds, streams, a brook, and a wide variety of wildlife.  Children can do a lot of exploring and never get bored.

The PMEC and forest around it are like hidden jewels. Although it can seem like we are a bit out of the way, it’s worth the trip.  This place is unlike any other conservation land around.  It has its own sense of wonder and awe. 

What is the benefit to a kid attending Harthsorn?  

Kids often don’t get to explore their own backyards like they used to.  This camp gets them outside learning in a fun environment and gives them a chance to explore and learn about what is in their backyard.  Kids love learning to identify what is around them and the most exciting part is that they get to take that knowledge home and apply it. 

What do kids typically do at camp?

Kids often spend their day hiking, exploring, collecting, experimenting, and enjoying our many streams, ponds, and the brook.  Depending on the class, kids also do crafts, play games, create art, dig for artifacts, construct shelters, build rockets, and more!

What are the kids’ favorite activities at PMEC?

There are so many that it’s hard to list just a few…

• Fishing, frogging, and playing with the nets around the pond.  The small pond near the center contains a large variety of macroinvertebrates, frogs, turtles, and fish. 
• Playing in the brook when the water level allows.
• Exploring the many trails around the Joe English Reservation and especially the unexplored spaces between the trails.

You have been at Hartshorn for 5 years now.  What are some of your best
memories?

Just being out on the trails and seeing a child’s face when they discover something for the first time.  I especially love hiking with the kids, riverwalks, catching frogs at the pond, and hiking through the back woods with the kids- off the trail… and having that sense of freedom that comes from blazing your own trail and exploring areas no one has ventured in for a long time. 

What are some of the new classes this year?

We are excited to be offering lots of new classes this year, including Dinosaur Discovery, Nature Based Play, Pioneer Times, Cold Blooded Friends, The Science of Magic, Science through a Camera Lens, FBI (Fungus Bacteria and Invertebrates) and Going Buggy – A study in entomology. 

What are some of the all time favorite classes? 

The all time favorites include Capture the Flag with a Twist, Castaway Fishing Fun, Lego Challenge, Wet & Wild (also renamed H2-OH! for the older kids), and Woodland Fairy Adventures. 

Thank you, Aisha.  We hope that kids will get the opportunity to explore with you this summer. 

For more information on the Hartshorn Summer Program, please visit the Amherst Recreation Department’s website at www.amherstrec.org.