ALBANY, NY — Basil Seggos, commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), announced that online registration for DEC’s 2022 summer camps program will open at 1 p.m on Sunday, March 6, 2022.

To celebrate 75 years, the program will host a series of events and share mementos, including retro logos incorporated into camper shirts, special recognition certificates, and a camp celebration each Saturday during the season.

Past campers, families, sponsors and staff will also have an opportunity to visit the camps.

The summer camps program offers week-long adventures in conservation education for children ages 11-17. The DEC operates four residential camps for children: Camp DeBruce in Livingston Manor (Sullivan County); Camp Colby in Saranac Lake (Franklin County); Camp Rushford in Caneadea (Allegany County); and Camp Pack Forest in Warrensburg (Warren County).

Campers will have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of outdoor adventures and are encouraged to try new things. Activities may include fishing, bird watching, fly-tying, archery, canoeing, hiking, camping, orienteering and hunter safety education.

DEC campers engage in hands-on activities and outdoor exploration focused on field, forest, stream and pond ecological principles. Activities include collecting insects, using nets in a stream, investigating soil composition, measuring trees, or taking field notes and writing in journals. Trips to nearby state lands may include kettle bogs, State Parks, fish hatcheries and nature museums.

One hunter education program for firearm, bow, or trapping is offered at each camp during four of the weeks. Class size is limited for hunter education programs and campers must sign up for this program during registration and complete the homework in advance to be eligible.

Parents and guardians should submit applications through the online registration program on the Summer Camps website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/29.html. Interested parents and guardians are encouraged to complete registration forms and register early, since many weeks fill up quickly.

Capacity at each camp will be reduced and individual campers will be limited to one week of camp. If spots at camps remain available after May 27, campers will have the opportunity to sign up for multiple weeks.

For more information about New York’s hunter education program, visit https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7860.html.

For more information about the camps and about COVID-19 protocol, visit www.dec.ny.gov, email EducationCamps@dec.ny.gov, check out “NYS DEC Summer Camps” on Facebook, or write to DEC Camps, 3rd Floor, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233-5256.