So then we all pick up a piece of trash on our way out. The first step in nudging the children toward coastal environmental awareness is merely showing them the beach. A few of these campers have never seen an ocean. Until they actually watch the sapphire waves pound the sand, smell the salty air, and listen to sea gull cries, they cannot truly care about their coast, Melancon says. The moment the Atlantic comes into view, campers who are more familiar with the drab brick of public housing than the natural elegance of a beach show an immediate need to be in the water.
Teachers notice a change in the behavior and interests of many campers throughout the week.
The children develop a little more bravery in terms of experiencing new things. Besides taking away a fresh perspective on coastal nature and preservation, the Sea Campers return home with newly developed social skills, a few role models, a paper-plate award and, for some, a career idea. Because the children from the City of Savannah Housing communities and higher-income Savannah neighborhoods attend camp together, they make friends whom they might not otherwise have met. It's a social interaction for them as well. Lindsay-Frick says campers are so enthralled by their surroundings and activities that social differences are usually ignored.