Local naturalists’ passion for educating youth
For many years, Dutchess County Parks has provided summer camps to kids of all ages that expose them to the great outdoors and teach them skills about surviving in the wild.
Park naturalist Dave Beck and assistant park naturalist Jessica Steinbach are the minds behind these programs. Beck has been working as the park naturalist for 29 years while Steinbach has only been around for five. Despite this, they share a common passion for Bowdoin Park and the work they do.
Beck, who has a degree in anthropology, has a deep-rooted passion for his work in this area.
“This park has a rich history go dating back to 10,000 years ago,” said Beck. “There are a lot of archaeological sites on the property here, and that led me to finding the job… I never [planned] on teaching kids, but that came after the fact that I just loved it. So as soon as I started doing it, I just want[ed] to stay with it.”
Steinbach’s connection to these camps dates back to her childhood; she first met Beck through a Girl Scout program when she was just six years old.
“I was a CIT (Counselor in Training), and then as soon as I was in college, he offered me the internship and I just figured out that I was good with children,” said Steinbach.
Despite being a theater major in college, Steinbach feels like this is her true calling.
Beck runs the survival program and works with kids from the ages of nine to 18. He teaches programs about experiencing the woods, how to shelter a fire and things of that nature.
Beck also has a passion for archery and is a certified instructor. He enjoys doing it for relaxation, but he loves teaching it to kids because of the many things they can learn from it.
“[Archery] teaches them to have patience and control and be able to focus,” said Beck.
Steinbach runs two programs. One is a nature camp for 6–8-year-olds, where they learn about the park’s ecosystem and the animals that live in the park. The other is an adventure camp for 9–15-year-olds, which Steinbach described as a live-action role play where they bring scavenger hunts to life.
For Steinbach, it’s important to form relationships with the campers. “I really like to form a bond with each kid the first day I will memorize their names right off the bat and make them individually feel special because each kid is so vastly different, and [I like to] fit them into groups that work well together,” she said.
Despite the fact that many of the camp programs are run outdoors, inclement weather does not halt the experience. For Beck, it adds to it.
“We tell the kids to come prepared,” said Beck. “We give them a list of stuff. One of the big things we focus on here is personal responsibility. These kids [are] learning skills where if you get lost in the woods you may be alone, and you have to make your own decisions. So we tell them if you don’t bring rain gear, you’re gonna get drenched.”
