Successful Summer Camp Season at the RWCC

As campers ride over the cattle guard and onto the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch (TRMR), they are greeted by the towering faces of the Rocky Mountain Front and the undulating hills packed with biodiversity that roll into the mountains. The TRMR and the Rasmuson Wildlife Conservation Center offer youth an opportunity to engage with the outdoors in a meaningful and fun way. Through immersive activities on the ranch, at the Palmer shooting range, and in the surrounding national forest, our goal is to foster an intense passion for the natural resources that surround us, and through lessons in conservation, an appreciation for the work required to care for them.

Over a five-day period, we are on what we call “summer camp time." Campers learn to fly-fish, hike throughout the ranch property, learn safe handling and firing of rifles and shotguns, and can even take a voluntary plunge in the frigid waters of Swift Reservoir. In between these outdoor moments filled with adventure and fun, the kids learn all about conservation, outdoor ethics, and of course, s’more making. Through activities like fly-tying, furbearer and skull identification, conservation trivia, and wilderness survival games, these campers begin to understand what it means to be good stewards of the land and wildlife that they have been exploring all week.

Living and working in the beautiful mountains of Montana, many of us often unknowingly take this pristine landscape for granted, but our weeks with campers remind us how lucky we truly are. These kids approach everything we throw at them with a sense of wonder and appreciation that renews our purpose and perspective on conservation.

In the Blackfoot language, the Rocky Mountain Front is referred to as “Mistakis”, which means “backbone of the world." Wildlife and natural spaces are vital to our world, just as a backbone is vital to the human body. Our goal may be to teach these campers about conservation through exploratory adventures in the outdoors, but often, they end up teaching us more reasons to continue doing what we do. We are extremely grateful for getting to spend time with these campers and look forward to the many camps to come!

Our 43 summer camp participants came from across the country to enjoy the scenes and serenity (well, kind of) of the Rocky Mountain Front.