Many of the small members of our ecosystem– the minor players who inhabit our fields and forests– have developed outsized reputations that are not always deserved. We’ve been taught to cringe at the mere sound of their names, but this is not always necessary. Let’s take a minute to place some of these scary characters in perspective.

Poison Ivy:
Poison ivy can cause cases of contact dermatitis ranging from mild to severe in about 70 percent of the population. But for the other thirty percent, the plant is a simple and honest citizen of the underbrush, meaning no harm and occupying a necessary niche in our complex biosphere.

For those who are susceptible, poison ivy is easily identifiable by its characteristic three leaves extending from a single midpoint. Imagine three football shaped leaves about the size of a bay leaf (on the youngest and smallest plants) to person’s hand (on the largest.) Poison ivy looses its leaves in the winter, but oil can still reside in its dormant vines which are easily recognized by their fur. Avoid the three leaves and steer clear of the soft furry vine climbing that fence or tree and you should avoid a few days of uncomfortable itching.

Ticks:
Like poison ivy, ticks are simple citizens just trying to make a living. Big dog ticks are fairly easy to spot—at their smallest, they’re about the size of this capital letter “O”. When you see a dog tick making its way across the sleeve of your shirt, take a look at it. What is its stripe pattern? Lady ticks wear necklaces—a curved stripe from one side of the ticks head to the other. And gentlemen ticks wear suspenders—two straight parallel lines down the back. If the tick has made its way to bare skin and taken a bite, remove it carefully with tweezers, doing your best to remove both the head and body intact.

Tiny deer ticks are the more sinister characters that can occasionally carry Lyme’s disease. Not all ticks are infected with the disease, and not every infected tick will successfully pass the disease on to a host.* Deer ticks can be harder to find, so the best method of dealing with them is prevention. In high deer tick areas, wear long sleeves and pants, preferably in light colors.

Snakes:
Only four primary species of snakes in America are poisonous, and only two of those (the rattlesnake and the copperhead) live in Pennsylvania.* Like most animals, snakes are far more frightened of you than you are of them. Snake avoidance is most important in rocky areas where snakes may be sleeping or sunning themselves and may not have time to get out of the way of your feet. This also applies to hands when you are climbing a rocky surface– Take care when choosing hand and footholds. If you see a snake of any kind on the trail, observe it with respect and leave it in peace.

Respecting these and all forest dwellers can increase our appreciation of them, and by extension, our appreciation of the remaining wild areas around us. Protect yourself from the harm they cause, but don’t let them keep you hiding indoors. After all, the woods belong to all of us!

*The American Lyme Disease Foundation reports the following:

Less than 5% of adult ticks south of Maryland are infected with B. burgdorferi, while up to 50% are infected in hyperendemic areas (areas with a high tick infection rate) of the northeast. The tick infection rate in Pacific coastal states is between 2% and 4%.

* The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission reports the following:

The three venomous species of snakes in Pennsylvania are the northern copperhead, eastern massasauga rattlesnake, and timber rattlesnake. Reports of venomous snakebites in Pennsylvania are rare.

- Erin Sweeney

To have a truly meaningful but extremely fun and enjoyable experience this summer, consider enrolling in a Christian summer camp. These have been known to be one of the most significant experiences a young person can have and is an excellent way to spend the summer with likeminded friends who share your passion and faith. Christian summer camp is a maturing experience that provides an opportunity for reflection and personal growth that ultimately brings young people closer together and closer to God.

The majority of the activities that take place at camp revolve around having fun while fulfilling personal goals and deepening and strengthening your relationship with the Lord. Worship and bible study are significant portions of the camp program and camp counselors and guides are there to share their knowledge and experience with the spiritual lessons learned throughout the day at camp. The bible training received will boost your personal faith while you experience a real adventure through your experiences with your fellow campers. Christian camp challenges you emotionally and spiritually and can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life.

Most young people who have attended Christian summer camp have described it as both enriching and peaceful but often the most memorable experiences are fondly remembered as exciting and fun. Realizing your value in Christ by spending time affirming your words and actions is one experience that can have an eternal impact on your life. The lifelong lessons learned at camp teach solid values that serve to reaffirm the value and strength in God’s love and help young people become better leaders and companions. The benefits of bible study and fellowship of sharing the experience with other likeminded peers is the greatest opportunity to grow into a better person while enjoying a fun-filled and spiritually fulfilling summer adventure!

- Valarie Edmon

Camping is something that is part of Christianity’s history. For hundreds of years, religious leaders have utilized nature to challenge and unify christian communities. Often times, community based camps draw not just children, but entire families.

The reason that families are drawn to christian camps is because of the five values around which
they are based. These five values are as follows:

1. A real community can only be achieved through unique experience.

When family members join their church camp, they leave behind the responsibilities and attachments of their daily life. This allows each person to focus on nurturing and growing their relationship with Christ, and this in turn allows them to have a unique experience that is shared with the other people in the camp. Because the temptations of daily life are left at home, community members get to experience a true model of Christian life that they can hopefully bring back and implement in their community and home.

2. People get to improve and focus on bettering their entire person and their whole being.

Most aspects of our life focus on improving only one part of the human being. Schools develop mental capacities and sports develop physical abilities. Christian camps allow people to improve themselves in four different ways- mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially.

3. People are able to build relationships with God and their community members.

Christian camps foster both spiritual relationships and social ones, realizing that each has value. These camps especially catalyze the relationships between campers and counselors. Counselors are roll models who campers look up to and try to emulate their positive behaviors. The relationships built at Christian and church camps follow Jesus’ model of living and experiencing with his 12 disciples.

4. Fond, loving memories are made along with major commitments to positive life goals.

Because the duration of camp is much shorter than the rest of our lives, experiences take on new meanings and levels of intensity. Everything acheived and learned at camp before ingrained in memory as a special experience.

5. People get a chance to develop their leadership skills which they can bring back to the
community.

Christian camps help campers build leadership skills by having them take the reigns on many of their projects. The counselors let the cabins organize and conduct themselves. Many of the activities are camper led and learning is always taking place.

Is a Christian camp right for you or your familY? There are nearly 1400 Christian camps listed on camps.com. Research them online and then have a great time nurturing your faith in a camp
environment, close to nature and, perhaps, closer to your maker.

Click Here to find Christian camps near you.