Ken Mont Camp for Boys - Golden Days Yearbook (Kent, CT)

Page 105 text:

I I I It I r I, .i, r '.I1 . ,I 5 i .f. I I ri , ,gg I I 4 1 AN INTERESTING SPECIME-N CNOTE MORRIS IN' THE BACKGROUNDI NATURAL SCIENCES Under the leadership of a man who has become a Ken-Mont institution, Jack Slim Turek, Ken- Monts' Nature and Science program continued to be a favorite activity for many boys. Jack, a biology teacher for thirty years, offered our campers the most far reaching science program in private camp- ing. In turn, this has developed a great interest and has unquestionably helped our boys in their formal education. The Nature Building, as always, was stocked with hundreds of interesting specimens, both live and preserved. Charts, pictures, instruments, a nature library plus QIack's wonderful manner with our boys completed the picture. We had our finest zoo yet, consisting of some animals that I ack had kept over the winter back in Ohio, as well as some new specimens, trapped in the Berkshires. Among the inhabitants of Iack's zoo were a red fox, three skunks, an albino raccoon plus two normally marked icoons, snakes, turtles, frogs, a golden pheasant, a white ferret, an opposum with a dozen babes in her pouch, a groundhog, rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks. Many boys helped care and feed our animals, and some boys even learned to handle them. Our nature program, as before, consisted of two parts, the observation and collection of natural specimen, and secondly, classroom instruction and dissection. Nature hikes about camp and in adjacent forests gave us the opportunity to collect specimen and to observe the habitat and feeding habits of insects, reptiles, birds and animals. The nature work in the lodge covered the ana- tomy of the vertebrate and invertebrate. We also learned the process of reproduction and photo synthesis in plants. Drendology Cidentification of plant life by its leavesj was a favorite of the Sparrows and Robins. Opposite Page FOR THE OLDER CAMPERS, O-NE OF THE ONETIME AMERICAN CUP CONTENDER MOUETTE . 5:ijEg--.4,:7.-..-.,-.--A-1.-naw, , w....,,::.... HIGHLIGHTS OF EACH CAMP SEASON IS THE THREE DAY SCHOONER CRUISE ABOARD THE

Page 104 text:

I 1 I 1 v r u Y I W 4 I

Page 106 text:

Some boys learned to identify 100 specimens! The drendology exhibit on Parents Day was prepared entirely by boys in the Robin Division. New programs and new interests were developed this year for many of our future scientists. I ack is the holder of a Taxidermy Diploma, and our Fal- cons received a ine training in this exacting art. Several animals were used in the demonstrations. However, the most interesting work was done mounting a Common Eastern bat. It now has been added to our large collection of mounted specimen. We also studied the anatomy of the bat before mounting. The bat's eyes, the size of the head of a straight pin were carefully preserved as were the kidneys, heart, lungs and brains. The entire tail bone was skillfully removed with a needle-fine tip. We also discussed the bat's whistle signal which gave us the knowledge for radar. The outstanding taxidermists were RICH FINDLER, RICKY OB- LETZ, HOWDY NATHEL, RICK EAGLE, BOB GIMBEL, KEN KUNIN and RICH WEIL. The Cardinals were immersed in dissection in our Biology Department. The boys caught the frogs we worked with, and after quickly putting the amphibians to sleep, we studied the muscles, nerves, organs and breathing spores of the skin. The boys discovered the ovaries and eggs within the female. Testes were fOL111C1 21tf2lChSC1 to U16 backbone of the male. One female had over 300 eggs by count in her Fallopean tubes! America's future biologists will include LARRY KLITZ- MAN, JOHN ROSS, STACEY SIMON and MATT DINNERSTEIN. Ornithology classes were very popular with the Sparrows. On nature hikes, we observed and lis- tened to many birds. Among those we identified were the Cheewink, Baltimore Oriole, Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Cedar Wax Wing, Gold Finch, Cat Bird, Cardinal, Red Wing Black Bird, Barn Swal- low, King Bird Flicker, Oven Bird and the Wood Thrush who is the Eas-t's loveliest song bird. Ken-Mont boasts about its splendid zoo, and rightfully so! Not only did it give boys a chance to observe animals, but more important, a chance to care for animals. We hand-tamed Peppy , our red fox. We watched the birth of baby rabbits and learned first hand how animals and humans 'come into the world. There seems to be no limit to the growth of interest by our boys in the science program. We live in an era of scientific development, and whether our science program helps a boy in school, toward a future profession or just for hobby interest, we feel the effort is extremely worthwhile. il -' at 1 I . - X at t Q Q :A 'A Q ' f lip 5 ' it X Q! s f f W, W gif X- l J ' I Y 47 XXC .. -1 ,f if gi fll -A '- , - .. y v' ' Q - ., M QQ 96 i I