Santa Ana Ecology Day Camp offers scholarships

Santa Ana Ecology Day Camp Offers Scholarships

Contact: 714-292-2899; info@eco-es.com; www.eco-es.com.

The owner of a local Ecology Summer Day Camp is offering a limited number of scholarships and discounts for the 2012 program near the border of Santa Ana and Orange.

Students in the camp—open to ages 6-14—will learn the fundamentals of environmental science as they explore habitat of the Santiago Park Nature Reserve (on Memory Lane, between La Veta and Main streets). Topics covered will include: introduction to the local native ecosystem; basic scientific and ecological principles; examination of microscopic organisms in the park and its creek; conservation importance (energy, water, resources); and reasons and ways to avoid pollution while protecting the environment.

Béa Tiritilli, owner and founder of Eco Es: Energy Experts/Environmental Education, said she started the camp last year for myriad reasons.

“Due to budget cuts, the City of Santa Ana had to lay off their entire Park Naturalist staff—shortly after opening a beautiful new nature center,” Tiritilli said. “I’m an under-employed, state-credentialed biology teacher who regularly shares my love of nature with my children, friends and neighbors by leading tours of Santiago Park and other nature reserves.”

Tiritilli had often enrolled her children in summer programs to enrich them with experiences not available during a typical school day. She approached Santa Ana city officials with a plan to develop the camp, and ran it for two successful weeklong sessions last summer. This summer, she will be running three sessions beginning June 18. Sessions run from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday.

“I keep costs low because I’m more concerned with offering the camp experience than making a profit,” Tiritilli said. “I want to make this experience available to more children, so I’m offering a limited number of full and partial scholarships to interested families who can’t afford $100-$120 per week.”

Families interested in paid camp sessions or scholarships can contact Tiritilli at 714-292-2899 or info@eco-es.com. For more information, they can visit her website: www.eco-es.com.

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