FutureCamping Video Blog

• Adequate bedding/sleeping bag and extra blankets
• Tent and plastic ground cloth
• Light-weight, light-colored clothing, including long sleeves and pants
• Insect repellent containing DEET
• Permethrin insect repellent for clothing
• Broad-spectrum sunscreen and lipscreen with SPF 15 or higher
• Wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses
• Healthy on-the-go snacks and other food
• Water and other alcohol-free and sugar-free fluids
• Water and other alcohol-free and sugar-free fluids
• Insulated cooler
• Life jacket, helmet, and other protective gear
• First-aid kit
• Compass or GPS
• Map
• Flashlights
• Extra batteries
• Extra set of clothes
• Sturdy shoes
• Medical record, including vaccinations; insect, food, plant, and other allergies; diseases and conditions; medicines, dosing schedules, and storage instructions; emergency contacts; and activities your doctor or nurse says to avoid

Help your kids understand that following simple health and safety tips will help ensure fun for all at summer camp. Follow camping tips to help ensure your kids stay safe and healthy at camp.

Get your kids vaccinated
Be sure your kids' vaccinations are up-to-date. Ask their doctor or nurse what vaccines are recommended for summer camp.

Encourage safe physical activities
Children should get 60 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week. To help prevent injury, pack protective gear, such as helmets and life jackets, if the camp will not be providing them. Tell your kids not to swim if they are alone or if they have diarrhea.

Teach your kids to stay hydrated
Explain to your kids that the human body needs fluids on a regular basis. They shouldn't wait until they feel thirsty to drink water. Encourage your kids to drink plenty of non-carbonated, sugar-free fluids throughout the day.

Teach your kids to avoid wild animals
Teach kids that animals can carry diseases that are dangerous to people. Encourage them to enjoy watching them from a safe distance in their natural surroundings.

Pack protection
Be sure your kids have plenty of insect repellent and sunscreen to wear to protect themselves from mosquitoes, ticks, and the sun. Pack layers of light-weight, light-colored clothes for hot days and blankets and warm clothes for cool nights.

Prepare your kids
Make sure your kids are prepared. Teach them what to do in an emergency. Use this packing checklist to help start them out on the right foot at camp.

Bringing nature to the city is the concept of Wonderful Outdoor World or WOW a national programdesigned to give urban children the chance to cook on a camp stove, sleep under the stars and learn about the environment all in their own neighborhood parks.

In addition to the national environmental and outdoor education components of the program, special outdoor classroom sessions have been designed by local, regional, and state agencies to present information on wildlife, wilderness, and other natural resources unique to Arizona. Participants also learn about environmental and outdoor ethics.

The WOW program was conceived when a network of public and private partners began recognizing a trend: fewer families are spending free time on family camp-outs--the traditional means by which most children are introduced to the environment and lifelong outdoor activities. WOW was developed as a cost-effective means of bringing camping experiences into the city. Their motto: "If you can't take kids to the outdoors, bring the outdoors to the kids." WOW was successfully piloted by the City of Los Angeles in 1995. Building on California's success, leaders from Arizona's federal, state and local agencies, private organizations and businesses expanded the program to Arizona. The Bureau of Land Management is one of the national partners.

Denise Meridith, State Director for the BLM in Arizona, calls herself a founding mother of WOW. "Kids today don't get to see fisheries biologists and wildlife biologists on television sitcoms," Meridith said at the first campout in Phoenix. "But here they are going to meet them in person. Hopefully, it will make a big difference in what career opportunities they take, just as it did in my life."
WOW doesn't end with a single experience. Plans call for campers to take part next year in WOW II where they will be able to practice their new skills in more traditional settings managed by the BLM, Park Service, Forest Service and state and county parks. But for now, camping in the city parks appears to be more than enough to make Arizona's WOW campers happy.

Our goal is to find the appropriate balance between access and natural resource protection. We applaud mountain bike associations that promote safe riding and ask that all mountain bikers adhere to some basis safety rules:

• Yield the right of way.
• Control your speed and pass with care.
• Give warning well in advance when overtaking horses and hikers. If necessary, stand off to one side to let oncoming horses go by and talk to riders as they pass.
• Stay on designated roads and trails.
• Don't disturb wildlife or livestock.
• Pack out all litter.
• Respect property minimize impact by avoiding muddy trails, excessive braking or crosscutting switchbacks.
• Know local rules.
• Plan ahead.
• When possible, never ride alone. If you must ride solo, let someone know where you plan to go and when you plan to return.

Family camping is a great way to build memories of "quality time."

Camping is a lot of fun, but please keep in mind that good manners are as important in the outdoors as anywhere else.

Please keep in mind that quiet hours are from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am. Others want to sleep for their big day floating or may have children who go to bed early. Please respect your neighbors.

Please DO NOT BRING FIREWOOD! Moving firewood around the country helps spread forest pests like the Emerald Ash Borer and Gypsy Moth. You can gather any dead and down wood around the park, or buy local firewood at roadside stands, stores or canoe rentals. (Don't take it home with you, either.)

Keep a clean camp, small critters like skunks, crows and raccoons will certainly visit you, looking for a handout. Be prepared to keep your food and garbage either in a vehicle or hanging up high. Otherwise you may wake up to a mess and no breakfast!

We have bears in the area, they haven't been a problem yet and we want to keep it that way. Please help by not making it easy for them to steal food or garbage.

Over 300 caves have been identified within the boundaries of Ozark National Scenic Riverways, ranging from not much more than a rock overhang to one cave with almost seven miles of identified passages. Eight caves, including an open sinkhole, have been designated as outstanding natural features.

The Ozarks is an area typified by what is called "Karst Topography." This means that the geologic structures underneath the earth are made of soluble limestone and dolomite. Water has been at work underground wearing away passages waterfilled ones we call springs and formerly water filled ones we call caves. A karst landscape is one in which caves, springs, sinkholes and losing streams are found. Due to the porous nature of the ground, and the movement of water underground over sometimes great distances, groundwater in karst areas is particularly vulnerable to pollution.

Cave ecosystems are unique and delicately balanced, with major changes possibly occurring from relatively slight disturbances. Geologic formations in some caves are quite fragile, easily damaged by vandalism or visitor overuse. Their formation is extremely slow, and physical damage may remain in evidence for generations. Some caves have been used by man and animals since prehistoric times, and evidence of this use and artifacts may be easily obliterated. Some Ozark caves, which are better known or more easily reached, have received considerable visitation, and more damage and site deterioration have occurred. Caves may contain unsuspected hazards to visitors unfamiliar to such alien environments, and the threat of serious injury or death from falls or drowning is always present. Several caves have been identified as having critical habitat for the endangered Indiana and gray bats. Some of these caves are gated or signed to protect bat habitat. Please respect these closures.

What do we mean by Water Sports ?

The recreation standard that is being developed, describes water sports as:

waterskiing, surfing, scuba diving, visiting a beach, swimming in an outdoor pool, swimming in lakes and rivers.

America's public lakes, rivers, and seashores offer some of the best water for recreation on our continent. Enjoy scuba diving an underwater nature trail at a National Marine Sanctuary or body surfing at a national seashore.

In addition, some recreation sites offer on-site vendors who will rent equipment, including snorkeling gear, boats, canoes, and kayaks. Some sites offer tour packages through concessionaires.

Practice Good Stewardship of our Waterways

You can help to take good care of our lakes, rivers, and other waterways so that others may enjoy these areas for years to come by practicing some of the following actions:

Don't Litter... take along a trash bag or other receptacle for collecting your trash so that you can deposit it in the proper trash receptacle. Always use proper dumping stations.

Make sure that you operate the correct type of watercraft permitted in that area. Check with your destination ahead of time to ensure that the boat, canoe, or other watercraft you plan to use is allowed.

Pay attention to local procedures and cautions for cleaning your watercraft after you leave the water so that you don't facilitate the spread of nuisance species such as the Zebra Mussel to the next body of water you may visit with your boat or other watercraft.

Don't operate a boat or watercraft in areas where they are not permitted. These areas have been declared "off limits" to watercraft to protect wildlife, vegetation, or for your safety.

Safety While Biking

• Wear your protective gear, such as: helmets, pads, gloves, and reflective clothing
• Be courteous and remember that you are sharing the trail or roadway with other cyclists and recreationists
• Do not operate your bike or cycle on unauthorized trails or roadways
• Bring along extra safety items such as water, flashlights, maps, and a cellphone or radio

The recreation standard that is being developed, describes boating as:

Motor boating, jet boating, motorized rafting, canoe trips, sailing, kayaking, paddle sports, scenic floats, tubing, whitewater rafting, drift boats, dory trips.

Each year, an estimated 74 million Americans enjoy the pleasures of recreational boating. Your public parks, lakes, and rivers provide excellent boating opportunities. Boating is a great way to enjoy America's coastal and river-front scenery. It can be as easy as relaxing in a boat or as rigorous as paddling the Arkansas River in a kayak. If you do not own a boat, there are many opportunities to rent one. Licensing, fees and seasonal restrictions may vary from site to site.

Practice Good Stewardship of our Waterways:

You can help to take good care of our lakes, rivers, and other waterways so that others may enjoy these areas for years to come by practicing some of the following actions:

Don't Litter... take along a trash bag or other receptacle for collecting your trash so that you can deposit it in the proper trash receptacle. Always use proper dumping stations.

Make sure that you operate the correct type of watercraft permitted in that area. Check with your destination ahead of time to make ensure that the boat, canoe, or other watercraft you plan to use is allowed.

Pay attention to local procedures and cautions for cleaning your watercraft after you leave the water so that you don't facilitate the spread of nuisance species such as the Zebra Mussel to the next body of water you may visit with your boat.

Don't operate a boat or watercraft in areas where they are not permitted. These areas have been declared "off limits" to watercraft to protect wildlife, vegetation, or for your safety.

The Bureau of Food Safety and Community Sanitation is responsible for establishing policy and enforcing the New York City Health and Administrative Codes, the New York State Sanitary Code, and various Local Laws of the City of New York, for broad spectrum of environmental health concerns. It is comprised of five offices and seventeen programs. In essence, it is a very successful primary prevention program that protects the public from: food borne illnesses wherever meals are served to the public; injury or illness to children attending day camps; window falls for children residing in multiple family dwellings; and other possible hazards, like second hand smoke, found in our environment.

The Bureau's biggest responsibility is assuring that food service establishments are properly permitted and operating safely. With close to 22,000 food service establishments in New York City, this is a substantial undertaking. If you ever eat at a restaurant, diner, delicatessen, school cafeteria, community center, mobile food vending cart or any other facility or establishment that serves meals to the public, the chances are the New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's (the Department's) Bureau of Food Safety and Community Sanitation (BFSCS) is providing regular and periodic inspections to assure the safety of what you eat. Beyond enforcing regulations to which food service establishment operations must adhere, Bureau inspectors spend a considerable amount of time educating operators of these establishments on food safety practices.

Among the programs of which the Department is the proudest are those that protect the health of our most vulnerable citizens. The Bureau of Food Safety and Community Sanitation runs programs designed to protect children from window falls or unsafe camps, older New Yorkers who attend senior centers and immune compromised citizens living in single room occupancy hotels.

Public Health Sanitarians (PHS or inspector) perform the majority of inspections conducted by the Bureau of Food Safety and Community Sanitation. PHSs are college graduates who have earned at least thirty credits in the physical sciences. Once hired by the Bureau, PHSs undergo four months of rigorous training in every area of the Bureau's operation before being assigned to one of its offices. They are cross-trained in all relevant programmatic areas to maximize the Bureau's ability to deploy staff to areas of greatest need. This policy allows for increased productivity and decreasing response time to complaints. PHSs are proficient in many areas of environmental health. They not only enforce environmental regulations but also educate establishment owners and supervisors on what they need to know to operate safely.

The Bureau of Food Safety and Community Sanitation (BFSCS) abides by rigorous corruption control procedures to ensure the integrity of its operation and the fairness of the inspection. Because PHSs are cross-trained, they are periodically reassigned to different programs and work in different areas of the City from month to month. Inspectors never perform re-inspections at establishments or facilities for which they performed the original inspection and rarely inspect the same establishment twice.

Everything that makes Michigan special is embodied in our state parks and state forests!

Recreational staples such as hiking, camping, fishing, hunting and picnicking are just the beginning of all the adventures available to park and forest visitors.

Boating, biking, sightseeing, wildlife watching, ice fishing, water skiing, horseback riding, off-roading in your vehicle, nature study, skating, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, sailboarding or just lounging around and relaxing with family and friends are all available. No matter where you go, there's a state park or forest that offers what you want to do.

In Michigan, state parks and state forests are dedicated to the visitor's enjoyment. Fill out a Customer Comment card at a state park or recreation area so the DNR knows how you feel about your most recent experience.

A Michigan state park motor vehicle permit, available at each park entrance gate, is required at all state parks.

Visitors are welcome to bring their dogs to the parks or forests, but they must be on a leash no longer than six feet and are not allowed on any beach area.