A group of Bermudian students learned just how great the great outdoors really is, during a weeklong Nonsuch Natural History Camp held this summer.

?It was probably one of the greatest experiences I have had in my life,? said Warwick Academy Student Ricardo Santos, 15.

Ricardo was one of twelve Bermudian students who took part in the camp. Students spent seven days immersed in Bermuda?s unique marine and terrestrial environments.

The Nonsuch Natural History Camp, is a residential camp on Nonsuch Island that has been running for some 35 years.

It was started by David Wingate, David Lonsdale and Mervyn White, and is now run jointly by the Bermuda Audubon Society, The Bermuda Zoological Society and with the support of the Department of Conservation Services.

The aim of the Camp is to educate young Bermudians about Bermuda?s marine and terrestrial environments and the species that inhabit them.

During the week, campers ages 14 to 16 trudged through a mangrove swamp, snorkelled on a calm day at North Rock, conducted experiments on beach sand dunes and explored Admiralty Cave, among other things.

?When it was time to go home, comments like ?mangrove muck?, ?upside down jellyfish?, ?feeding a baby cahow?, were being flung at their bewildered parents, who although there to reclaim their children after a week of camp were sure to receive an education themselves on the drive home,? said camp counsellor Fiona Doe who is vice president of the Bermuda Audubon Society.

Several students told they were deeply inspired by their time in the camp on both a personal and career level.

CedarBridge Academy student Forrest Williams, 15, said that he might become a marine biologist.

?I liked that we were able to really learn a lot and meet new people,? Forrest said. ?People don?t appreciate what?s around Bermuda as much as they should. I am going to try to live a more sustainable life by using less trash and doing simple things. I have been trying to educate my friends and parents about what I learned.?

Ricardo Santos also said he is also now thinking about going into science as a career.

?It was really fun,? said Ricardo. ?We all learned a lot of stuff. It gave me a lot of opinions and ideas about going into marine biology. My favourite part was probably going out to North Rock and snorkelling and stuff. I had never been out there.?

Students had to apply for the camp with a teacher?s recommendation and a short essay on why they wanted to participate.

On Nonsuch Island, the base of operations was the lab attached to the main house.

Environmental research has been ongoing on Nonsuch since the 1930?s when it was the base for scientist William Bebee?s now famous bathysphere dive to half a mile down. Accommodations were divided between the old cottage and the ?Octagon? formerly a little chapel.

This was a camp in the truest sense of the word. Students used a bucket to dip for water and flashlights after dark.

?Living on Nonsuch Island gave students an intimate look into how Bermuda was before the arrival of man,? said Miss Doe. ?On Nonsuch Island native and endemic plants abound, lush cool forest and windswept coast dotted with pristine beaches. Thank you, David Wingate for your life?s work, and Jeremy Madeiros for continuing it, a template for the future.?

Miss Doe said that at most sites students recorded distribution of species, environmental conditions and adaptations of plants and animals for survival.

They also looked at factors that were damaging the locations and the impact of invasive species. Once back on Nonsuch Island, they collated their data and made presentations to explain their findings.

?All was not work, free time was enjoyed, swimming at the beach, making sand castles, kicking a football and wondering what the World Cup scores were ? and then helping to prepare the evening meal, again enjoyed outdoors,? said Miss Doe.

In addition to the field trips, every evening students were quizzed on the day?s activities, and after that, local scientists and conservationists gave lectures about Bermuda?s ecology.

CedarBridge Academy student Jasmine Whitehurst, 16, who won the Camp Spirit award for her positive attitude said that one of the hardest things about the summer camp was staying awake for the lectures in the evenings.

?The camp took a lot of discipline,? said Jasmine. ?We were out all day. Much of what we were doing was strenuous. And then there would be lectures in the evening. We were sitting there ten o?clock at night, trying to keep our eyes open. You had to be very mature.?

Jasmine said she is also interested in a science career although she thought she might go more towards chemistry.

?This is the first time I have done the summer camp,? she said. ?It was quite an interesting experience. We did a lot of stuff. We learned about Bermuda. We went to different places that I didn?t know about. We went to Admirals Cave. It wasn?t scary down there since there was a lot of people with me. It was very deep and dark and you needed a flashlight.

?We went to North Rock and went swimming off there. I have a fear of the water and sharks but when we went out there it was nice and peaceful and it was very beautiful.

?We did a lot of experiments. We went to Warwick Long Bay and did an experiment on sand dunes. It was interesting. They said it was college level work and I believe them.?

Jasmine received a Camp Spirit award for her positive attitude during the week-long camp. Another student, Venicia Raynor won the Mervyn White Memorial Shield for being the top student in the group.

?We wish there was a special award for each student, but our reward was seeing all of them go home brimming with information,? said Miss Doe. ?They went home having had their eyes opened to the Bermuda beyond Hamilton with its businesses, houses and cars.

?They went home with a better understanding and sensitivity to our fragile and unique natural environment that will temper their choices and be passed on to those who surround them, helping to ensure a green and pleasant Bermuda for the future.?

Miss Doe said the campers did Bermuda proud. ?They listened, they questioned, they observed, participated and had fun while doing it,? she said. ?Rewards were many; good weather, seeing a Cahow chick being fed, finding a hermit crab, holding a juvenile loggerhead turtle, and fully experiencing our rich outdoor environment. They made new friends and discovered it is possible to survive and enjoy week with no television, radio, cell phones and iPods.?