YES | 2019 VOLUNTEERS’ SUMMER CAMP

Here is the journals from one of the YES volunteers who have participated in the 2019 Summer Camp:

Day 1 / Jun 30

After a long and cheerful wait, the annual YES summer camp was here again! This year, I can finally tell you as an experienced volunteer that the best reward for me for joining Shanghai Roots & Shoots is the YES summer camp!

This time we went to the beautiful Daxi Village in Anji County, Zhejiang Province, where we stayed at Wangyue Pavilion hosted by Lu Hua.

Our expert guide, Mr. Yang Xiaofeng, is a member of the Entomological Society of Zhejiang and also a Professor of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University. Mr. Yang has been lecturing “Charming Insects” for 15 years. No wonder his lecture was so humorous and appealing！ His official account “Fabre-Fans” is also full of delight, which I strongly recommend everyone to take a look at.

Day 2/ July 1

This year, I brought my little son with me , who always slept in at home, which kept me away from bird-watching early in the morning. What a pity! Anyway, as the saying goes, “no joy without annoy”. There was much more to expect!

The stream was cold, and the current was a little fast, but you can still catch little fish and crabs there! According to my son, this is his favorite activity above all.

It would be a regret if you did not go drifting in Anji. For those who went drifting, I was sure they all had a wonderful experience.

How dull would life be without fine foods! At the barbecue night, servings of the delicious foods could barely fill up the consumption of the starvelings!

The Light trapping event in the evening was much welcomed and had been regarded as the session to be reserved in the future. We unanimously selected the belle of this year – Uropyia meticulodina, master of disguise.

Day 3/ July 2

Lesson sharing hosted by the volunteers was an innovation of this year’s summer camp. There were all kinds of lessons such as ice-breaker games, nesting of birds, the burr puzzle, stone painting, secrets of the leaves, discovering the butterflies, tracking the spiders, board games, geometry in the nature, and children’s drawing analysis taught by the psychological consultant Bugua. You would definitely find one that fascinates you!

After all day’s fun, the karaoke in the evening lifted another climax. Everyone was crazy dancing and singing!

Day 4/ July 4

The closing ceremony began, and it was time to choose the gifts!

The volunteer sharing session was very touching. Some new volunteers said that the experience in the YES summer camp of Shanghai Roots & Shoots was really different from other trips. Dr. Jenny Goodall founded Roots & Shoots with an emphasis on the value of individuals – every individual matters; every individual has a role to play; every individual makes a difference. Perhaps it was just the strength of this simple idea that gathered such a group of wonderful people, and created such a pleasant atmosphere filled with kindness and vitality.

Sincere thanks to Applied Materials China for their sustainable support of YES program!