News-Record.com

In an age of hectic, fast-paced lives and a mobile society, where do Grandma and Grandpa fit into the picture? When do children have time to share special memories and explore life with those who walked the path before them?

Officials at Haw River State Park in Browns Summit have organized an overnight camp to give grandparents and their grandchildren the opportunity to spend quality time together. A first-time offering for the park, Grand Camp will be held Aug. 11-13 .

"Grand Camp will be for grandparents who would like to come to summer camp with a grandchild or two or for children who would like to bring their grandparents to camp," said Heidi Dull , assistant director of environmental education . "This camp also is a wonderful way for children and their grandparents to learn about and explore nature together."

The two-night, three-day camp is geared toward rising second- through fifth-graders and their grandparents. It costs $90 per participant, and the registration deadline is Thursday . A $40 nonrefundable deposit is required to secure a spot.

Campers have the option of spending the night in the park's cabin train , where participants will share a cabin with one or two other families, or sleeping in a motel-style room on site.

Among the camp activities are family projects, easy to moderate hiking, fishing, canoeing, astronomy and a nightly campfire.

"We definitely need adventurous campers," Dull said. "We have more than 300 acres on which to hike, and we'll be walking to our wetlands and around the lake."

A bird-a-thon also is planned. Participants hike to look for different bird species and try to identify them.

"So many children today can tell you all about the rainforest but not about what's outside their own dining room window," Dull said. The last evening will feature a family showcase, where families can share a song, skit or poem around the campfire.

There also will be programming time specifically for adults and other activities only for the children. In addition, the camp will include pool time, an art focus and free time. All moderately strenuous activities will have an alternative program option.

"This is a great way for each grandparent and grandchild to teach the other something," Dull said. "We hope they come away with a better appreciation for one another and nature, as well as what's in their own backyard."

Contact Jennifer Atkins Brown at 574-5582 or jennifer.brown@news-record.com.