Girls get real-world experience at Tremont's Girls in Science camp

A group of young science enthusiasts came together at Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont for Girls in Science Camp the week of June 10.

The camp, open to girls ages 12-15, allows them to flex their science muscles by performing their own science experiments as well as learning from the Tremont staff and a variety of guest speakers, from NPS employees to female scientists.

The aspiring scientists stay at Tremont for the week and the camp culminates with an afternoon of presentations of the girls’ scientific research.

On the final day of the camp, the resident scientists filtered in as family and staff members waited to see what they had learned.

The presentations were organized into six groups: Moss, Woolly Adelgids, Moths & Butterflies, Human Impact, Wildflowers and Salamanders.

Each group presented their findings to the small crowd gathered in Tremont’s outdoor pavilion and answered questions about their research and findings.

“The big idea across the week is to encourage our campers to follow their curiosities, whatever that might be, ask a lot of questions and just feel connected to this place,” said Annie Roth, Tremont Manager of Teacher Networks.

Maryville student Phoebe Myers, 14, who has attended the camp four times, said that making new friends and having the opportunity to explore the area around the Tremont campus keeps her coming back.

Myers, who is a straight-A student in science and loves biology and chemistry, said that science can be important when it comes to studying species of living things that have gone extinct.

Atlanta student Zion Fitzpatrick, 14, also emphasized the importance of learning about science and nature. Fitzpatrick, who finds joy in learning, said the camp gave her hands-on experience with science that she doesn’t always get in the classroom.

“It means a lot to me to come here,” she said.

Fitzpatrick said learning about salamanders was a highlight of the week for her and that she appreciated the opportunity to learn from others.

NASA Space Camp is next on the agenda for Fitzpatrick, who says she loves to learn and meet new people.

While she may be interested in other camps, she said she plans to return to the Tremont camp in the future to learn more about the ecosystem in the Great Smoky Mountains.

“I really love this place and I think everyone should be able to experience this place,” Fitzpatrick said.

This is what the camp is set out to do: connect what the campers would learn in the classroom to hands-on experience, said Roth

One of the week’s highlights for Roth was watching the Human Impact group test the water quality of nearby creeks. During their work, they tested the water’s pH. Roth said the group knew that the water needed a pH level of 7 but initially didn’t know why. When they started having conversations about pH, its purpose, and why they were looking for that specific reading, she said you could see it all come together for the group.

Roth said that she sees girls blossom throughout the week and some leave saying they feel different. She attributes that to the opportunity the girls have to take science out of the textbook and place it into a mode that is meaningful so they can think about why it matters.