VSF Camp 3 – Age 8/13
« Séjour Aventure et Découverte »
Immersion Ratio (per group): 20 French campers / 3 Foreign campers
DDates
JULY 8 – 17, 2024
JULY 8 – 27, 2024
T Camp Tuition
10 DAYS: 2750 €
20 DAYS: 3630 €
Camp Theme
The region of the Causse de Larzac, at one time covered by water, is an area rich in fossils. In 1980, a young man discovered the remains of a Plesiosaurus in a nearby Village. Campers are introduced to paleontology and geology as they explore pre-history dating back 180 million years!
Our camp base is situated at the beginning of the pathways which lead to world famous Jurassic sites which contain a profusion of fossils.
With the help of their counselors, children are going to experience an old dream and become true explorers in search of Dinosaurs!
Activities
Campers, divided into 2 teams of junior paleontologists are going to study the Jurassic terrain in search of the rare Plesiosaurus. In the « Cirque of Tournemire » we will find an impressive quantity and a wide variety of fossils.
And not far from the center, a cave jealously holds the footprints of the most fabulous and complex creatures that ever lived on the face of the earth : Dinosaurs !
1st Stage : Learning of the techniques
– Research and Identification of fossils : ammonites, belemnites and gasteropodes.
– Excavation, photography, cleaning and fossils identification.
2nd Stage : Camping trip « The Young Paleontologist’s Expedition » setting camp on a fossil site!
– Initiation in the form of geology games,
– Topography (map reading),
– Study of the landscape and cave exploration.
– Identification, classification and molding of the prints,
– Field trip by the river side or in the cave in search of dinosaur prints.
3rd Stage : Maps & Identification!
– Drawing of a map representing the region in the « Jurassic times ».
– Creation of an identification board , where fossils will be labelled by name, period and family
At the end of camp, the work of the children (presentation on Dinosaurs) will be displayed in an exposition open to the public.
Other activities
– Initiation in Rock Climbing (supervised by a professional instructor)
– Cave exploration (Grotte de la Quille) 1 day
– Making of a model of a life size Dinosaur skeleton!
– Arts & crafts (sculpture, painting …)
– Swimming, games, and parties!
Choice of Field Trips
- Visit to the famous Roquefort cheese cellars
- Visit to the Reptilarium of the Larzac region
- Visit to the Paleontological Museum of Millau
I went to VSF this summer for the second time in a row and I loved it. I have great memories of all the places we went to, such as the Medieval city of La Couvertoirade, which was my favorite village. I made friends and hope to keep in touch with all of them. Everyone was so nice ! The food was great too. I would definitely do it over again! I think the VSF people were great and really helpful. If I had to describe my experience in a single sentence, it would be: « My experience was great because of many things, but most of all because of the friends I made ». I would definitely recommend this to anyone. If you don’t speak French, it doesn’t matter, you’ll learn, and you’ll also have other foreigners to help you. It’s a great chance to be in a camp in France and make some French friends. My French improved enormously too! I had such a great time there and I cried so much when I left.
Matthew H.Age 10 (USA)
Camp Location: « LE HAMEAU DE MOULÈS »
FONDAMENTE is a small village in the Aveyron department in southern France.
Accommodation: Children and Counselors sleep in bungalow tents (5 to 6 beds) on cement floors, with lights, beds and closets. Tents and shower facilities are located in the woods at the border of the village, in the shade!
…For more details Click here
TRANPORTATION: With the VSF group (and the French children) by TGV train from Paris to Montpellier (escorted by the camp staff) – transfer by shuttle bus to the camp site.
…For more info on Transportation click here
