Campers and volunteers sought for southeast Oklahoma summer camp

Since 1956, they have hiked and fished at the Oklahoma Forestry Services summer youth camp. Some of the campers returned home with plans to one day work in the woods as a career.

This year, a few spots remain for the camp at Beavers Bend State Park. A few more youth counselors and adult leaders are needed, too, said Caleb Fields, who volunteered in 2007 before taking on the position of camp director.

Most of the year Fields works outdoors with landowners who have questions about their trees or concerns about forest fires. Youths who come to the camp from Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Lawton often don't get to spend as much time outdoors as he does.

His office in Battiest, north of Broken Bow, is surrounded by the beauty of southeast Oklahoma. It's an eye-opener for campers who live in urban areas and don't get to see the woods. When they do, they may decide to pursue a career to return to the outdoors, he said.