PENN TWP - Even the birds would have been proud of 4-year-old Patrick Jones, who swooped down toward the grass in search of his "worm" while flapping his arms furiously.

Jones, along with 12 other children ages 4 and 5, was pretending to be birds as part of a lesson on how the feathered creatures find their food.

The children had to run toward a grassy area filled with multicolored fake worms, flapping their arms like a bird and finding the worm they had made earlier that day.

The unique lesson was one of many the children participated in as part of the Fledglings - Out of the Nest! program being offered last week at the Butler County Community College Succop Conservancy.

BC3 and the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania cosponsored the camp.

Kerri Villani, the conservancy's outdoor camp coordinator, said the camp is designed to teach the children about the natural world around them in a fun way.

"We're teaching them to respect what's here at Succop and the world around them," she said.

Children enrolled in the weeklong camp were able to explore the sights, sounds and smells of the natural world. They discovered colorful plants, tall trees, aquatic bugs and furry critters during their adventures.

Joe Stavish, an intern for the Audubon Society, led the children in many of the nature activities. He also will be teaching this summer at the Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve.

Stavish said he got many of his ideas for the activities from Pennsylvania Teaching Association recommended materials. Those materials included many hands-on activities.

"You have to keep them interested," Stavish said. "We try to make it fun and sometimes they don't even realize they're learning."

In addition to the worm exercise, Stavish also had the children pretend to be a snake when they had to leave the main camp area to do other activities.

"As we learned the other day, snakes are long and they slither, and they shed their skin," Stavish said, instructing the children to line up in a single snake-like line. "Now, whenever I say shed, the first person in line has to move to the back of the line."

The children giggled as they did the exercise, marching off to a field to learn about birds' feeding patterns.

Five-year-old Jackson Kennedy said he had a good time at the camp.

Kennedy said he learned about butterflies, snakes, birds, worms and how to plant a garden.

But there was one thing Kennedy said he liked more than anything else offered at the camp.

"The first thing I like is playing games," he said.

Five-year-old Victoria Bertuca wasn't as excited about the games.

"I like the snacks," she said, smiling.

One of her favorite snacks from the week was pretzels and carrots and a special dip made using herbs from the conservancy's garden.

Two more nature camps will be offered at the conservancy, both for older children.

The first one is called Great Nature Treasure Hunt and will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 19 to 23. Cost for the program is $125.

The camp is for kindergarten and first graders and involves children learning how to plant a garden and learn about the environment around them.

The second program, called Natural Mystery Tour, will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 2 to 6. Cost is $125.

The camp is for second and third graders and will explore the many plants, animals and natural wonders found at the conservancy.

For information or to register, call 724-287-8711, Ext. 326.