Jacksonville Country Day School (JCDS) recently hosted a five-day summer camp called “Young Veterinarians,” where campers could walk in the shoes of a veterinarian, get the ins and outs of what vets actually do and have direct interactions with live animals including ducks, goats and turkeys.
JCDS Science Specialist Deb Landon has been with the school for five years, and for this camp, she hosted 30 rising K-2 students. For her, being able to host a camp like this is something that always brings a smile to her face.
“The idea was brought to me by JCDS’ Director of Auxiliary Services Nathan Renstrom,” said Landon. “He knows that I am a science and animal lover and that it would be a perfect fit. When he told me about it, I was all in.”
Once the camp became official, Landon immediately began her planning. The goals of the camp included learning about what vets do, the jobs that they hold, and then each day teaching something about what they do.
To kick off the camp, Landon made sure on day one to discuss empathy and kindness when a vet is working with an animal (patient) and the patient’s owner.
The patients for the camp were stuffed animals brought by the campers, but later on, the kids had the chance to check kittens’ heartbeats and gain real experience. Landon explained how when an animal is taken to be seen by a vet, they might be nervous, sick or hurt and that, as a vet, it’s important to stay calm to control the situation at hand.
As the week continued, participants began to talk more about the different kinds of visits that animals come to the vet for, what a vaccine is and how to draw liquid into a syringe to mimic what it would be like to give an animal a vaccine.
Thanks to the help of Atlantic Veterinary Hospital (Dr. Erin Ouellette), K9s for Warriors and Little Peep’s Farm, the junior veterinarians were able to see and interact with a variety of live animals. Some included kittens, turkeys, ducks and more that the kids were able to hold, touch and interact with to become more familiar with them. Landon enjoyed watching the kids overcome their fears and embrace the experience with curiosity and excitement.
In whatever she does, Landon is always looking for ways to spark curiosity in every camper. Through this camp, she found ways to introduce the field of veterinary medicine to the participants in a fun and hands-on way.
“How can you have a vet camp without any animals in it, right?” Landon mentioned. “It took a village to get these animals here, but I’m grateful that we could provide the experience.”
As the week came to a close, the students left camp with more than just new knowledge; they left with confidence, compassion and a deeper appreciation for the animals around them. Whether they dream of becoming veterinarians or simply love caring for creatures big and small, JCDS’ vet camp gave every camper a chance to learn, explore and grow.
