Proposal to close 'Camp Schmidt' under fire from Pr. George's teachers, parents, environmentalists

The overnight trip she took last week at the William S. Schmidt Outdoor Education Center in Brandywine was the first time camping for Oxon Hill Elementary fifth-grader Aimy Hernandez.

After a day of trust-building exercises and observing insects as part of a program on stream ecology, among other activities, Aimy, 10, and her classmates were preparing for a campfire that evening.

"It's been really great. My parents work very late, so I don't get to go outside very much," she said. A self-described "bookworm," Aimy has read about bugs and other environmental topics, but said that "to come out here, it's different than what you imagine."