The Urban Youth Partnership is a program of the Nature Conservancy that brings high school kids from an inner-city environment into a natural one. The goal of the week long camp is for the students to explore new surroundings and gain an appreciation for conservation.

As part of this years camp program, the kids were taken to a Native American Summer Solstice. This annual celebration has taken place around the world for centuries and pays tribute to all that summer brings. Hosts of the Summer Solstice event, Joseph and Sandy Windwalker feel that the traditions of Leni-Lenape people help to reaffirm our connection to the environment.

"For native people we look out for seven generations down the road. Whatever we do today will affect seven generations. Everything we do has an affect, like ripples in the water they all extend out. If I pollute the water today it's going to affect future generations, maybe cause cancer or other things for seven generations. All native people believe this in north, south, central America, Canada all believe in the seven generations. Every action has a reaction, we must be very careful on how we step and live on the land."

Joseph Windwalker
Native American
of Leni-Lenapi decent

"Camp is fun for the most part, we do a lot of different things that I usually don't do in Philadelphia. It's just basically a new experience, something we can try that helps us out in our life. I've been fishing and I've never been fishing before, so that was fun. I've also been to a cranberry bog.."

-Atia Mohamad, High School Student
Urban Youth Partnership Camper

"I love the camp. Since I'm from north Philly I don't see things like this, but it's awesome, I love it so much. We have row homes so all of the houses are together you don't see acres of land, I just love nature."

Denise Ortiz, High school student
Urban Youth Partnership camper