Story by Barry Kaufman + Photography by Lisa Staff

Summer is almost here, and if you’re a parent, you already know what that means. The “I’m bored” chorus is just around the corner.

Even with Beaufort County School District’s move to a year-round calendar, there is still plenty of time for kids to run out of things to do. Fortunately, there is an easy fix for those summertime blues.

All across the Lowcountry, a wide range of summer camps is ready to keep kids engaged, inspired and happily worn out. Whether your child loves nature, golf, the arts or a little of everything, there is a camp designed to spark their curiosity and keep them active.

We spoke with three local leaders who are running some of the season’s most exciting programs. From muddy marsh adventures to golf, with life lessons and hands-on creativity in art and theater, these camps offer more than just a way to pass the time. They are helping shape young minds and build lasting memories, one camper at a time.

Jessica Kochman

This naturalist and camp leader brings science to life, one muddy adventure at a time.

Long before she set foot on the grounds of the Port Royal Sound Foundation, where she now leads the Pluff Mudder Summer Camp, Jessica Kochman was already a seasoned camp leader.

“I had worked at a summer camp for years as an education coordinator, doing similar stuff there,” she said. “We were a traditional summer camp in the summer months. Camp is all-consuming, and you work a lot, so I was looking to find something new.”

That “something new” presented itself when she discovered the Foundation and learned about its mission. Its focus on environmental education mirrored much of what Kochman had been teaching at camp. And, as luck would have it, they needed someone who could not only guide students through field trips but also lead their Pluff Mudder camp.

“Pluff Mudder started before I got here, but it was a little different. I was able to bring a lot of my camp background to it,” she said. “One thing I was able to add was shark dissection for the older kids. That’s a lot of fun. Stinky, but fun.”

In addition to hands-on experiences like that, Pluff Mudder campers get a deep dive into the ecology of the Lowcountry. Activities include fishing off the dock, kayaking in local waters and learning about the “animal of the day,” which can include live encounters with native species like snakes.

“Sometimes it’s their first time holding a snake, and just seeing their facial expression is really cool,” Kochman said. “We’ve had a few kids catch their first fish off our dock, and that’s amazing, and a few kayakers who have never been out on the water before.”

The Pluff Mudder camp essentially expands on what students experience during field trips to the Port Royal Sound Foundation, blending real-world interaction with the Lowcountry’s flora and fauna with educational lessons in wildlife biology and environmental science. But through camp, Kochman has the opportunity to take it further, giving kids a deeper and more lasting experience with the natural world around them.

“For me it’s different than field trips because we only have those kids for a few hours, and then they leave,” she said. “With summer camp you really get to know the campers and their personalities, especially when they come back summer after summer. That’s a lot of fun, building those relationships with the campers and their families.”

Tales from the mud

As the naturalist and education coordinator at the Port Royal Sound Foundation, Jessica Kochman’s job is to share her love of the outdoors with kids across the Lowcountry. Through the Pluff Mudder camps during the summer and field trips year-round, she gets to incorporate lessons from her years working in traditional summer camps and, sometimes, a bit of personality management.

 “We hire interns to help us during the summer, and I always tell them, ‘It’s controlled chaos, but within the chaos, it’s just a ball.’ Even though it’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of fun.”

And sometimes, she gets to witness a child’s life trajectory shift in real time.

“It happens a lot; when someone gets a chance to hold an animal, they’ll decide that this is what they want to do.”

At press time, the Junior Pluff Mudder camp was full, but spots remained for rising 5th-7th graders in the Pluff Mudder sessions running July 14-18. Visit portroyalsoundfoundation.org for more information.