Lancaster County Youth Conservation School
Past president, Robert K. Mowrer, was instrumental in establishing parks and wild areas in the county. He also organized the Lancaster County Junior Conservation Camp, now called the Youth Conservation School. For many years, SLCFSA has paid the way for a Solanco student to attend this week-long camp each summer at the Northern Lancaster Fish and Game Protective Association.
Students, ages 14-16, come from all over the county. Some haven’t been lucky enough to grow up close to nature, to go camping on family vacations, and to enjoy the outdoors daily, so this school plays a vital part in encouraging a conservation mindset in youth accustomed to strictly urban settings and in allowing those of many backgrounds to rub shoulders for a common cause.
Curriculum focuses on proper waste management, maintaining the habitats of Pennsylvania’s diverse wildlife, and practical skills such as fly-tying and fishing, setting up and tearing down camp, chopping wood and making a campfire, firearm maintenance, how the Game Commission K9 Unit tracks poachers, and much more.
The 47th annual Lancaster County Youth Conservation School will be held in July 2026. As in prior years, SLCFSA would be proud to sponsor the child, grandchild, niece, nephew, or other relative of one of our members.
Who is eligible: Students 14-16 years old who have an interest in the conservation of natural resources and outdoor activities
When is it held: July 19-24, 2026 (6-day, 5-night)
When to apply: Applications open now until Friday, June 5, 2026 OR when the class fills
Where to apply: www.lancasterconservation.org (select Youth Conservation School under the Education drop down menu)
Where is the school held: Northern Lancaster County Game and Fish Protective Association, 180 Forest Road, Denver, PA
Costs: SLCFSA will cover the $150 sponsorship for one student. The student is responsible for $25 registration fee if/when the application is accepted
Note: In the event there is more than one successful applicant from within the SLCFSA family, the board reserves the right to make a final selection based on strength of application or to sponsor more than one student. If no students apply from within the SLCFSA family, the board will seek to sponsor a student from within the SOLANCO school district.