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With longer days and warmer temperatures signaling the arrival of spring, Oswego County's Camp Hollis prepares for another season of creating camping memories for county children.

In fact, Camp Hollis will be hosting several activities this spring to introduce the camp to the parents and future campers.

On Thursday, April 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Camp Hollis staff will host a free day program for students age nine and up. The camp is located on county Route 89, off state Route 104 West in the town of Oswego, about two miles past Oswego State University. No prior registration is required. There will be supervised activities such as sports, nature hikes, arts and crafts and campfire sing-a-longs. Students should bring a lunch. Snacks will be provided.

On Saturday, April 23, Camp Hollis is seeking volunteers to help prepare the campground for opening. Jobs include cleaning cabins, raking, beach cleanup and stacking firewood. Spring cleaning will take place between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Volunteers should dress for outside work.

On May 22, there will be an open house at Camp Hollis from 1 to 5 pm. Parents and children are invited to tour the facilities, explore the cabins, roast marshmallows, take a nature hike and make a craft or two.

Camp Hollis was selected to host a crew from the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) for seven weeks. They arrived this week. The county competed against sites all across the nation for consideration and I know they will enjoy their experience in Oswego County. The NCCC is an arm of the federal AmeriCorps program and offers young adults the opportunity of a year of community service, traveling to different parts of the country and working on service projects in each community.

The 10 crew members and their leader just completed a Habitat for Humanity project in Baltimore and will stay at Camp Hollis until early June.

While at the camp, the crew will totally renovate the playground area. Camp Hollis was the recipient of a Leave A Legacy grant that will underwrite the cost of the new playground equipment. Crew members will also upgrade the nature trail and the challenge course during their stay.

Camp Hollis is a residential summer camp owned and operated by the county and administered by the Oswego City-County Youth Bureau. For more information on any of these events, call the youth bureau at 349-3451 or 1-800-596-3200, ext. 3451 or e-mail jim@oswegocounty.com