CITs- join us for a special reward day in gratitude for your help this summer!

PVAS Host: Laurel Schwartz, Ellen Murphy

This is a free program in gratitude to the Counselors-in-Training (CITs) who served with PVAS at Summer 2026 camps! Only CITs from 2026 summer camp may register. Pre-registration is required. Registration will close one week before the program on August 4, due to NCTC needing a participant list in advance. This program has a minimum of 10 participants.

Counselors-in-Training who are registered to volunteer for at least one camp session this summer are invited to attend a CIT Reward Day at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV! We hope you’ll join us to learn about wildlife, filmmaking, aquatic sciences, and environmental history- including an archives tour. Participating CITs will meet career professionals in different conservation fields, and will have a rare chance to explore the NCTC campus, which is not generally open to the public, except during special events. This exciting opportunity is made possible by the Friends of NCTC and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. You won’t want to miss this chance to enjoy a day of fun and learning with your fellow Counselors-in-Training!

CITs who participate in the reward day and are signed up for a CIT session during the week of August 10-14 are excused from CIT service for the day. All CITs are highly encouraged to attend as a reward for their hard work this summer. Lunch is available for purchase on-site (around $10). Registration is required for this reward day!

• Walking Distance: 2 miles or less. We may go for a short hike on NCTC property.
• Pace/Activities: Leisurely (meandering, many breaks to stop and observe)
• Exposure: Partial shade. Some areas of full exposure/clear view of the sky.
• Terrain: Dirt covered hard ground/walking trail, rocky, some steep slopes. Gentle slopes/rolling hills
• Restroom: Indoor, flushing restrooms are available.
• Parking/Where to Meet: Parents/ Guardians must bring a valid government-issued form of ID to enter the NCTC facility. You may drive up to the visitor’s center entrance at the main entry building to drop CITs off for the day.
• What to Bring: Please bring either money for lunch (between 10 and 18 dollars. Cash or credit/ debit card is fine), or bring a packed lunch. Keep an eye out for email communications, as it is always possible that the cafeteria will be closed on the day that we visit. In that case, packed lunch would be the only option. CITs may also choose to bring a notebook or nature journal to take notes during the presentations. Cameras are welcome as well!

Register Here!

Registration will remain open until the start of the program.

If the required minimum # of people do not register by 4 pm the evening prior, the program will be cancelled.

Read our pricing structure & policies.

About Laurel: Laurel Schwartz is a PVAS Program Specialist. Since September 2021, she has managed PVAS’s 4th Grade Watershed Program. Additionally, she is the Audubon Discovery Camp Director. You can read more about Laurel here: https://www.potomacaudubon.org/team/laurel-schwartz/

About Ellen: Ellen is retired from PVAS (and a former National Park Ranger and Girl Scout Camp Director). With PVAS, she taught the Watershed Program, taught general environmental education for PK-5th grades, and directed Audubon Discovery Camp for 11 years. She has been a Master Naturalist since 2007. Her favorite word is “Look” and my favorite place is Yankauer Nature Preserve. She and her husband Kevin have been married for 39 years, residents of WV for almost 30 years, and “parents” to a series of pound puppies (currently #8 and 9).”