May 19, 2013
A Local 8 Weather Alert has been issued for today. Because of the threat of rain, thunder and even hail, outdoor activities may be disrupted or inconvenienced. What's going on? An upper-level low will be moving across East Tennessee today, creating a more unstable atmosphere.
Zoo camp at the Knoxville Zoo is fun for so many reasons:
"We like to go see animals a lot, snakes," said 6-year-old Jake Legg.
"Spiders!" said Connor Patton, who's also six.
But even the kids were feeling the heat Thursday.
"It feels like it's 108 degrees, but it's really 90," said Reese Legg.
Counselors said they do a variety of things to keep them safe and cool.
"We try to get most of our physical activity done in the morning hours before it gets too incredibly warm out. We bring sunscreen with us so we can spray it on them when they need it. We make sure we stop and talk about our animals in shady areas. And we make sure every 20 to 30 minutes we're taking a bathroom break and or a water break," said Joe Book, a camp counselor.
The zoo also has misters to keep campers and other zoo visitors cool, and of course the splash pad is a popular spot during the hot weather.
Shen it starts getting too hot, the campers often head inside for games and activities.
Kids at Milton Collins day camp at the Arienstien Jewish Community Center in Knoxville were also feeling the heat Thursday.
"We usually just drink a lot of water, and wear lots of sunscreen," said 10-year-old Gaia Winston.
Camp directors said they spend a lot of time outside playing sports and picking berries, and stress the importance of staying hydrated.
"We have coolers set up outside for water and all my counselors and specialists know between 15 and 20 minutes, they usually give water breaks," said Brian DeBolt, camp director.
DeBolt said the pool is a good way to keep cool too, and like the zoo, he said campers head inside if it gets too hot.
