"It's all about keeping (youths) busy," said Chester County 4-H Extension educator Audrey Reith, when describing the new Chesco Outdoor Club. Since its formation, club members have taken part in hikes at local parks and held their first organized activity - an outdoor cooking event that took place on Dec. 3 at the Romano 4-H Center in Honey Brook.

During the program, participants made a campfire and prepared a meal that included fresh vegetables like potatoes and carrots. Some youths also made hot dogs and other food items they brought from home.

While some items like sweet potatoes were wrapped in foil and placed directly on the fire, most of the food was cooked using buddy burners, which the youths made with the help of 4-H volunteer Susan Johnson.

Also known as a hobo stove, a buddy burner is a portable stove made from a large aluminum can. Using can openers, the youths made holes in the sides of the cans to allow the smoke to escape. They filled smaller cans with corrugated cardboard and paraffin wax and placed these under the larger cans as a heat source.

"We recycled large coffee cans. One of our 4-H alumni owns a diner and donated the cans," noted Reith. "They could use the buddy burners, which they made, (to cook their food) or cook over the campfire."

Students also took part in a knife safety program presented by volunteer Paul Sanoski, whose wife, Susan, also volunteered at the event.

Reith said the new club, open to youths ages 8 to 18, was formed when members of other 4-H Clubs expressed an interest in outdoor activities. "As an educator, I like listening to what the kids want to do," said Reith, who is also the leader of the SPARKS 4-H Ag Club in West Grove. "We are looking at not only (visiting) county and state parks, but at other historic sites like local furnaces," she said, noting that the students are also interested in archery. "We already hiked at Marsh Creek State Park and Nottingham County Park. It will be totally about outdoor adventures."

For more information about the new Chesco Outdoor Club, including details about upcoming events, contact the Penn State Extension Chester County office at ChesterExt@psu.edu or 610-696-3500 or email Reith at alr5762@psu.edu.