WOODSTOCK — More than 120 girls ages 8 to 12 are enjoying outdoor activities this week at Camp North Woods on Lake Christopher.

Camp North Woods “is a legacy project based on the show “North Woods Law” and we wanted to capture some of the energy from the show to inspire kids to go fishing, paddling, and hunting,” said Ron Fournier, director of the University of Maine 4-H Camp & Learning Center in Bryant Pond village.

The camp was started in 2015 by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, in cooperation with the Learning Center.

“Our goal is to teach kids about all regulated outdoor activities like hunting and fishing, and shooting sports and to bring an awareness of the activities to them and hope they enjoy them,” District Game Warden Peter Herring said “Another goal is to create ethical sportsmen and a desire to work in conservation law; we’re looking for new wardens.”

Camper Lauren Hewson, 9, of Waterford, said that last year her favorite part of the camp was catching and eating the brook trout from the pond. Before her time at the camp, she didn’t know anything about game wardens, but now she says she would like to be one.

Whether it’s rescuing sick or lost hikers in the Maine woods, returning a fledgling owl to its nest or taking part in a daring watercraft rescue, campers want to learn how Maine wardens do what they do.

Brittany Humphrey, outreach coordinator for MDIFW, said 120 girls are at the camp until Saturday.

On Sunday, 120 boys will arrive for a week of activities.

Seventy percent are Maine residents; one camper is from Australia.

During both weeks, 10 game wardens, many from the show, work with 10 groups of 12 campers each, Humphrey said. Each group has one game warden mentor and two staff members to assist them.

Activities include rifle and shotgun shooting, archery, fishing, fly-fishing and fly-tying, ATVing, canoeing, kayaking, boating safety, rock climbing, and map and compass reading. They’ll also take a swim test.

Warden Cpl. John MacDonald, spokesperson for the Maine Warden Service, said people from Big Woods Bucks will be at the camp Thursday to talk to the campers about deer and turkey hunting.

And “Saturday is family field day, where we invite the campers’ families to come to camp to try out all of the activities that the campers have learned and to show their parents what they have learned throughout the week,” he said.

A dive team is also coming Saturday to give demonstrations of a remotely operated vehicle with a sonar underwater camera.

“The equipment is used primarily to find bodies,” MacDonald said. The first time that it was used was in Rangeley Lake a few years ago because the search was in 140 feet of water and it was too dangerous for divers, he said.

At the shooting range, Warden Eric Blanchard demonstrated how to use pellet guns. After explaining where to hit the target and the proper positioning of the gun so that it rests against a cheek bone and the meaty part of the shoulder bone, the campers were given their chance to try.

“Shooting sports are fun,” Blanchard told the campers.

Nora Dobbs, 9, of Orono, said she was excited about learning to shoot the pellet gun. “I’m not really nervous because it can’t really hurt me,” she said. She loves archery and likes swimming also, she said.

Rylie Mcintyre, 12, of Brunswick, who watched “North Woods Law,” is enjoying her second year at the camp. Her favorite parts are the rock wall and the archery range, she said.

“Once you get the hang of it it’s not that difficult,” she said..

Erin Niles, 9, of Perth, Australia, said it’s a great outdoors experience to learn archery, swimming and canoeing. “It’s been a blast,” she said.

She is from a military family and they have been posted in Jamestown, R.I. for 2½ years. She said she’s been to Maine many times.

Charlei O’Leary, 10, of Brunswick, said her mom signed up her brother last year and this year she got to come. She likes learning archery. “They encourage you to keep trying to get the target,” she said.

Director Fournier said the year-round programs include a nine-week summer camp, a school program from April through early June and in late August to early November.

mhutchinson@sunmediagroup.net