New Education Director Victoria Parker pictured.

BUSTI – The Busti Historical Society will host a Hands on History camp for children in first through third grades from 9 a.m. to noon July 14-18 and for fourth through sixth graders from 9 a.m. to noon July 20-24.

Victoria Parker, the society’s new education director, said the camps will be held at the Busti Historical Society grounds on Lawson Road. The students will learn how the 1839 restored grist mill works, how grain becomes flour, and why the mill was so important to the people of the Busti hamlet. The students will also tour the Busti museum, the restored miller’s house, make historic inspired crafts, play period appropriate games, and learn about life in the mid-1800s.

Details are available at www.busti-historical-society.weebly.com. The camp is by reservation only. The fee for each camper is $150 per week. Applications are available by emailing bustihistorical.edu@gmail.com or calling 716-483-3670.

The Busti Historical Society, with a grant from the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation and money from the annual Busti Apple Harvest Festival, hired Parker starting June 2. Parker has been a volunteer at the society for a few years.

“We are really excited to add Victoria to the part-time staff at the Busti Historical Society,” said Joni Blackman, director, “This has been in the works for a while. Victoria has many years of museum and museum education experience.”

Parker and the Busti Historical Society members are planning to have a Hands-On-Historic Crafts series in the fall for all ages. They plan to teach how to make baskets, soap, candles, cook on a wood stove and other daily skills that were necessary in the mid-1800s.