OUTDOOR ADVENTURES AWAIT

Firefly Song

GIRLS AND GENDER NON-BINARY
AGES 9-14

EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITIES

Spirited Campers Creating A Bright Community

The mountains, valleys, and lakes of Vermont are filled with beauty and adventure for our Firefly Song campers!

Nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains, on the shores of the Woodward reservoir, Firefly Song provides our youth with the perfect environment for swimming, hiking, farming and so many more wild and wonderful experiences. A new found appreciation for their strength, competence and creativity are at the cornerstone of Firefly Song. A fierce, fun-loving spirit encompasses our program as campers explore the fullness of their identity, redefine failure, and build on success. Every day there are new activities to challenge our campers as they explore the natural world and push through physical boundaries.

Our summer camp for girls and gender non-binary youth is a place for developing lasting friendships, a deeper self-awareness and resolve.

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FIREFLY SONG DIRECTOR

Clarissa Thompson

I am beyond excited to be heading into my second summer as director of Firefly Song.

Walking down the camp road and seeing goats and campers frolicking – yes, frolicking really does seem like the right word! – in the goat pens; hearing campers talk about “bunny brushing” as a favorite activity; knowing that all campers are spending time at the waterfront improving their swim skills and confidence in the water, and with many embarking on distance swims of all lengths, around the lake. These are the images and memories I carry from last summer and that I think of as I plan for our next summer at FS.

I’m both delighted by and in awe of the experience camp offers kids. A chance to live mostly outdoors; a chance to live in, create, and contribute to different kinds of communities; a chance to be surprised by what you find yourself engaged by. I believe that their time at camp helps campers settle in and focus in powerful ways, whether that is during Silent Meeting, or heading out of camp on a multi-day trip. They are offered challenges of all kinds and sizes, whether it is to climb the chimney outside the Main Lodge or to learn how food is grown and sometimes even makes its way from our gardens to our tables.

I look forward to seeing all the campers I got to know last summer, and meeting those of you who will be coming for the first time in Summer 2023.

You can watch my introductory video here.

Firefly Song

2025 Dates

EXPLORE A TIME FOR ADVENTURE

Session 1	June 25 - July 17
Session 2	July 20 - August 10

Rates & Financial Aid

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Cabin Life

Firefly Song campers fall in love with the uninterrupted view of the mountains and woods.

Housing: Cabin groups are based on age with a mixing of new and returning campers. The cabins are all open three-sided wood structures with individual bunks and storage for each camper. As we build community, it’s important each camper still has their space and campers enjoy personalizing their bunk.

Facilities: Shared facilities are nearby for all their hygiene needs, including fresh water and hot showers.

What Our Families Say

"I like that our daughter was surrounded by strong and confident people and encouraged to source her fire and do bold things and be adventurous."

Explore Life at Camp Firefly Song

Every day there are new things for our campers to learn, grow, build and explore while inspiring personal growth.

Mornings are slow and deliberate. As sunlight streams into their three-sided cabins – because why would anyone want to put a wall between them and the view of the lake? – campers awaken to nature. Campers begin their day tending to the farm animals, setting the tables in the dining hall and doing other community chores. Music, laughter and movement fills the Firefly Song Lodge as everyone arrives for breakfast. After breakfast, a silent meeting provides quiet reflection before heading off for morning activities filled with fun and meaningful experiences. Barns and gardens provide a classroom to learn where our food comes from and how to work the land in a sustainable way. Work Projects give the campers the experience to work with their hands in light construction and outdoor living skills get their hands on axe handles and fire building.

Afternoons are filled with exciting possibilities. After a healthy lunch, campers enjoy a rest hour before choosing their afternoon activities. From rock climbing, pottery, building cabin shelves, kayaking, harvesting strawberries or an activity created by campers where the outdoors and creativity awaits.

Evening ranges from a time for self-reflection and bonding, or more adventures! As the evening descends over the mountains, campers may join together for a relaxed waterfront evening. In a different evening they may take part in a facilitated conversation to better understand race, gender, identity and practicing healthy boundaries at camp. Campers spend other nights full of intrigue and daring in an all camp game. Finally the glow from flashlights is replaced by the moon and dancing fireflies as everyone joins their cabin to drift off to sleep together.

EXPERIENCE LIFE IN THE OUTDOORS

Activities

Swinging hammers, milking goats - and thinking outside the box!

Outdoor Living Skills

FS campers learn a variety of skills from knot tying, knife and ax safety to plant and animal identification. Our youth gain a new found confidence building fires and forest shelters and working towards their 24 hour wilderness solos.

Trips

Campers explore the wilderness with extended trips providing opportunities to be challenged and learn new skills in a challenging and safe environment. Each camper will learn the basics from how to set up tarps, to low impact “leave no trace” practices. Canoeing, hiking and rock climbing are some of the adventure activities our campers enjoy.

Barns and Gardens

From milking goats, weeding gardens to collecting eggs and picking vegetables and apples in our orchard, campers develop an appreciation for caring for animals and where their food comes from (and the effort it takes to grow it!).

Waterfront

Swimming and boating offer opportunities to enjoy the simple pleasures of the waterfront. Campers take swimming lessons and also are motivated to become stronger through a graded series of open water distance swims which work up to several laps around the entire lake. Working towards a future canoe adventure or an afternoon kayak trip, campers learn effective stroke and paddling skills.

Work Projects

Campers help with a variety of building projects learning how to add shingles or saw wood for a cabin. They use their hands to design, measure and build benches, bird houses or other small projects.

Creative Arts

Campers add to the magic of camp expressing themselves in pottery, fiber arts, forging and stained glass work, painting, singing, drama and more.

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