Time has a different meaning here at Tamarack Farm. We are paced by the day’s routines and the schedule bends and twists based on the work being done. We take the microscopic view, focusing on the present.
Thus, you can imagine how surprising it was to realize the campers had been here for several weeks already. This first week and a half was many things. Challenging, fun, busy, exciting, new, fun, humid, and fun. Work Projects, the backbone of our program, began with success after success. Barns and Gardens groups worked on everything from examining soil composition of the garden to making ice cream. The Construction and Carpentry groups started building our new art barn, with separate crew working on walls and floors, and making a new hutch for our bunny, Rollo.
Looking around at these pods of campers, one thing that really stuck out was the level of commitment on display. The dedication of the campers towards their project is admirable. The first week can sometimes be a period of shyness. This summer, however, campers are throwing themselves wholeheartedly into the community.
Another example of this commitment arose during our Town Meeting. Traditionally, the Town Meeting is a time to talk as a whole camp and come to consensus about the decisions or issues facing us and this week was no exception. We leapt right into a discussion on the gender dynamics at Tamarack Farm this summer. These teenagers tackled it with open hearts and sparking minds. We were not going to solve the problems of gender in one night, but Town Meeting was a great starting point.
The summer is underway. Like Town Meeting, the past week and a half will be the jumping off point for a fantastic summer. Momentum is rising and there is no telling what we will be able to achieve.
Cody Tannen-Barrup
Camper Advocate
