As you know we’ve been enjoying great weather and making the most of it. Senior Lodge campers have come back from their wilderness trips and First and Big Lodge campers will depart today. Recently, every camper went out on a day hike as well. Certainly, there was some grumbling on the way up to Rainbow Rocks, yet once up on the ridge, looking down on the roof of our largest building they saw how small it looked and felt rather big themselves. Hearing how far the ring of the bell carries from camp gave them new perspective.
Before trips we teach the seven ethics of Leave No Trace which include: “eave what you find”, “minimize campfire impacts” and “respect wildlife”. Walking on the path to the OLS (Outdoor Living Skills) area, the eleven-year-old campers in front of me were drilling each other on these ethics. Upon entering the OLS area, we were lucky enough to see a family of wild turkey wandering through the area. And when one boy wanted to chase them, we could remind him “respect the wildlife!”. Being in the woods gives us a chance as educators to transform a set of rules into a way of living outdoors.
While in camp, we are appreciating some great meals. Last night was a fantastic vegan curry with vegetables from our farm and with a side of some chicken and rice for those who are less adventurous. Breakfast today was a French toast bake with roasted and glazed grapefruit and bacon with a light coating of our F&W maple syrup.
I imagine you are eager to picture camp through these slice of life moments. Picture your son outdoors. Life is happening outside for these boys. The simple fact that they are not in front of a screen or sitting indoors is huge. A man on the radio asked a poignant question the other day: “What’s the motivation for saving the world when everyone just wants to be in front of a screen?”. This is a troublesome thought yet is also validates what we are doing at Farm & Wilderness. Here, we live in the woods and the campers will come back transformed to some degree by the simple fact they are outdoors or living in the most simple of accommodations every waking moment. We can see signs of their motivation in the 20 of our younger campers who chose to do a 12-hour sit spot in the woods two days ago. That’s a ratio of 1:4 in our community of nine-to-twelve year olds, which I find impressive.
I cannot guarantee that they will fall in love with nature or that they will give away their game console, yet while they are with us, we are committed to having fun together outdoors.
