Farm & Wilderness Blog

We're Dusting off the Welcome Mat at SAM Camp - Farm & Wilderness

Written by Jeff Bounds | June 18, 2018

We’re dusting off the welcome mat at SAM Camp and can’t wait for you to join us! Just days away from opening day, F&W is abuzz with spring energy and the feeling of staff and camper arrival just around the corner.

Staff are here and as you can imagine, there is a lot to do! We are embarking on a regimen of steady physical work and search for camp counselor enlightenment that would rival any monastery. No scrubbing, song learning, or trip planning will be as important as the work we do to open our ears, eyes, and hearts for the day that your child arrives. We’ll be ready!

But camp just isn’t camp without campers! The people at camp are who we receive the most from, and give the most to! I’m so excited for us all to make new connections this summer. We’ll be enjoying the beauty that surrounds us, and is us, while hearing how each other experiences the day. As we welcome your child, we fully recognize that our summer, as well as theirs, will be made more powerful by each individual that joins us. Thank you for sharing with us this summer!

I hope you are all closing out the school year on a good note and feeling healthy as you prepare for camp. Campers will arrive having had a variety of experiences over the past year and I would love to have a good idea of any stresses or major changes in the life of your camper so we can better facilitate this amazing experience. Send me an email with some info or we can set up a time to chat over the next few weeks!  We’ll do the same when we return your camper to you with a camper letter that arrives at the end of the summer!

Justice and Inclusivity

In addition to typical camp activities, at camp, we teach about the idea of justice and inclusivity, as well as the value of difference.  Our staff is trained to facilitate meaningful, age-appropriate conversations on social justice.

When campers are aware of ideas bigger than themselves, they become invested in creating emotionally safe spaces.  Through creating opportunities to experience and create a just community we hope to counter any harmful and pervasive behaviors with one of compassion, understanding, and affirmation.

Teaching empathy is central. To be more involved, start with this helpful list of articles.

Our Latest News

More info about the upcoming summer, including staff that are returning.  Please bookmark our blog to stay in touch all summer long.
Read our Blog >>

What to Expect on Opening Day

Upon your arrival between 1 and 4, you can expect to be greeted by staff and campers at Saltash Mountain Camp (click here for directions) at which point, after possible hugs and joyful screaming, we’ll bring you to our lodge to give you the grand tour. A SAM Camp Nurse will process your health forms and after a quick check-in, your camper will be off to their new cabin.

This check-in will include a lice check. To assist us in a lice-free summer please check your camper regularly in the weeks before camp and treat if necessary. If lice or nits are found we will take steps to have your child treated before entering the cabin area.

Please take the opportunity to get to know your child’s cabin staff. They are really wonderful and are looking for as much info as you feel comfortable sharing so can they facilitate a comfortable transition. I’m happy to pass along any sort of emailed supplement you wish to provide for them. We encourage you to stay as long as you like throughout the rest of the afternoon, until 4 pm, as campers participate in an optional swim test and other activities. Campers arriving on the NYC bus will experience a very similar welcome and we’ll be sure to let you know that they have arrived safely.

Updates and Communications From Camp

This summer we’ll be immersing ourselves in the forests of New England, destined for connections with nature and each other. Though these stories of what we’re up to and the development of our community are told best by campers through their personal narratives at the end of the summer, I’ll be in touch weekly through the Saltash Mountain Blog. For all of you current and future Questers parents, there will be a Questers Blog, though not with as much regularity based on the trips schedule.

You are always welcome to call and check in with me throughout the summer. I’d also ask for understanding that I want to spend time with your camper, so allow me a bit of time to respond to non-emergencies.

Can’t wait!