The end of July means we are halfway through the summer camp season. It’s been an awesome summer so far. We’ve welcomed over 800 campers to our shores to explore the forests, make new connections, and discover the magic of Westwind.
Highlights from the summer include surfing lessons for our Teen Trekker’s campers, exploring the tide pools, roasting s’mores, and many creative campfire skits.
This summer’s youth camp themes include Rock, Paper, Scissors Week, and Space Pirates Week. The purpose of each week’s theme is to tie the week together. From campfire skits to interest groups, the theme is woven through the week, inspiring campers to be creative and think about how their actions fit into the larger fabric of their environment.
Learning At Camp
While there is no doubt that a week of camp is an absolute blast, there is also careful attention paid to learning and skill-building. Every week, campers spend time with our naturalist. They participate in nature-centered activities that encourage thoughtful exploration of the natural environment and build lifelong connections with nature. In their cabins and at meals, campers learn to share their space and communicate their needs with others. Communal living builds communication skills and can blossom into lifelong friendships.
Amazing Volunteers
We’re thankful for all of the volunteers who have helped make this summer happen. We’ve had over 50 volunteers this summer helping our programs run smoothly. Our Family Camp babysitters are essential to family camps. Babysitting is the first step for many of them to take on responsibilities and step into a leadership role at camp. Past summer staff have joined us to share their wisdom, massage therapist volunteers have stepped in to offer their services to parents at family camp, and our coffee service volunteers have kept us caffeinated all summer. Not only is our volunteer support vital to our summer programs, but it also demonstrates the strength of the Westwind community.
Site Updates
The fun hasn’t all been related to summer camp though. We have made significant progress on the first stage of our Inclusive Bathroom Project. Stay tuned for an official groundbreaking! Our site team has reintroduced pigs at Fraser Farm as part of an effort to reinvigorate our compost system. This is part of a larger effort to continue to meet our conservation goals. We have also begun the initial fieldwork to rehabilitate native habitats at Fraser Farm.
If you couldn’t join us for camp this summer–or had such a great time and can’t wait to be back–remember to check out our fall programs. We still have space for Fall Family Camp B (OCT 18-20) and Mushroom Camps A & B (NOV 1-3 & 8-10). We also have space available for Friends of Westwind Camp (AUG 24-26), a unique program tailored to those who have already experienced the magic of Westwind.