Nature Camps, Inc. - Day Camp Programs

News from Nature Camps

"It's about a sense of wonder!"

April 2008

Nature Camps Spreads it's Wings!

From the Director:
Nature Camps has touched the hearts and lives of so many people over the last 34 years. I often hear from former campers, parents, and staff, and am always touched by their fond memories of their time in the woods, fields, and streams of Nature Camps. So many have gone on to share their environmental and experiential education in the form of teaching, counseling, caring for children and animals, and so on. A few have actually begun their own versions of Nature Camps in their own locations. Just a reminder that you can learn about what some past NC Counselors are doing now.

don webb

I have just returned from Austin, Texas, where I was a consultant for Blackwood Nature Camp. David Heroy, one of Nature Camps' former counselors saw his dream come true last summer, when he and his wife Erica created a Nature Camp in Texas. David, Erica, and I facilitated a staff teaching weekend of new Initiatives and Nature Study, and Sensory Awareness activities.
	Nature Camps to hold it's First Annual Family and Friends Work Day! Saturday, May 3, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Snacks, Drinks, and Lunch will be provided. Please bring your own water bottle. Please bring tools such as rakes, shovels, pruners, wheel barrows, etc. Projects will include: Ropes Course maintenance (spreading wood chips, etc.); hanging cargo nets and swings; weeding, planting, maintaining rock walls in wildflower gardens; spreading rocks at water pump; moving picnic tables; hanging tarps; spreading wood chips at big swings and by Lodge; hanging tarps; organizing and cleaning Lodge; hanging signs, raking leaves from pool deck; etc. Children are welcome, though young ones must remain with a parent at all times. Counselors will not be available to watch children. Please call 410-935-1545 or email naturecamps@msn.com if you will be able to assist us in getting Nature Camps ready for another fabulous summer!
There are still openings in all sessions of Nature Camps! Register now, as space is filling up quickly! I invite everyone to be Nature Camps Ambassadors, and keep spreading the word about your belief in the essentialness of such nature experiences for children and their parents. Looking for those Special People: Knowing that you, your children, and long time friends are certainly Nature Camps' greatest resources, I ask for your input in helping us find applicants for this summer's RN and Riding Instructor openings. Pass the word along to those you sense would like to be our RN and Riding Instructor this summer. They can call or apply online at http://www.naturecamps.com/staff/jobs.html.
Be sure to mark your calendar for Sunday, May 18. Nature Camps' annual Open House will be from 1:00-4:00 p.m. You'll have a chance to meet Don, the co-directors, some of our counselors, and previous NC parents. This is a terrific time to discuss questions and concerns, tour the grounds, check out the Adventure Challenge Course, and swing on the tall swings, celebrating the upcoming summer! Directions. Come Join Us!
WHY CHOOSE NATURE CAMPS? The world of Adventure and Environmental Education is growing in leaps and bounds… and for three decades, NC has been blazing the trail! Adventure and Environmental Education (Sensory Awareness) is transforming – changing perceptions, heightening awareness, changing lives. Whether exploring our natural world for the first time or a seasoned outdoorsman curious about this year’s programs, we know that you have choices. There are many reasons to choose Nature Camps. To name just a few: NC has been enriching summers for families just like yours since the beginning. For 34- years, NC has always been on the cutting edge in the Outdoor Adventure and Environmental Education field. We have enjoyed interacting with thousands of families statewide, sharing the woods, fields, streams, and lakes with children and their parents in a real and most personal way. NC is the unique source for all your family outdoor experiences and education. You can get everything here! Hiking, exploring, Adventure Challenge Ropes Course self-confidence building and group problem solving, natural crafts, swimming and riding instruction, canoeing, biking, carving, Nature Journal drawing and writing, dreaming, story telling, traditional tool making, Family Overnights, and more. NC’s Staff is our strength. Our counselors and consultants are seasoned outdoor educators, with extensive background in Outdoor Adventure, Environmental Education, and Natural Crafts. NC’s staff is made up of teachers, college students, athletes, parents, and professionals. All staff members are fully certified and accomplished at tailoring the outdoor experiences to your child’s individual needs. NC is where you Our base camp is centrally located for easy accessibility, just off I-83 in the Hereford/ Monkton area of Baltimore County. Thirty minutes from Baltimore, and fourty minutes from Bel Air and Westminster. (Van service and Extended Day provided.) What is unique about NC Outdoor Educators? A Nature Camps counselor is a well-rounded true outdoor educator, having learned the myriad variety of things that he or she offers to children during the day: Acclimatization (sensory awareness) activities Initiatives: knowing when to use active and passive games, and alternating these for the enjoyment and safety of children Swimming and water lessons, helping children progress at various swim levels and helping them feel comfortable in the water Safe canoeing and kayaking Nature journaling and drawing with natural inks in handmade journals Creative natural crafts and traditional tool making, using the environment as the medium Adventure Challenge Course: knowing how to effectively facilitate Lower and Upper courses, with a solution focused approach Stream exploring and leprechaun house making Outdoor cooking and fire building Meaningfully engaging with children, peers, and parents Lastly, NC experiences allow each child to learn to deal with change, to probe with questions, to thrive on independence. They tend to bring forth compassion and a rugged, venturesome, and joyful attitude. Contact us soon! Nature Camps and You. It’s about a Sense of Wonder.