Word From Wildwood

Session 2 Comes to a Close

It was another wonderful day here at Wildwood weather-wise and otherwise! It finally felt like summer with warmer temperatures throughout the day.

We completed our IG's and made our final trips to the camp store during OATS. Right now we are in the middle of our closing campfire, with some light drizzle in the air - the first precipitation of teh day. I stayed around for a bit to see some really terrific skits including a break-dancing demonstration from one of the Leopold boys, a couple of terrific songs by campers, some playing guitar too, plus the Hokey Pokey, Rare Bog Rattlin Bog, and many others are scheduled for the evening as well. Again, as I anticipated, these campers have really been a ton of fun this week.

We were also lucky enough to have a group of day campers from Habitat in Belmont spend a couple days with us at Wildwood. They hiked Monadnock, canoed and kayaked, went swimming and visited the ropes course too. It was really nice to have them be a part of our community for a few days.

I don't know about you, but this week has flown by! And although we'll be sad to se this group of campers go, we'll send them back to you tomorrow with a bunch of great stories and songs to share with you.

I'm going to have a little pow wow with the weather folks tonight in hopes that we can welcome you all back to camp with good (dry) weather for the morning, It looks like the rest of the day will be quite nice. Our closing ceremony begins at 10:00, so feel free to arrive from 9:30 - 9:45. The nurse will be at the dining hall so you can pick up meds, etc.

We'll look forward to seeing you in the morning! Enjoy these last few hours...

Bob

Session 2 Over the Hump

It seems like we just got started with this excellent group of campers and here we are with just a couple days left! We've had some real fun and some great discoveries over the past two days. It's been warm and except for a few sprinkles this morning, it's been dry too. This means all of our programs have gone on just as planned. The IG's are rolling along; we've had some nice breezes for sailing, and the wetland discovery folks have also been exploring the pond's plants and animals. It's been wonderful to see groups all over camp, from the ropes course and arts and crafts center to the woodlands and fields, and to the pond.

I visited some more groups during OATS today and witnessed a rockin game of dodge ball in the field, lots of cooling off at the waterfront, including folks trying out our new Watermat - which seems to be a big hit. Also I went up to the nature center where Tim and Aaron where helping campers identify very small critters they found in the pond.

On the way back I stopped at the garden to give it a quick watering, and I was pleased to see many of our veggies coming along nicely.

Tonight, we had a planned incident, with Heffalumps being spotted around camp - yikes! These crafty critters can usually be handled well if the campers know how to tame them. Once this happens, they might sing the group a song and then sign the their paper - with the object of getting all the Heffalumps to sign your sheet before Mama-lump finds you and tears it up. It's a kooky game for sure, and there's nothing else really like it, but the campers and staff really love it. Strangely, most of these Heffalumps look an awful lot like our LITs... hummmm?

Tomorrow is Friday and we'll finish up our IG's, we'll have a cook-out for lunch, and then we'll have our closing campfire after dinner. I can already tell with this group, the campfire will be a really fun event.

I'll get some more information on the LITs and Junior Counselors tomorrow and update everyone on how those two programs are progressing too.

We'll see you on Saturday at around 10:00. Enjoy the last bit of your vacations too!

Bob

It's Letter Home Day!

Good Evening Session 2 Camper Families and Friends! Wow, what a beautiful day it was again today at Wildwood. Lot's of great activities happening throughout the day, and of course a letter home was the ticket to get into dinner tonight. All the units were busily writing letters home during siesta today - some writing more than one!

Today we also started our Interest Group activities that we picked yesterday. I'm sure you'll learn about the I.G. that your camper(s) chose, which runs from 9:00 - 11:00 each morning. We have Wetland Exploration, Adventure Sampler, Mighty Flighty, Natural Engineering, Art of Books (making books, etc.), Sailing, Archery, and also a special Naturalist I.G. focused on the forest habitat. You will certainly hear some wonderful stories about their I.G. adventures.

We had a full set of Discovery Group activities this afternoon as well. At the end of breakfast the staff perform a brief skit describing the D.G. that they will be leading after siesta. Then the campers pick two that they will take part in. These one hour programs run from 2:00 - 3:00 and then from 3:00 - 4:00. I visited a couple of the D.G.'s this afternoon including Tie Dye, Life Under a Log, and Water Games. It sure looked like a lot of fun!

Tonight is Unit Night, where campers have a fun time with their own units. I see some folks playing games on the beach, some in Arts and Crafts, some in the Field, and some at the Low Ropes Course. I'm sure there will be a campfire in most units to finish off this evening.

Tomorrow there's a PBJ, which stands for Pre-breakfast Jaunt - it's a bird walk with Tim and Tex. Campers interested in joining them at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow, will tie a sock on their beds tonight in order to get woken up early.

Nurse Tonia and her family have been keeping us all healthy and Safe - Thanks Tonia!

Click on any image to see it larger

Well, we'll be back soon with another update - enjoy this wonderful weather!

Good Night,

Bob

Session 2 Off to a Beautiful Start!

Good Evening! I hope you are all beginning to enjoy your week just like we are. I'll add some photos to this tomorrow, but I wanted to report that our first night and first full day went very well.

Last night was our opening campfire, with a good mix of both counselors and campers performing a number of songs and skits. It was very fun! Today, we had our health checks, we did camp tours, swim checks, made our Interest Group choices, and also had a visit from Mass Audubon's ARK program. Sally from the Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln brought along a barred owl and a snake that we were all able to see up close.

A serious game of predator prey is underway right now - this is where groups of mosquitoes, frogs, snakes, and hawks venture out across the camp trying to collect pieces of shelter, food and water, while they search for the critters they eat and watch out for those that eat them. If a mosquito gets tagged by a frog (or above) and so on, it turns into that animal. It's a pretty neat example of how the food chain (or better yet, the food web) works. I'm sure you'll hear more about it as it is a camp favorite.

Although the LIT group did a lot of the same activities today (their swim checks, health checks, etc.), I can already see them as a strong team and I am certain that they will also have a wonderful session.

We had lots of mail to hand out today - so thanks for that! Keep them coming. Tomorrow is "Bring a Letter to Dinner" night, so you should expect at least one letter arriving in a few days. We are loving these warm sunny days, and it looks like we'll have them for at least a couple more!

Have a wonderful night, and we'll be back again tomorrow!

Best,
Bob

Session 1 Coming to a Close

Hello Everyone! Well the weather has brightened up and our internet is back on so we've got some catching up to do here!

OK, let's start with the trekkers: Although I haven't received any pictures from them yet, they have safely returned to us here at Wildwood Central with smiling, tanned faces. I heard that biking on Nantucket was among their favorite things (and who can blame them?), but they also enjoyed radio tracking box turtles, kayaking, a salt marsh study at the UMASS Field Station, and working with our ecologist, Ernie. Both of the Trip leaders, Tyler and Katie were raving about this group as well, and I know they really enjoyed their time with these teens visiting some really cool places. They'll go through their gear tonight, shower, and have some good time at the ropes course tomorrow before being picked up in the morning.

Then there's the Leaders-in-Training group. They also returned today from a three-day canoe trip on the Connecticut River. They had terrific weather each day and managed to experience some neat wildlife sightings including a Wilson's Snipe! This outing always pulls this group together as they work as a team to accomplish all aspects of the trip including preparing and packing gear, setting up and breaking down tents, developing menus and shopping for food as well as cooking and cleaning up after meals. Upon their return they put away all the equipment and washed off the boats. I think they'll sleep well tonight.

Speaking of tonight... naturally it's our closing campfire, a highly anticipated event for all our sessions. By this time campers have really become comfortable doing goofy things with staff and their friends, and so these are truly among the funnest parts of camp. It's really neat; for the opening campfire on the first night staff have do most of the performances and only a few campers are bold enough to get up there - even for a lot of the returning campers. But at the closing campfire it's mostly just campers running the show as they have really come out of their shells and want to be a big part of the celebration.

We had a special day on Wednesday, themed around space and the planets with all sorts of strange and fun activities happening all over camp. It was a lot of fun although the sun wasn't shining on us very much. Thursday and Friday have been the best two days of the session weather-wise, with lots of sunshine and warmer temperatures too. This meant we spent a lot of time at the waterfront enjoying Hubbard Pond. Two new water elements finally arrived just in time to be christened by our campers. You'll see them at the waterfront tomorrow.

Lastly, we've completed two really cool upgrades to the camp. You'll see our brand new camp store tomorrow, which will be open for your $hopping pleasure! And also our new solar hot water system at the shower house, which will pre-heat the water going into the regular hot water tanks, saving us propane and helping us reduce our carbon footprint here at camp.

So here's a bunch of pictures that have been taken over the last few days waiting to be put up onto the blog. Thanks so much to all the parents for allowing us to have such terrific fun with your campers over these past two weeks. We'll give them back to you - at least for now!

Have a good night and we'll see you all in the morning.

Best,
Bob

 

Get Ready for Overnight Camp Session 3!

If you're registered for Session 3, July 19-August 1, you should have received a reminder postcard directing you here. (Thanks for checking out the blog, and supporting our efforts to send you less paper!)

We’re excited to see you at camp very soon, and we hope that you’re looking forward to your time at Wildwood. If you've not returned all your completed camp forms, please mail them to the Wildwood office in Lincoln, MA, immediately. (Don’t forget a copy of your camper’s health insurance card!) If your camper’s prescription medications have changed since you sent the forms, it’s very important that you obtain an updated, signed medication authorization from the prescribing physician! If you must, let us know that you’ll bring completed forms with you to camp on June 28. If you need a new copy of camp forms or the camp handbook, please visit our website to download them, under "Information for Registered Campers". The handbook also contains a suggested packing list (p. 11) to assist you as you prepare for camp.

For driving directions to Wildwood, look in your camp handbook (p. 18), or get printable directions from our website. Please note that there is now only one flashing yellow light in Rindge, at the intersection of Route 119 and Cathedral Road; this is slightly different from the directions in the camp handbook. (Remember that once you are in Rindge, using a GPS or online directions is inadvisable.) Wildwood is a large camp, and anyone at camp on check-in day will be happiest wearing sturdy, comfortable shoes. Remember, you may not bring family pets with you to Wildwood!

In the days before camp, please review the camp handbook, including the behavior expectations, with your camper. Make sure all items packed for camp are appropriate and well-labeled. It’s also important to keep an eye on your camper’s health. Please contact us if your camper has had or has been exposed to any influenza-like illness in the week before camp. We want to be sure that every camper arrives at camp healthy and ready to participate fully!

Here’s what you have to look forward to (families will join in on the bold days and times). Remember that activities may change based on weather, special events, and random acts of FUN!

Sunday (Check-in Day)

2:00 pm  Check-in begins
• We’ll greet you at the parking lot entrance with a nametag and unit assignment and direct you to a parking space.
• We’ll help you take your camper’s luggage to the appropriate marked area in the parking lot. Please do not go to the living units at this time! We’ll transport your camper’s luggage to his/her unit.
• Take camper medications with you, and walk to the dining hall. Parents/guardians of children with medication/medical concerns will have a brief conference with the camp nurse.
• Campers and families greet their counselors and unit leaders at the waterfront. You’ll also see some of Wildwood’s camp store offerings, set up a store account if you didn’t do so before camp, or make a purchase.

3:30 pm  Opening Ceremony for everyone in the Amphitheatre
• After the brief Opening Ceremony, campers and staff members walk to their living units. Families may accompany campers to their units or depart directly from the Opening Ceremony.

4:15 pm  Final questions with unit leaders and family departure. Campers will unpack, settle in, begin to get to know one another, and set group goals.
6:00 pm Dinner
7:15 pm Opening Campfire in Amphitheatre
9:00 pm Cabin Chat (a calming end-of-day routine)
9:30 pm Sweet dreams!

Monday

7:40 am Morning Circle
8:00 am Breakfast
9:00 am Units rotate through waterfront orientation, swim checks, health checks, schedule choices, and low ropes/team-building
12:00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm Siesta
2:00 pm Waterfront orientation, swim checks, health checks, schedule choices, and low ropes/team-building, continued
4:00 pm Open Activity Time (OATs)
6:00 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Evening Program (may include campfires, skits and songs, all-camp games, or special activities with your unit)
9:00 pm Cabin Chat
9:30 pm Sweet dreams!

Tuesday – Friday
7:00 am Optional Pre-Breakfast Jaunt (PBJ) Wednesday and Friday
7:40 am Morning Circle
8:00 am. Breakfast
9:00 am Interest Groups (IGs)
11:00 am Unit Time
12:00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm Siesta
2:00 pm Discovery Groups (DGs)
4:00 pm OATs
5:30 pm Unit Time
6:00 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Evening Program
9:00 pm Cabin Chat
9:30 pm Sweet dreams!

Saturday – Monday
Each unit enjoys a campout during the middle weekend of camp. On Wildwood’s property, Leopold and Carson campers spend one night at First Point, and Fossey and Thoreau campers spend one night at the new Second Point campsite. Dillard and Abbey campers spend two nights at a nearby state park. During overnights, campers help set up and take down their tents, help with meal preparation and clean-up, hike, have a campfire, make S’mores, play games, and learn and practice Leave No Trace outdoor ethics.
Before campers depart or after they return, they’ll enjoy some time at camp at a slower pace: sleep a little later, do activities with their unit, and have time for swimming, boating, and playing together.

Tuesday – Friday, as above

Saturday (Check-out Day)
7:30 am Unit tidying (Luggage ready before breakfast!)
8:00 am Breakfast
9:00 am Return to units for group closing activity
9:30-9:45 am  Families arrive for check-out and walk to the amphitheatre. A staff member will direct you to the parking area. Depending on weather, we may ask you to load your camper’s luggage into your vehicle when you arrive. On a sunny day, campers and families should load luggage together after the closing.
10:00 am  Closing Ceremony. Campers and families reunite, followed by departure. You’ll be able to make any last camp store purchases or get leftover medications from the nurse. Pick up an address list and 2010 registration packet as you check out!

Please feel free to call us at our toll-free number, 866-627-2267, or e-mail wildwood@massaudubon.org if you have any questions before you come to camp!

Happy Camping!

The Sun is Out!

Wow, we've had three days with at least partial sunshine, and the last two have been beautiful! Despite some of the earlier weather challenges, we've been very busy with camp activities.

The Acadia Teen Trip group had a wonderful excursion at Acadia and returned with some stories of their adventure in Maine. Today, a new group of trekkers arrived and will head out tomorrow destined for Cape Cod and Nantucket. On this trip, they will kayak, track turtles, bicycle, and study a variety of coastal habitats as well as conduct a service project with Mass Audubon's ecologist on Nantucket - cool stuff!

Our Junior Counselor group has also been extremely busy, especially over the past few days when they have become certified in Archery, CPR and American Red Cross Small Craft Canoeing. They have also been assisting in all aspects of the camp from dishes to helping with teaching. Here they are working with former Wildwood Director Larry Pottebaum on the Small Craft certification.

Our Leadership-in-Training (LITs) have also been quite busy with various service projects including removal of invasive plant species at Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport, and assisting with the New Hampshire Lakes Association boat cleaning efforts. In this project they cleaned the hulls of boats at a local pond to help reduce the spread of invasive aquatic plant species.

Our Session 1 campers all returned safely from their overnight camping trips. This year, we opened up a new area at Second Point for two of the groups to call their own. The weather was terrific and lots of special programming occurred, and I hear there might have been some S'more's out there too.

Today during DGs and OATs there were many happy campers taking part in various programs from the waterfront to the ropes course. Here's a look at some of the activities I visited.

  

Outdoor Cooking                    Cake in an Orange!

Making Envelopes and Letters

       Dodgeball!

We are really looking forward to the upcoming week, with some special surprises planned - but of course, we can't tell YOU what they are... You'll have to wait to hear about it.

Also, many great natural discoveries are being made each day here at Wildwood. Here our phoebe nest at the office is busting out with three birds ready to fledge!

Young Phoebes in the Nest

We hope your first week went well and you are enjoying the beginning of this final week. It will be "letter home day" again on Tuesday, and please keep those great letters and emails coming from your end too!

Check back soon for some more updates!

Bob

Session 1: Off and Running!

On Sunday afternoon, we welcomed our first session of overnight camp as well as our new Junior Counselors, our Leadership-in-Training group, and also our first Acadia Teen Trip. It was amazing to be at camp on Saturday with virtually no one here, and then, less than 24 hours later to see over 100 campers and 40 staff all buzzing around having fun.

Our first full day,Monday, consisted of camp tours, health checks, swim checks and tip tests in the canoes, as well as I.G. skits – to help campers choose which “Interest Group” they will participate in, and don't forget - fire drill! It’s a lot to get into one day, but we managed.

 

                 The Canoe "Tip Test" and the "Sense It" I.G. Skit

Today, we began our regular routine of morning IG’s, afternoon DG’s (Discovery Groups), and even OATs (Open Activity Time). Campers also wrote a letter to send home and delivered it to dinner as promised. Keep in mind, that first letter may include some uncertainly still, but by the time you receive it, I’ll bet that will all be behind them!

 

           Herp Hunt and Arts and Craft activities at camp today

I also heard from the Trekkers today, who had just completed a bike tour of the old carriage roads of Acadia National Park. It was sunny there! They saw a couple turtles and a few turkey vultures. Next they were having some lunch and heading to the beach. They’ve got some really cool things lined up for the next few days, so we’ll try to keep in touch.

Here’s a couple more pictures of some of the activities taking place at camp – enjoy!

 

       Fire-building and Swim to First Point DG's this afternoon at Wildwood

We’ll be back again soon – don’t forget to write!

 

Bob

Welcome Overnight Camp Session 2 and Leaders-in-Training B!

If you're registered for Session 2: July 12-18 or LIT B: July 12-25, you should have received a reminder postcard directing you here. (Thanks for checking out the blog, and supporting our efforts to send you less paper!)

We’re excited to see you at camp very soon, and we hope that you’re looking forward to your time at Wildwood. If you've not returned all your completed camp forms, please mail them to the Wildwood office in Lincoln, MA, immediately. (Don’t forget a copy of your camper’s health insurance card!) If your camper’s prescription medications have changed since you sent the forms, it’s very important that you obtain an updated, signed medication authorization from the prescribing physician! If you must, let us know that you’ll bring completed forms with you to camp on July 12. If you need a new copy of camp forms or the camp handbook, please visit our website to download them, under "Information for Registered Campers". The handbook also contains a suggested packing list (p. 11) to assist you as you prepare for camp.

For driving directions to Wildwood, look in your camp handbook (p. 18), or get printable directions from our website. (Once you are in Rindge, using a GPS or online directions is inadvisable.) Wildwood is a large camp, and anyone at camp on check-in day will be happiest wearing sturdy, comfortable shoes. Remember, you may not bring family pets with you to Wildwood!

In the days before camp, please review the camp handbook, including the behavior expectations, with your camper. Make sure all items packed for camp are appropriate and well-labeled. It’s also important to keep an eye on your camper’s health. Give us a call to consult if your camper is exposed to a communicable disease in the days before camp. We want every camper to arrive at camp healthy and ready to participate fully.

Here’s what you have to look forward to (families will join in on the bold days and times). Remember that activities may change based on weather, special events, and random acts of FUN! Leaders-in-Training can anticipate joining the entire camp community in some activities during their two-week stay (the schedule below is geared toward the one-week session, and the second week will be similar), but they’ll also spend significant time as a group to set goals, plan and complete community service projects, enjoy field trips and camping, and more.

Sunday (Check-in Day)

2:00 pm  Check-in begins

• We’ll greet you at the parking lot entrance with a nametag and unit assignment and direct you to a parking space.
• We’ll help you take your camper’s luggage to the appropriate marked area in the parking lot. Please do not go to the living units at this time! We’ll transport your camper’s luggage to his/her unit.
• Take camper medications or medical diet needs with you, and walk to the dining hall. Parents/guardians of children with medication/medical concerns will have a brief conference with the camp nurse.
• Campers and families greet their counselors and unit leaders at the waterfront. You’ll also see some of Wildwood’s camp store offerings, set up a store account if you didn’t do so before camp, or make a purchase.

3:30 pm  Opening Ceremony for everyone in the Amphitheatre

• After the brief Opening Ceremony, campers and staff members walk to their living units. Families may accompany campers to their units or depart directly from the Opening Ceremony.

4:15 pm  Final questions with unit leaders and family departure. Campers will unpack, settle in, begin to get to know one another, and set group goals.
6:00 pm Dinner
7:15 pm Opening Campfire in Amphitheatre
9:00 pm Cabin Chat (a calming end-of-day routine)
9:30 pm Sweet dreams!

Monday

7:40 am Morning Circle
8:00 am Breakfast
9:00 am Units rotate through waterfront orientation, swim checks, health checks, schedule choices, and low ropes/team-building
12:00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm Siesta
2:00 pm Waterfront orientation, swim checks, health checks, schedule choices, and low ropes/team-building, continued
4:00 pm Open Activity Time (OATs)
6:00 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Evening Program (may include campfires, skits and songs, all-camp games, or special activities with your unit)
9:00 pm Cabin Chat
9:30 pm Sweet dreams!

Tuesday – Friday

7:00 am Optional Pre-Breakfast Jaunt (PBJ) Wednesday and Friday
7:40 am Morning Circle
8:00 am. Breakfast
9:00 am Interest Groups (IGs)
11:00 am Unit Time
12:00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm Siesta
2:00 pm Discovery Groups (DGs)
4:00 pm OATs
5:30 pm Unit Time
6:00 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Evening Program
9:00 pm Cabin Chat
9:30 pm Sweet dreams!

Saturday (Check-out Day)

7:30 am Unit tidying (Luggage ready before breakfast!)
8:00 am Breakfast
9:00 am Return to units for group closing activity
9:30-9:45 am  Families arrive for check-out and walk to the amphitheatre. A staff member will direct you to the parking area. Depending on weather, we may ask you to load your camper’s luggage into your vehicle when you arrive. On a sunny day, campers and families should load luggage together after the closing.
10:00 am  Closing Ceremony. Campers and families reunite, followed by departure. You’ll be able to make any last camp store purchases or get leftover medications from the nurse. Pick up an address list and 2010 registration packet as you check out!

Please feel free to call us at our toll-free number, 866-627-2267, or e-mail wildwood@massaudubon.org if you have any questions before you come to camp!

Happy Camping!

 

Let the 2009 Season Begin! Family Camp 1 &2

Well, we're off to a great start with our first two sessions of family camp!

Did we experience some showery days? Sure!
Did it slow us down from doing all the fun stuff at Wildwood? No way!

We canoed, and kayaked, we swam, we swung from the ropes, we hit bull-eyes at archery, we birded, went on herp hunts, we ate wild edibles, we learned outdoor cooking and photography, we ate, we sang, we played games, we fished, we did some cool arts and crafts too! Wow, it was a busy two sessions!

Two exciting things were happening during family camp as well. The construction of our brand new camp store building, and also our new solar hot water system for the shower house, which will save us lots of propane and make us an even greener camp!
 

Family camp is a wonderful opportunity to make some new Wildwood friends and experience all the great things that Wildwood offers, but to all ages, toddlers to grandparents. It's a special time for us all. Thanks to all the terrific familes that helped us make these two sessions special. We look forward to seeing you again very soon. And don't forget to fill out the evaluations!

Have a wonderful summer!

Bob