Word From Wildwood

Family Camp Fun!

We've been enjoying all ages of campers from infants to grandparents during the last seven days of Family Camp. Most of the activities we've offered throughout the summer are laid out as choices for families to enjoy.

Each day is jam-packed with a series of kids-only, adult-only, and family activities that are keeping everyone very busy. We're learning a lot about the pond community, the forests, and all the critters that call Wildwood their home. Rounded off with camp songs around the campfire, crazy camp games, and skits, folks are getting a great taste of what Wildwood is truly about.

On a recent herp walk, participants were able to find 101 individual reptiles and amphibians - a new Wildwood record!

Many parents have been willing to share their knowledge and many talents too, and we've been able to enjoy their assistance during nature walks and around the campfires. We've also met many folks who have been involved with Wildwood before, both as campers and as past Wildwood staff. It's been a lot of fun!

Tomorrow, we wave goodbye to the families who have shared some wonderful times with us over the past several days. We certainly hope they leave Wildwood with many great memories of the good times we've all had together. We all look forward to seeing you again very soon!

Posted by Bob Speare

Smooth Sailing

It was a clear, sunny day today at Wildwood. With moderate winds, it was a terrific day for sailing. Among our most popular programs all summer long, sailing allows campers to learn about parts of the boats, knots, wind, weather and more. Tomorrow, we'll give sailboat rides to anyone who would like one as part of our afternoon of activities.

Elsewhere in camp today, we had nature art, outdoor cooking, ponding at the secret pond, exploring the wetlands by canoe, fudge making, and a whole lot more. The ladies from Dillard were on the ropes course this afternoon too. This evening was unit night, with the various units making S'mores, having a dusk swim, and exploring.

Over the past couple days, most of us saw a porcupine, who was stopping by to sample some of our strawberry leaves. Many of our campers thought it was pretty cute. Today it was back on its way and out of site, but a big woodchuck who apparently took its place was seen in front of the Heath Center.

Another beautiful day is on tap for tomorrow. We hope you're enjoying the blog, and getting some letters from your campers! We'll be seeing you soon.

Posted by Bob Speare

Session 5 - Here we go!

Session 5 has begun, and the summer is moving on! After a beautiful day for check-in, all the campers settled in and had a good night's sleep. Good thing too, because it was a busy day today. After breakfast, some of the units began by conducting tours of the camp grounds, while others headed to the waterfront for swim checks and kayak tip tests. Next, campers got to choose their Interest Groups, the activities that they will be involved with each morning for the week.

After lunch and siesta, the Mass Audubon ARC program arrived with 3 native animals for campers to enjoy. The remaining campers did their swim checks.

Tomorrow, our regular programming begins, with PBJ's, IG's, DG's, OAT's and EP. For those that are new to this Wildwood language, these translate to Pre-Breakfast Jaunts, Interest Groups, Discovery Groups, Open Activity Times, and Evening Program.

It sounds like it will warm up again and we like this, because there are lot's of activities planned for the waterfront. Stay tuned for more on this exciting week!

Posted by Bob Speare

Session 4 Winding Down

Wow, It's so hard to believe we are enjoying our last full day of session 4 today at Wildwood. This morning, we are finishing up our Interest Group activities, and will begin the long process of finding our stuff so we can start packing. This afternoon, the Leaders-in-Training will be leading our Discovery Groups and they have some exciting things planned.

I wanted to share with you, some of the places in camp where certain programs take place and where some campers like to spend time. Yesterday, Fossey spent the afternoon on the high ropes course, and they all took a ride on our zip line. Andrew, who was clipping everyone in, and sending them off with great words of encouragement did the final run of the day.

Also, in the Nature Center, campers were busy dissecting owl pellets, looking up spiders and other creatures from our field guides, and just having a relaxing time reading out on the deck.
Tonight is our closing campfire, where hidden talents often emerge. We all look forward to this, although it is certainly bitter sweet.

Tomorrow, we'll meet up with our families and all the wonderful memories and stories will be yours!

Posetd by Bob Speare

Arrrg, It's Pirate Day!

Today, just as we were finishing our breakfast, the camp was overtaken by a band of pirates. They came in by canoes and a row boat and landed on the waterfront screaming and yelling. First, they carried in a big chest which had a bunch of locks on it. Then they hoisted the Jolly Roger, and proceeded to make the Director, the Head of Boys, and the Head of Girls all walk the plank! Click on an image to see it bigger if you dare.

They took control of the morning activities by having the campers take part in a number of pirate relays including the canoe carry, kayak races, and tug of war. We all had fish sticks and french fries for lunch, which is apparently among a pirate's favorites. After lunch, things started to get interesting...

Towards the end of siesta, it seems that the pirates had a bit too much root beer and all fell asleep. This is when our brave campers were able to steal the treasure maps and begin to search for the keys that would unlock the pirates chest.

By the end of the afternoon, the campers had found all the clues and the keys and were able to open up the pirate's chest, where the rigabamboo was being kept. With that under the control of the camp, the pirates were powerless and ended up walking the plank themselves with the aid of the ghosts of those who had walked it in the morning.

With the pirates gone and Wildwood back to normal, we were able to enjoy a nice dinner. This evening, the campers were all treated to a movie in the dining hall with root beer floats as their reward for bravery. Everything on camp is once again quiet, but we won't soon forget all the excitement that these pirates brought to Wildwood today!

Photos by Hillary Carter and Bob Speare
Post by Bob Speare

A Quiet Night of Campouts

After some morning rain, it turned out to be a beautiful day here at Wildwood. We completed our first week Interest Groups and after lunch Abbey, Dillard, Fossey, and Carson all prepared for their campouts tonight!

Before long, there were small piles of sleeping bags, pillows, books, flashlights,and other needed items with small pairs of legs underneath them moving around through camp. By 1:45 p.m., Dillard and Abbey were on there way to Mt Monadnock, and just after that, Fossey was heading up to Greenfield State Park. Then the girls of Carson began their trek out to first point, where they would set up their tents and cook their own dinner over the fire - Let's hope they left enough room for the Smore's!

With the Leopold and Thoreau boys slated to have their campouts tomorrow night, they had a fun night for themselves by having a movie and ice cream in the dining hall!

The LIT's headed out this morning for a special rock-climbing adventure with Obo, but the rain forced them to postpone this to another time. This afternoon they worked on a few of their on-going projects. Next week they will host another local camp group, the Sargent Center, who runs a CIT program. This exchange will give both groups an opportunity to share best practices while visiting other similar properties.

Also, the Green Mountains Trek returned tonight, a little sore and a little tired, but well satisfied after a very successful trip. As we conclude Wildwood's 2006 Summer Trek Program, I'd like to give a great big thanks to Andrew and Gina, who worked hard to provide the most interesting, safe and fun trips that Wildwood has seen in a long time! Way to go!

So, for the first time in quite a few days, the waterfront remained very still as the sun set into the hillside. A great blue heron squawked as it's silhouette moved across the sky. Tomorrow, its the boys turn for campouts and the girls come back. Stay Tuned!

Posted by Bob Speare

How to Make a Hot Day Pretty Cool!

Well, if you were wondering if it was hot at Wildwood today, the answer is YES! But we know how to turn a hot day into some cool fun.

Our morning programs got off well, and we spent a lot of time in the shade, keeping the water bottles active. After lunch we took an extended siesta and then everyone headed down to the waterfront for an afternoon of Crazy Oats! Under the shade along the water's edge, we had tie-dye and face painting taking place. There were also lots of campers making friendship bracelets too. In the water we had a variety of activities going on from free swims, to water balloon tosses, and my all time favorite - canoe slip and slide!

Campers moved from one activity to another throughout the afternoon, but we all stayed pretty cool. All the lifeguards were certainly kept busy watching campers swimming and jumping off the floats. Liam manned the buddy board for a time - with a lot of style! The buddy board allows us to know exactly where every camper and their buddy is at all times on the waterfront. (Click on any image to see it larger.)

Our Crazy Oats ended with a staff-only greased watermelon competition, where the North Americans took on the folks from the U.K. Well, let's just say their knowledge of rugby may have been helpful this afternoon as the British team dazzled the home crowd, beating the U.S. team by a score of 3 to 1. This meant it was the U.S. counselors who had K.P. in the dining hall tonight!

After dinner, many units remained at the waterfront for a dusk paddle or swim. Thoreau continued their volleyball World Series and Leopold and Carson played a bunch of fun games in the field. It was a great end to a fun-filled day.

Tomorrow's Pre-breakfast Jaunt is the Polar Bear Swim, and I expect a big crowd, but not many polar bears. We'll look forward to some cooler weather in a few days, but until then,  we'll stay near Hubbard Pond. Everyone says hello!

Posted by Bob Speare