Summer is Right Around the Corner!

Choose your adventures today! If you are having trouble finding an open camp, call our registrar for help.

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We're now offering an extended day option!

What’s more fun than a day at camp? A day at camp with bonus fun in the afternoon!

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Some Camps Still Have Openings!

Choose your adventures today! If you are having trouble finding an open camp, call our registrar

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We're Offering Just ONE WEEK of Overnight Camp

Don’t miss out on our week of wild adventure at the Arnot Forest, register today!

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Adult Programs are back!

Join us for a season or a single workshop…

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Preschool Programs

Ages 3-5

Youth Programs

Ages 5-12

teen Programs

Ages 13-17

Adult Opportunities

Ages 18+

Latest News and Stories

Head over to our blog for stories from the forest, our latest news and periodic videos, and activities you can do at home.

In 2007-08, Primitive Pursuits got outside every week with the Urban Forest Adventures (UFA) Program. This after school program, generously funded by the More Kids in the Woods grant from the USDA Forest Service, provided five sessions of free Primitive Pursuits programs to underserved youth in the greater Ithaca Area.

Bear Tracks at the Arnot Forest!

Black bears are one of only 2 modern bear species that are not considered to be under threat or extinction by the IUCN.

Developing a Culture of Connection

Some people say outdoor preschool is a no-brainer. “Children cannot bounce off the walls if we take away the walls,” says Erin Kenny, founder of Cedarsong Forest Kindergarten on Vashon Island, Washington. Ithaca Forest Preschool, begun in 2013, took away the walls and added a very special culture.

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We were BLOWN away by the community and engagement our son felt this summer. He came home excited to share all the new things he had learned that day (from day 1!) – as well as show us his impressive collection of sticks, rocks, bows and arrows, cordage, etc. Primitive Pursuits has fostered such a love of outdoor learning and he loved seeing counselors through the weeks (especially Pickle!) who shared his excitement for being outside and exploring. We can’t wait to send him – and his younger sister – again next year, and we’ll be ready for the muddy clothes, collection of sticks, and stories of their adventures each afternoon. Thank you, Primitive Pursuits, for making this nervous mom feel great about dropping my kiddo off at camp each day!!”

S. W.

Parent

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LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND RESPONSIBILITY:

The Primitive Pursuits team recognizes that the land where we live and work exists within the territory of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ (Cayuga Nation). We acknowledge the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy for their enduring stewardship of this place throughout the centuries and still today. We recognize a responsibility to learn about this history while also educating newer generations about how to live in good relation to the earth and with our neighbors. This learning and relationship building is ongoing and we welcome guidance and feedback along the way. If you have feedback or wish to engage with us on this topic please see visit our Cultural Repair Acknowledgment + Action + Reparations page.

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Primitive Pursuits is a non-profit 4-H program of Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County.