pals & plants in week 7 

The summer is winding down, but energy at Primitive Pursuits is still high. This weeks theme is plants and many groups are following through! This week, instructor Rey is leading the Color Foragers camp, where campers learn to make fabric dye out of plants, learn to crochet, make felt, and more! Primitive Cafe is also giving the plants some love, they are cooking with all kinds of plants they can find around 4-H. 

Tuesday morning, the Forest Explorers went on a trip to the Hemlocks to find firewood. It was kids vs. adults on who could find the best firewood, and the kids prevailed! They roasted some food over lunch and played field games in the meadow. At Raccoon Motel, the Color Foragers made a fire to boil their sumac plant to make brown dye. They harvested the sumac near the Kiwanis Building! Sumac dye will be the first of 4 dyes that the campers use this week. The campers also harvested nettle and lemon balm at the Trillium garden. 

On Wednesday, Bow Making camp worked on their bows in the Pole Barn. The campers will have a functional bow by the end of the week! The Pathfinders explored the cliffs throughout the day and ended the afternoon with a game of wet-sponge dodgeball. I couldn’t resist playing but MIT Flynn got me out with a good throw! Across camp, the Color Foragers spent the day finding Hemlock bark to make another dye! Campers will get to go home with bandanas and other clothing they got to custom-dye.

A camper and Sean working on a bow 

On Thursday, the Forest Explorers had a hat show and showed off all their cool hats! They added some fun to their show by making charcoal face paint. A few campers rocked some cowboy hats! At Crow Camp, the Color Foragers harvested goldenrod to make a pretty yellow dye. Growing Wild caught critters in the creek and looked for fossils and cool rocks. Instructor Julie showed the campers how to differentiate between male and female frogs! In the afternoon, the Pathfinders, Forest Explorers, and Adventure Academy joined together at Old Bow camp to play a game of crow spirit. Some campers really enjoyed the mud! 

Friday, groups cooled off from the heat by snacking on watermelon and pineapple throughout the day. There was a lot of cooking going on; Pathfinders and Future Primitive made banana boats and Primitive Cafe held a cooking contest! Campers made their own meals and shared with other groups throughout camp to see who made the best meal. Everything looked really yummy and everyone enjoyed their food, thank you Primitive Cafe! Fridays aren’t complete without a game of Capture the Flag, so the Forest Explorers and Adventure Academy joined together in the Meadow for a big game in the afternoon. Bow Making camp finished their bows right as camp ended, and they look great! Instructors Sean and Astrid helped campers string their bows and seal them so they are shiny and protected. The campers can now take home their cool bows and arrow. 

A camper showing his hat at the hat show

Photo Gallery – Hallie Allport – August 12-16