Winter in the forest is full of magic. Where a few months ago leaves rustled and squirrels scampered, there now lies a white blanket, a naked tree, a sparkle in the air. If you stand in the woods in winter and just listen, what do you hear?

There is a ring to the forest, a quiet crispness that bounces off the trees and snow. When the clouds roll in and soft snowflakes fall from the sky, all is silent. You can hear the crystals land delicately on your jacket. You can hear the sound of your breath. But when the clouds clear and blue sky shines overhead, the forest erupts into life. Over there, in the red oak tree, you can hear the fee-bee of the chickadees. Back there! Deep in the woods! Do you hear the woodpecker drilling into the bark? The stream laughs and gurgles past you, dancing between the patches of ice.

On any given day during Winter Camp, you can also hear the sounds of curiosity and excitement in the woods at 4-H acres. You may hear the crunch of footsteps as campers run through the snow to collect firewood and build snow shelters. You may smell the smoke and hear the squeak of a bow-drill as the instructors demonstrate friction fire-making. You might hear the kerplunk of snow being thrown into the creek to build a snow dam. If you’re patient, you may even be rewarded with the aromatic tastes of white-pine or hemlock tea boiled over an open fire.

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This year’s winter camp was no less vibrant than usual due to COVID-19. Our campers and instructors wore masks throughout the day and sat apart while we ate our lunch. We were careful to have everyone step away when we blew on the fire. Especially in this strange year, our campers found the rewards of nature and fresh air at our COVID-safe camp.

We finished off the week warm and joyous. We built powerful, hungry fires that reached towards the sky. As they grew bigger and bigger, they burned a string tied into the trees. When the string snapped, we found a tasty treat fall from the tree. Pouring the kernels into a metal pot and using our hot coals, we popped popcorn in the crisp winter air. A special treat of maple syrup allowed us to make maple snow-cones. We sat contentedly around the fire, reveling in the sweetness of the syrup and the savory fire-popped corn. In the trees, the birds sang and watched the festivities. The gratitude of the campers drifted with the smoke to the tops of the trees, carrying with it their love of the winter woods and the peace and happiness of their snowy explorations during Winter Camp 2021.

Our three groups – Red-Tailed Robins, ages 6-8; Mourning Doves, ages 9-11; and Snowy Owls, ages 12-14 – explored every corner of our woods. From the shade of the Hemlock Grove where the Snowy Owls built a quinzhee hut (a dug out snow shelter), to the open reeds of the Beaver Pond, to the creek down by Trillium Camp, the week offered many wanders. While exploring the far reaches of the forest, we focused on developing our tracking skills. The magic and peace of the winter allows us the special privilege of seeing what our animal friends do when we’re not around. We followed snow-shoe tracks through the snow to find our instructors, and learned many different types of animal prints. We even noticed the prints of a fisher who had passed through the marsh! From squirrels to foxes to deer, we saw how vibrant life is in the winter. The life-giving warmth of the fire is a gathering place during Winter Camp, where we can dry out our mittens and warm our cold bodies. We practiced gathering firewood, lighting matches, using bow-drill and hand-drill friction to start coals, and singing our fires into life. We stoked and cared for them tenderly, becoming more and more skilled each day of the week.