Sometimes the day’s plan is not always what happens,

and that’s ok!             

What the Nature Mystics thought would be a quick, opening circle fire turned into a long journey of perseverance and appreciation.

The Nature Mystics spent the week strengthening their individual connections to nature. One morning, they spent almost two hours making their opening circle fire. It was quite the journey, from bow drill attempts to flint and steel, until finally, campers made a coal with the bow drill. They changed their plans for the day a bit to slow down and enjoy the fire that they worked so long and hard to start!

The Orioles did some serious building on Wednesday. At Raccoon Motel, they built a tarp shelter, a tree swing, and a miniature city all before lunchtime. Campers decided what they wanted to build that day and made their ideas reality through trial and error.

The Advanced Primitive camp did a fun challenge on Monday where they built mini shelters just big enough to fit Ian’s head. They tested the durability of their structures by pouring water on top of them – with Ian’s head inside. A few proved worthy, but by the end of the challenge, Ian was covered in water and wet leaves.

The Purple Finches ventured to the creek where they found an abundance of crayfish.

The Bluebirds ventured far out of Trillium camp, led by Maddie, Nora and Jake. They played running games in the field and explored the creek, where they met crayfish, minnows and other small creatures.

The Nature Mystics finished the week with a blindfolded sensory tour – tour guides led the blindfolded campers through a course of different smells, from the smoke of a fire to crushed foraged blackberries and white pine needles.

Photo Gallery Week Five