F&W Spring Planting Weekend
It is time to register for the Farm & Wilderness Spring Planting Work Weekend, 2010. The dates this year are May 28th-31st. This year, we will be staying at Tamarack Farm camp. Please note important updates for the weekend below.
Spring Planting Weekend is a wonderful example of the F&W community at work, play and meeting in spirit. It is a chance for us to make a contribution of loving labor to Farm & Wilderness, experience a sense of community in this wonderful place, recharge our spiritual batteries, and relish the time spent in the Plymouth Valley. Activities and projects centered on gardening and carpentry are the essence of Spring Planting Weekend. The projects completed on this weekend are a crucial part of preparing the facilities for summer camp.
Projects are determined with the diverse ages and skills of the group in mind. Specific projects range from planting the camp gardens to raising timber frame cabins, preparing the camps for summer campers and much more. Each project is led by an F&W staff member with plenty of F&W tools on hand to do the job. Other special activities for the weekend include canoeing, hiking, crafts, singing, a sauna Sunday evening, and Silent Meeting on Sunday morning in the manner of Quaker Meeting for Worship. A major goal of the weekend is to create a temporary community that, by working and playing together, shares plenty of energy and spirit.
Registration forms are available for download on the right side of this page.
Important updates for Spring Planting weekend 2010!
To enhance the experience for all participants we are making changes to some of our work weekend procedures.
CHAPERONES and CABIN COVERAGE: Adults may chaperone no more than ONE participant from another family in addition to their own children.
Each cabin/overnight sleeping space is required to have a minimum ratio of 1 adult for every 5 children.
VOLUNTEER/COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS:If you would like to receive service credit hours for your help during work weekend events we are happy to provide you with a formal letter. You will need to let the event coordinator know BEFORE the event that you would like to receive a credit letter. With this in mind the coordinator will sign you up for weekend tasks ahead of time. Hours will be tracked during the course of the weekend.
When:
From after 6 p.m. Friday May 28th, until 10 a.m. on Monday, May 31st. You are welcome to hike the trails on Monday afternoon, but the lodge will be closed. We urge participants to stay for the entire weekend if possible.
Accommodations:
People will be staying at Tamarack Farm camp. The work projects and activities will take place all over F&W property. Please keep in mind that the other camps may be in use by rental groups and should be considered off-limits unless special permission is given to visit. This includes former campers wanting to visit camps other than Tamarack Farm.
We cook, eat and gather at the Tamarack Farm Lodge where there is running water and electricity. We sleep by family or groups in the farmhouse bunkrooms or the camp cabins, which are rustic, open buildings with built-in bunks. Mattresses are provided. Participants should be aware that they might share their sleeping cabin with others. There are outhouses by the cabins. Hot showers are available in our two shower houses located near the lodge.
Food:
Farm & Wilderness staff will prepare all meals. Friday evening there will be a pot of soup on the stove so you may eat whenever you arrive.
Cost:
$100.00 per adult (18 & older), $75.00 per teen 13-17 years old, $50.00 per child 7-12 to cover meal & program costs. There is no fee for children 6 years and younger.
F&W invites you to donate additional funds to help us cover the costs of the dance, lifeguard, administrative expenses, and staff we hire to help the weekend run smoothly. To make a donation for the weekend, please mail your check to the F&W office along with your registration, health form, and payment for the weekend.
Cancellation / Refund Policy:Cancellations must be made at least 14 days prior to the event for a full refund. If cancellation occurs within 14 days of the event a credit will be issued that can be used towards payment for future Farm & Wilderness events within that calendar year, summer camp tuition or a contribution to the foundation. It is not possible to make any reduction in the paid registration fee if you change arrival or departure dates. The only exceptions are withdrawal on account of serious illness or injury incurred while at F&W. There will be no refund if you are asked to leave camp during the event due to an infraction of Farm & Wilderness rules or if you withdraw voluntarily.
Registration:
To register you must mail in all three of these items to the main office, attention Spring Planting Weekend:
1. A completed registration form
2. A completed health form for each participant (to be filled out by all participants)
3. Payment of $100.00 per adult (18 & older),$75.00 per teen (13-17)$50.00 per child 7-12 years old. There is no fee for children 6 years or younger.
You must mail in all of these items to be considered registered for the event.
Children under 18 must come with their own parents or with an adult (21 years or older) who agrees to assume responsibility for them. See "Children & Chaperones" section below.
Sleeping accomodations are limited to 100 participants. Send in your paperwork as soon as possible.
Children & Chaperones:
All children under the age of 18 must be chaperoned. We will not allow unaccompanied minors to stay if they arrive unchaperoned. Each adult may chaperone no more than one non-family member children under the age of 18. The chaperone must be over 21 years of age. There will be no exceptions. PARENTS WHO ARE NOT PLANNING TO ATTEND SPRING PLANTING WITH THEIR CHILDREN ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FINDING A CHAPERONE TO SUPERVISE THEIR CHILDREN DURING THE EVENT, AS WELL AS ARRANGING FOR TRANSPORTATION TO & FROM THE EVENT. PLEASE DO NOT COME WITHOUT A CHAPERONE & ASSUME THAT SOMEONE WILL TAKE ON THAT ROLE ONCE YOU ARRIVE. Are you interested in volunteering to chaperone a Spring Planting Weekend participant under the age of 18 that is not planning to attend with her/his family? If so, mark the appropriate box on the registration form.
Responsibilities:
Spring Planting Weekend is a do-it-yourself affair. You are completely responsible for yourselves, your children and your guests. This includes clean up, transportation, child care, personal safety, etc. Please inform your family members and guests of the expectations set forth in this document. If there are conflicts, safety hazards or accidents, please be sure to report them to the F&W weekend coordinator.
Ground Rules:
At Farm & Wilderness we try to create a community where everyone can come to work and play together as safely as possible. As part of that community, we ask that you agree to abide by the following guidelines:
- No tobacco, drugs, alcohol, or firearms allowed.
- No open flame inside any of the buildings.
- Quiet hours begin at 10 p.m. and end at 6:30 a.m.
- Participate in the community tasks associated with this event including work projects, meal prep and clean up.
- Youths under 18 must be accompanied and supervised by an adult (21 years or older) at all times, including out on the trail and at the waterfront.
- All cabin/overnight sleeping spaces must have a minimum ratio f 1 adult for every 5 children.
- Please leave your pets at home.
- No electronic devices (tape and CD players, electronic games, etc.)
- Understand and abide by the waterfront rules as follows:
- A certified lifeguard must be on duty to swim at the waterfront.
- No child should be at the waterfront at any time without a parent or parent-designated adult.
- Each person in a canoe or boat must WEAR safety vests (i.e. PFDs, life jackets).
- Children under 18 who can swim may only go boating with their parent or parent-designated adult.
- No diving off docks and no swimming in winter.
Phone:
There is no reliable cell phone reception on the Farm & Wilderness campus. The phone number at the Tamarack Farm Lodge is 802/422-3447 in case anyone should need to reach you in an emergency, but cannot be used for non-emergency calls. Additionally, the F&W paging service (1-888-622-3276) can be used to contact Melanie Gander & Sarah Waring in the event of an emergency.
What to Bring:
BE PREPARED FOR COLD OR RAINY WEATHER. It is important to remember ALL of these things:
- Warm clothing; jacket, sweaters, fleece, hat, gloves, etc.
- Rain gear.
- Water bottle.
- Boots and gloves for work projects.
- Warm sleeping bag, blankets, pillow and pillow case
- Flashlight.
- Towel.
- Toiletry articles.
Optional equipment
Camera, musical instruments, binoculars, games...
We look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones, and to having a wonderful and productive Spring Planting Weekend! If you have any questions, please call the office (802) 422-3761.
