WHICH CAMP IS RIGHT FOR YOUR CHILD?

Farm & Wilderness is thrilled to welcome Adair Arbor as the new Director of Saltash Mountain Camp (SAM). Having worked at camps since she was nineteen years old, Adair can still recall the rush and reward of being a full summer counselor to middle school-aged girls in Vermont and New Hampshire. Her mentor, former Executive Director of F&W, Ridge Satterthwaite, taught her many valuable lessons about outdoor leadership, such as setting the pace for a hike based on the capabilities of the group, learning the names of trees and flowers around her to share with campers as you go, and teaching with songs whenever possible.

“Adair is knowledgeable about working with children, energetic, and idealistic about the potential of camp in childhood education,” said Ridge Satterhwaite. “I am thrilled Adair will carry forward the legacy of SAM as a co-ed hiking camp.” 

Adair is an accomplished musician and performer with extensive outdoor leadership and tripping experience.  SAM, with its mix of music, skits, and outdoor adventure, feels like coming home to Adair. She looks forward to sharing her enthusiasm for living close to nature and tripping because of what these experiences show us–about the wilderness, each other, and ourselves. Skits and music are another way we learn about each other and ourselves and make sense of the world around us. We can go deep, we can be silly, we can be together.  

“I'm so excited to have Adair join the Director Team,” said Polly Williams, F&W’s Director of Alumni Engagement. “Her skills are top notch and she really understands different developmental levels of children. I am so psyched to see her lead SAM along with support from her partner who is also very knowledgeable on camps.”

Adair cannot wait to meet all the campers, staff, and families; this summer, expecting that they will find joy and growth at the intersection between arts and outdoor adventure. She hopes they will leave feeling inspired by nature’s lessons while having fun along their journey.

Hear what Adair is most excited about in the Q&A with Adair below:

Why F&W?

When my husband and I decided nearly a year ago that it was time to start looking for our next camp community, we wanted to be very intentional about where we landed. The number one criteria we discussed was finding a community that aligned with our values, which, after some brainstorming and discussion, we narrowed down to community, equity, and sustainability. We wrote them down on a piece of paper and later at the top of our resumes. As we continued to dream together and decided that I would be the primary worker for our family while my husband cares for our baby, I found myself longing for work that utilized my outdoor education skillset, that incorporated artistic expression, and that, beyond providing a fun and safe summer experience for kids, also encouraged them to grow into responsible, empathetic, competent young citizens. 

When I discovered Farm & Wilderness, I was blown away—it checked every box. The mission and values spoke right to my heart, and the more I looked into its programming options, the more I thought, “Wow, I wish I had been a camper here when I was a kid!” I truly believe that camp changes kids and kids change the world, and this is exactly the kind of world-changing that I want to be a part of.

What is your vision for Saltash Mountain Camp (SAM Camp)? 

I think both performing and wilderness trips have enormous potential for transforming young lives. They are both excellent ways to find your growth edge, to push out of your comfort zone in a supported way, and to learn to rely on the community of people around you. My vision for SAM Camp is to provide a space for young people that is safe, playful, and encourages creative exploration. I love that it is an all-gender camp and a small community, and I hope it can be a source of lifelong friendships and memories for our campers.

What makes you excited about the F&W community?

I’ve had a unique opportunity to slowly sink into the community here over the last few months working part-time on the Development team. On a personal level, everyone here has been incredibly kind and welcoming to me and to my family. In the wider community, I have seen first-hand the passion, long-term connections, and shared values that make F&W truly special. When people leave notes with their donations, they say things like, “F&W changed my life!” “F&W made camp affordable for my kids when I never thought it could be,” or, “F&W is where I found my lifelong friends.” I am so excited to officially join this nearly-century-old circle of deep connections.

What are you most excited about for this summer?

Singing! Backpacking! Art projects! Seeing young people try things they would have thought themselves incapable of back in the “real world.” Ushering them into the world of outdoor adventure for the first time, pushing through their hesitation and discomfort, and discovering the most empowering and transformative experiences. Inside jokes. Outside toilets. Camp games. My first Fair! The list is pretty much endless—I think it’s going to be an amazing summer.

The Farm & Wilderness and Farm & Wilderness Conservation Boards (which are the same group of 13 people) met over the weekend of February 4-5 for our quarterly meeting. We are very much looking forward to this being our last Zoom meeting until next winter!  
 
We had three major agenda items.   

1.  Frances shared with us her goals for both organizations for 2023. They were in four categories: revenue and financial performance; readiness for summer 2023 with fully-enrolled camps and all staff prepared to get to work on Day 1; answering the question, "What is the difference F&W/FWC makes?"; and answering the question, "Where do we go from here?" We approved these goals and their associated measures for success. We were also delighted to receive news of new initiatives in seasonal staff hiring for both returners and newcomers and in marketing. We can see that our Affordable for All program is a big success, as we are nearly full in some of the camps already and are receiving feedback from families that A4A is a welcome relief to them as they plan their children’s summer experiences: 50% of our returners who are applying for campership are doing so for the first time.
   
   
2. We approved the budget for both organizations for 2023. We had lively discussions about the difference between temporarily restricted funds and endowment funds. We look forward to working with new auditors this year, whom we expect to help us figure out our many small endowments so that we have greater clarity on what endowment money we can draw on for operating expenses. We are so very proud of, and grateful to, our staff, who managed our expenses so well for 2022 despite still being in a pandemic! And we are very proud to have had contributed revenue of $1.1 million!
   

3. The third agenda item was to approve, in principle, "Growing for Good," which lays out three strategic priorities for 2023-26. We have been working on a strategic plan since early 2022. Our Strategy Working Group is composed of staff and Trustees; they brought us their results so far, and we broke into small groups to thresh the three priorities, associated goals, and proposed measures for success. Trustees were enthusiastically in unity with the three priorities: Run a Good Organization, Develop Good Humans, and Do Good for our Community.  

   There is still work to be done - for example, Trustees asked for a greater emphasis on the conservation work that FWC leads - and we expect to give our final approval of our 2023-26 strategic plan at our May meeting.  

In the Light, 

Kristi Webb 

Recording Clerk 

PRESS RELEASE 

PLYMOUTH, VT. – November 15, 2022 – Farm & Wilderness, a day and overnight adventure summer camp on 8,000 acres of New England countryside, announces a new Affordable for All initiative that includes a transparent financial aid estimator to allow families instant access to the cost of camp for their family. In addition, Farm & Wilderness will support families beyond tuition assistance to address the full cost of camp. Camp registration for Farm & Wilderness is now open.

The new financial aid estimator will give families information on what they can expect to pay based on their annual income at the time they register.  Especially for families who might assume summer camp is beyond their financial reach,  transparent information on the cost of camp will encourage them to learn more about Farm & Wilderness’ diverse programs. As an example, the cost of a 3-week session of overnight camp (including transportation) for a family with an annual income of $50,000 will be under $1000. 

“Summer camp financial aid known as ‘camperships’ opens opportunities for all kids to have an experience of a lifetime,” said Frances McLaughlin, Executive Director of Farm & Wilderness. “We’re committed to demystifying our campership program for new and returning families. We hope folks won’t assume they  are ineligible for financial aid. The new estimator will help families determine if our programs fall within their budget.” 

There is more to the cost of camp than just tuition. There is also transportation to camp, clothing and gear, and potential loss of income from parents attending a visiting day.  These additional expenses also keep camps out of reach for families.  Farm & Wilderness  Affordable for All initiative goes beyond tuition assistance to address the other costs of camp.. The expanded campership program will cost $1,050,000 per year. This includes $800,000 in tuition assistance and $250,000 for supplementary support and outreach and engagement activities. Farm & Wilderness hopes to support 200 - 220 families through the Affordable For All initiative.

Farm & Wilderness was able to launch the Affordable For All initiative with a  transformative gift of $500,000 by Helen Garrison. For three generations, members of the Gardiner family have attended Farm & Wilderness, beginning in the 1940s and continuing through to today. 

“The camp and its values have shaped the lives of so many Gardiners,” said Arthur Gardiner, Helen’s younger brother, a camp alumnus and a member of Farm & Wilderness Board of Trustees. “We know what it takes to run a camp and make it truly accessible and affordable for all families. We want to see children from all backgrounds have access and spend a summer living in community with each other.” 

Farm & Wilderness has offered financial aid since opening in 1939 and the campership program has a long history of helping to make camp accessible and affordable. Over the last few decades, the price of overnight camp has become out of reach for most families and we recognized that we needed to update our campership program.  Guided by our values, feedback from parents, and research on innovative payment  models, we crafted the Affordable For All initiative to provide an authentic and holistic access to camp. 

For more information about donating to Farm & Wilderness’ Affordable For All campaign, please visit: farmandwilderness.org/affordable-for-all

Media Contact: 

Charna Cummings

charna.cummings@gmail.com

617-529-3454

DOWNLOAD PRESS RELEASE: F&W Launches Affordable For All Initiative