“Together and alone in nature, but surrounded by friends.”
“I started sleeping on the grass after a while. I just rolled off my sleeping pad. I saw huge ferns and stars and it was comforting to be surrounded by just that. It all just made sense.”
– 2018 Campers
Red Spruce Grove (RSG) is a small community of 15 – 20 female and gender non-binary campers, ages 11-14, who live in a wilderness base camp with only basic infrastructure. Connection to the Earth surrounds us, as we mark our days by the sun, moon, rain, and stars. Supported by an intimate group of peers and skilled leaders, campers build skills, play, form friendships, and develop a sense of awareness.
Daily life at RSG includes these and many other activities:
This summer, in order to utilize skills and meet challenges, older campers will participate in solos and younger campers will embark on a “group solo” adventure. Older campers’ solos span one day and one night, staying in one spot with plenty of food and water as staff provides “ghost supervision.” The solitude of solos allows for powerful personal experiences to unfold. The younger campers’ group adventure will involve a journey to a nearby wilderness site where they cook their own food, purify water, and construct shelters without direct help from staff (who will be there to support and guide). The group solos are a chance for campers to utilize skills they have been learning and meet challenges together, in an even wilder setting than the Grove.
Throughout the session, all campers prepare for these solos by learning both technical and interpersonal skills to develop resiliency. The emphasis of both experiences is not on hardship or survival, but rather an opportunity to practice skills and to take time for reflection and connection. If you have more questions about solos, feel free to reach out!
They will have an opportunity to swim in the Woodward Reservoir when they are at Indian Brook and try to arrange hiking visits to Lake Ninevah at Saltash Mt. Camp and to the Flying Cloud waterfront during our time at the site, but we don’t provide swim lessons at RSG.
Yes. Campers stay in canvas Sibley tents which are staffed by one counselor each. All staff at RSG are 18+ and hold appropriate levels of First Aid for the backcountry environment, (WFA, WFR). Tent Staff sleep in the tents with campers and will read aloud or play music for campers as a bedtime ritual. Each tent’s bedtime ritual is unique as each tent staff brings their own talents and passions into the mix! Tent staff are also present to respond to nighttime camper needs and ensure that healthy tent mate behavior is encouraged.
Fresh food is re-supplied every few days during the session and stored in our rustic food shelter. We have plenty of snacks and options, even though we cook on a fire! Camper needs and preferences are taken into consideration. Some meals may include; burritos, French toast, eggs and home fries, and veggie stir fry! We also love foraging for wild edibles and learning about wild harvesting.
In 2015, campers helped construct a single stall KYBO (composting toilet). Waste and sawdust are piled in a deep hole and it has three walls and a roof. In 2017, RSG acquired a second KYBO for the site.
There is no shower facility at the site, but there are lovely private, wooded shower spots and solar showers that we set up. Showering will be part of a chore rotation this summer, so each tent has the chance to shower at least every three days. We also have a “self-care” station where unscented baby wipes are always available. We take advantage of showers at other camps while visiting throughout the session, at IB before we leave and when we return, and of course, swim in Lake Ninevah or a backcountry pond as often as we can!
Campers will have the opportunity to send and receive mail every 2-3 days while at the RSG site. Make sure to send them with plenty of letter writing materials.
Please make sure to assess the camper’s current exercise level. It is helpful if campers exercise or get some physical activity every day prior to camp, as you can expect they will engage in activities that require more lifting and moving than usual. To practice being more emotionally fit, they might sit quietly for a few minutes each day to notice and observe what’s happening inside and outside of themselves. Even better: sit outdoors and observe the weather, plants, and animals.
Inclusivity and Equity (I&E) is core to the values and beliefs of Farm & Wilderness (F&W) and we spend time with campers talking about what these words mean. While at camp, we engage campers on topics including race, gender, class, privilege, and more, through interactive discussions and activities. Our goal is to give campers a safe space where they can gain the basic information and language needed to think critically and communicate peacefully about these topics outside of camp. The emphasis of I&E at RSG is not on right and wrong or having all the answers, but rather on awareness of self and others, peacemaking, and mutual respect. Always feel free to ask us more about our I&E teaching at RSG and F&W!
At RSG, we strive to foster a connection to: