“Anything Is Possible, Everybody Counts... Let's Get It Done!” - Farm & Wilderness

Written by Thea Dodds | June 20, 2018

We are counting the days until you can join us here in the green woods of Vermont.

I would like to introduce each of our Lodge Directors (of the 3 different age groups) who will be your direct contact this summer. They are reaching out to connect with you if you are new or if there is something on your application that we would like more information about. Any information about your campers lives or things you may think might come up at camp will be helpful to know as their temporary caregivers. New this summer, we are excited to have a Sensible Mental Health Person at TL, Frankie Thatcher, to assist our Wellness Team in supporting staff and campers.

All Lodge Directors check their email regularly, so we encourage this as the best way to contact them.

First Lodge ( 9-10 year olds) Director: Meri Steinmetz tlfirstlodge@farmandwilderness.org

First Lodge Director Letter

Big Lodge ( 11-12 year olds) Director: Eli MacCullagh tlbiglodge@farmandwilderness.org

Big Lodge Director Letter

Senior Lodge (13-14 year olds) Director: Zac Scott tlseniorlodge@farmandwilderness.org

Senior Lodge Director Letter

FYI: If you have a camper at IB, they do their trip selection by survey before camp, we do ours here at camp.

Helpful Opening Day Information

Timberlake is the first stop. We now manage two-lane traffic, allowing drivers to the other camps to continue while we direct you up a short hill and on to our lawn to park. We recommend arriving after 2 pm. There is less of a line, and we can greet you with fewer cars passing in the other lane. When you arrive we announce your camper’s arrival and cabin. The cabin staff will greet you and help you with any bags. You will check in with our health staff (even if you don’t take medication), get a lice check. Once you have been to the Health Center and dropped your trunk or bag in the cabin is a great time to say goodbye. Families are invited to join me for an optional Q&A at 3 pm in Ken’s Lodge at 3 pm.

A Word on Mental Health at Camp

As staff, we are focused on supporting numerous mental and behavioral health concerns. The most successful camp experience includes a level of CHALLENGE that leads to GROWTH (socially and emotionally). Challenge varies: living with people who are different from them, trips, contributing to daily chore times.

As much as we want to accommodate their wants, we can’t always. We require your support to find tools to deal with anxiety and disappointment and to prepare them for being a strong community member. We expect campers to be able to be aware and articulate their wants and needs and be receptive to the wants and needs of others. We look forward to hearing about new ways of processing a problem or conflict that may work for them!

Aquatics at Timberlake

We check camper level of ability in swimming the first days. If they are in Red Cross level 0,1 or 2 they will need a PFD to swim outside the dock area and they will have a mandatory intensive swim clinic of approximately 8 hours over four days.

Campers in levels 3-5 may choose to be in a swim clinic or to participate in our distance swim program. Each summer dozens of campers swim distances from 500 meter swims up to the 2.7 mile swim around the lake. Some swim twice that distance. We concentrate our Water Safety Instructors attention on those who are not yet proficient swimmers to level them up and we have a robust and challenging program for higher level swimmers.

If you would like your camper (including the 13-14-year-olds) to be placed in a swim clinic regardless of their swim level you may contact a Lodge Director to insure they have been placed in a mandatory clinic in place of another morning project activity (such as Barns and Gardens or Outdoor Living Skills).

You may also speak directly with our Waterfront Director, Dawson Engstrom, on drop off day.

See you soon!

View full post