Musings on Our Final Week - Farm & Wilderness

As our summer winds down, I’m trying to absorb all of the possible sensory treasures around me at F&W as I make my final camp visits in these precious days before campers depart Sunday.

Campers have been busy developing their skills: Axing limbs in the woods, hammering nails on their work projects and becoming stronger swimmers. I hear their shrieks of delight and see campers’ heads bob in-and-out of Woodward Reservoir during my travels along our gravel roads.

Indian Brook campers and staff recently began building the iconic Fa*r bonfire.  I notice IB’s First Lodgers searching in the woods for kindling and thwacking their axes at the fallen tree limbs.  SAM Campers, just back from trips, enjoyed a relaxing breakfast and then moved their tents to the sun for drying and airing. Flying Cloud campers welcomed guests for games and activities, food and fun. The clear air, devoid of humidity, made their work more enjoyable.

Last Monday, the twelve camper council representatives met with me at SAM Camp. The Tamarack Farm teen reps, chosen by their fellow campers from this group, will address the Board of Trustees. They will relay to the Trustees the sentiments of their camp peers about what F&W should consider changing, what must remain, and what new opportunities might be considered for the future.

Last Thursday, Tamarack Farm hosted an inspired evening with Vermont State Senator Becca Balint and Steffen Gillom, who is the president of a Vermont chapter of the NAACP. Both guests eloquently shared stories about their paths to activism and community engagement. The teen facilitators, and those in the audience who raised questions, helped create a powerful and thoughtful conversation. Earlier that morning, a staff person shared a land recognition in Silent Meeting, asking that we all help care for the land of the Abenaki people who preceded us here.

This upcoming Friday will be our summer board meeting, which is exciting for trustees who will be on campus and will be able to see our campers, families and all our amazing Fa*r festivities. At the summer board meeting, our trustees will hear updates about camp, give official board approval on various financial and conservation decisions, receive updates on our strategic planning process, participate in an educational activity on White Supremacy Culture, and hear from camper council representatives.

I hope to see you at the Community Dinner on Friday, Aug, 9, at Fair on Saturday, Aug. 10, and at pick-up on Sunday, Aug. 11. We truly appreciate you entrusting us with your children, how their camp laughter enlivens this community and creates this great F&W community. Please join me in cherishing these final summer days.

In peace,

Rebecca