Monday
We started our first day of EcoJustice Camp with songs and a name game. Each staff member, Jr. Counselor, and camper made up a nature name that either begins with the first letter of their name or the sound of their first name. Then, it was time to make our field notebooks which we used throughout the week for observations and reflections. The day continues with campers making walking sticks in preparations for our hikes later in the week. Gray Foxes decorated sticks with yarn, leather, and paint. Peregrines used their pocket knife skills to carve designs into their sticks. We also made insect traps to learn about invertebrates. The day ended with songs and a visit from the infamous “Trash Man”.
Tuesday
The second day of EcoJustice Camp started with a hike in Great Brewster Woods. We hoped to beat the rain, but at last, got soaked and wet anyway. Thankfully, this conservation land is just a 5 minute walk across the street from our camp base. The kids had a blast despite being soaking wet! The rest of the day was spent learning about knife skills. Gray Foxes chopped, diced and prepared ingredients to make vegetarian chili. Peregrines used their pocket knives to whittle chopsticks which are useful to have when camping and when one needs some utensils! We also practiced splitting wood to make kindling. And, we built a wicked campfire!
Wednesday
Our third day of EcoJustice Camp was packed with activities and fun! We took a field trip to the seashore and visited Minot Beach. Campers looked at marine life, helped with beach trash clean up, built nature art, and participated in marine debris tracking. After the field trip, we headed back to our camp base to practice tent set up and go over camping overnight basics. We had a special visit by a local South Shore resident, Sally Rossi-Ormon, who gave a presentation on native plants. Campers learned about the importance of native plants, their role in the ecosystem, and how we can help to keep things in balance. We made seed bombs to help spread native plants.
Thursday
It was time to pack our bags and get ready for our camp out! The fourth day of EcoJustice Camp was busy as we made lists and packed our bags to get ready for an overnight camp out at Wompatuck State Park. Unfortunately, due to predicted thunderstorms, we had to switch to camping at the Parish House. The Peregrines split wood to make kindling. Then, we drove to our original camp site for a hike and a camp fire. Many marshmallows and s’mores were eaten. After a long hike through the woods, we returned to the Parish House and set up tents. Each camper, including our youngest Gray Fox, set up his or her own tent! We shared a delicious dinner of chili with cornbread (both prepared by the campers). Each camper was responsible for washing his or her own dishes. The evening ended with a game of “Coyote and Wolf” and some songs. Then, it was nighty night in our cozy tents!
Friday
How quickly the week passed! Here we are on the last day of EcoJustice Camp. Our morning started with cooking on the camp stove. Campers each scrambled their own eggs and made their own pancake(s) for breakfast! The eggs were from Ngoc’s backyard chickens and were delicious! After breakfast, it was time for a game of “Lynxes, hares, and leaves”. We wrapped up our week with camp activity stations. Campers could choose to do: tie dying, pocket knife skills, soap carving, animal tracking, and learning the ukulele. We made a fire to roast our hotdogs for lunch. We ate lots of watermelon slices and finished our week with snow cones. We sang more songs, played more games, and packed up our tents. The natural tie dyed t-shirts are our keepsake, and they will remind us of our fun times together. Until next year, campers!
Ecojustice Camp 