Dear Treetops Families,
I know many of you have seen the tragic news out of Texas over the past week, particularly the catastrophic flooding and loss of life of campers and staff at Camp Mystic. Our hearts are so heavy with this news. We want to reassure you all that the health and safety of our Camp community is at the center of all we do, and is truly the most important and vital job we have.
We are holding your campers tightly each and every day, and are so grateful to have the opportunity to provide them with this child’s world for the summer, a time they can be free of the constant news cycle and able to focus on their connections to each other, to the natural world, and have the ability to jump into whatever adventures they choose. We are so fortunate to have the ability to create this carefree child’s world for the summer.
This second week at Treetops has brought more opportunities for connections, as well as adventures both off-campus and on. Monday jump-started the week with our Community Morning, a weekly event during which all of Camp works together to accomplish important and necessary jobs around campus and on the farm. Day trips ventured to nearby High Peaks, Phelps and Giant, as well as a local sheep farm, Blue Pepper Farm, and a nearby orchard.
Our Junior Campers went on their first tent overnights, camping out at one of our on-campus cabins or lean-tos, learning how to cook food over a camping stove, roasting marshmallows to make S’mores, and falling asleep to the sounds of a nearby stream or croaking of the wood frogs. Senior Campers also went on their first overnight trips, when our Supers had the opportunity to read letters from past Supers, some now their counselors. Through this process, they gain wisdom from those who came before them, and begin the process of developing goals and aspirations for their own Super summers.
In the Shops, children are bringing their creative ideas to life with support and encouragement from our skilled counselors. This week, many children worked on colorful looms, finding serenity in the repetition and calmness of the weaving spaces; children made “toad houses” and masks with slabs of clay in the pottery shops; and numerous creations were crafted in the woodshop, from a wooden box for storing cherished treasures, to a wooden shield. In the Camper Kitchen and Teaching and Learning Kitchen (TLK), children baked biscuits from scratch, learned how to make a Camp snack favorite, kale chips, and made a lovely dessert with the bounty from their berry-picking trip at a local farm.
At the waterfront, children who have passed their swim tests are spending more time sailing or working on their paddling skills. We’ve been blessed with warm weather, so hopping into Round Lake is a refreshing and welcoming way to cool off.
At the end of this second week, children are settling in, learning new skills, and finding the spaces and activities they most enjoy. Some are discovering their newfound love of hiking; others find their thrill in being able to carefully maneuver a sailboat in strong winds; and still others are drawn to any and every activity at the barn and with our animals.
With each new day I see children grow in their confidence and comfort—whether it’s the casual way they lean against a new friend during Council, how they capably approach their job mucking out stalls at the barn with confidence, or the vigor in their steps as they rush to their next activity with a sense of excitement and purpose. Campers are growing in their connections to each other and the world around them. I swell with pride at how much they’ve already accomplished in these first two weeks, and can’t wait to see what the next brings.
We feel so lucky to have the opportunity to spend our summer with your campers.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Hannah Edwards
Camp Treetops Director