Connect a child to Nature through a Week of Camp!

Fall camp at Piedmont Wildlife Center is simply a magical time. The leaves are just beginning to turn, there is a slight chill in the air, and we are ready to warm ourselves by a fire we have made together. By providing camps in the fall, spring, winter and summer, children have the opportunity to experience the change of the seasons and the interconnected relationships we share with the natural world. We use the seasons to help us design our curriculum and fall is a busy time! The animals around us are busy preparing for winter by storing food and creating warm shelters. We try to model what is going on around us in the forest so that the kids feel truly connected to the season.

During our first week of fall camp, Ancient Ways, everything is modeled after Stone Age (or Paleolithic) culture. We had a specialty counselor named Miss Nancy Basket, who is of Cherokee decent, join us and teach us the art of making baskets. Miss Nancy is not only an accomplished basket maker and teacher, but also an amazing storyteller. The children would sit at Miss Nancy's feet with their little hands hard at work, weaving kudzu to make their own baskets, as she would capture their imaginations with traditional Cherokee stories. It was amazing to watch children who had never before created a basket walk away with something they will treasure for years to come. The older students made a beautiful vine-lashed drying rack where they dried meat and wild mushrooms in order to make pemmican, a traditional North American winter food. This process took almost a week to complete and once the smoking was done, we all had a grand feast!

In swamp crawler camp, we have a chance to stretch our legs and simply re-discover the joys of exploration and getting a bit dirty. The focus for this week is centered on the ecology of our surrounding wetlands and the beautiful creatures we can find there. This week of camp is a very popular and sought after week in our community and we know from parent feedback that families adore their kids coming home full of stories and mud! “We love that the kids are outside and engaged all day. My daughter loved the games, the hikes, the campfire, and the counselors! We loved that she came home dirty, tired, and full of stories of her day. What a wonderful week she had. Many thanks!” -Anonymous

Because of your generous donations, we can continue to engage children’s passions and love for the outdoors in our year-round camps. Children who attend our camps, even for a week, leave with a stronger connection to themselves and their community. "I loved that it was outdoors - totally different experience than when they are at school. My son came home filthy and smiling. He has also taught all the outdoor games to the neighborhood kids. They play eagle-eye and windigo all the time now." -Anonymous

As of today, you have helped us to raise $4,300.00 to send 40 kids to our summer camps. Thank you! You are giving a gift that will not only touch the lives of 40 children, but have a positive ripple effect in their families, their peers, and their communities. We are so grateful to you and cannot wait to share the wonderful adventures we embark upon in the winter!

Links:

• Piedmont Wildlife Center's Website