Connect a child to Nature through a Week of Camp!

Do you often wonder when you are funding for a cause, if are you really having an impact? The short answer is: yes! Your gift makes a difference to hundreds of campers that spend a week, two weeks, or much of the summer with us. This summer, we were able to give 69 scholarships so kids could attend camp.  What follows is some insight into just how big an impact your generous donations have.

Throughout the summer, our counselors kept notes on how well campers were learning and demonstrating skills, connecting with nature, pushing comfort zones, making new friends and feeling part of our community. All of the counselors reported positive results. One of our counselors, Morgan, shared this observation: “Leila was the youngest of the Bluebird clan but kept up very well. I think coming to camp was a great growing experience for her. She had separation anxiety almost every morning that her mom dropped her off; however, the time it took her to adjust to being at camp got shorter and shorter throughout the week. She had almost no problem on Friday morning.  Even though she was extremely quiet all week, she participated fully in games, and I know she learned a ton because her mom told me that each day she would talk non-stop when she got home about all the things she did during the day, and share each type of animal she got to meet, even remembering all of the animal ambassadors' names. Mom said she had an absolutely wonderful time, and shared her daughter’s quote from the last day: "Mandy and Morgan are my counselors, but they're also my friends!""

My favorite counselor note was about a camper that also attended our afterschool program on scholarship. Morgan was fortunate enough to work with this child in both programs so was really able to see a change. Morgan said, “Arissa has shown so much growth and become so much more comfortable and outgoing since starting EarthKeepers in the spring.”  

Parents personally shared their gratitude for their children’s opportunity and how much it meant to their whole family. One mom said, “My children had significant improvements in their connections with nature, and demonstrated such enthusiasm for new things in nature that they didn't show before attending these camps.” They could point out birds, share the names of plants and a story about “The Tracker” urging their mom to read it.  

Your donations also have a ripple effect.  Children went home happy, shared their connection to nature with their families, and inspired their parents to reconnect. Thank you for having a long reaching impact!

Links:

• Summer camps