Summer Camp 2010
“After 8 hours outside in the woods my two boys come home dirty, tired, and full of energy, stories, ideas and new skills. They are healthy, strong, self assured; we are building the leaders of tomorrow.” -parent
Thanks to all of our youth and families for making 2010 our most successful summer Season Ever! stay tuned for photo galleries of our adventures and information for upcoming programs...
NOT YOUR TYPICAL SUMMER CAMP...
Primitive Pursuits Summer Camp is an all-outdoors nature awareness journey that offers wilderness survival skills, nature mentoring and peer-based community building. It is a unique opportunity for your kids to immerse themselves in the natural world for days at at time. This year we are pleased to offer 14 programs for youth aged 6-16: Nine weeks at 4-H Acres in Ithaca, two weeks in the Finger Lakes National Forest, two overnights and one week of exploring natural areas around Tompkins County. Grab a friend and come along for the un-matched adventure!
Cost and locations? See bottom of this page.
To Register Click Here
Camp Descriptions
Wildcrafting I&II
Harvesting and crafting the raw materials of the land is the focus this week. Our hands and creative minds will keep busy as we transform wood, stone, feathers, and bones with water, fire, and steel. In gratitude for what each unique week has to offer we'll eat roots and drink teas that nourish our growth. You will take home crafts made with seasonally available resources along with stories to last a life time.
Wild Crafting 1: June 28th - July 2nd 
Wild Crafting 2: August 23rd - 27th
Scout I&II
Traveling light, finding your edges, coming to your senses, and moving invisibly through the landscape are skills that belong to the ancient scouts. In these two weeks we will hone our own skills of self-reliance through challenges and awareness routines. We will read more deeply into the landscape, camouflage with our surroundings, learn aidless navigation techniques and practice mastering survival skills on the move.
Scout 1: July 5th - July 9th
Scout 2: August 2nd - 6th
Primitive Camp
For all those kids who ever scorned using matches! This is your chance to find out what it would take to replace your gear in a REAL survival situation. We will travel to uncharted territory and create a new primitive camp from raw materials. Try your hand at using stone tools, building a rain proof shelter and carving your own primitive fire kit out of the forest around you.
Primitive Camp: July 12th - 16th
Advanced Primitive
Journey to our new primitive outpost camp for an advanced immersion in wilderness living. Prior experience is not required, but we are offering this only to older youth. We'll be making stone blades, harvesting meals from the wild and preparing for an optional overnight campout.
Advanced Primitive: July 19th - 22nd (please note this is a four day program with optional overnight)
Advanced Primitive Overnight: July 22nd-23rd
Bringing together the threads woven in Advanced Primitive participants will have the option of spending a night in a group survival shelter. Led by our most experienced wilderness instructors, this is a not to be missed opportunity!
Hunter-Gatherer I&II
"For three million years we were hunter gatherers, and it was through that way of life that a brain so adaptable and so creative eventually emerged. Today we stand with the brains of hunter gatherers in our heads, looking out on a modern world..." -Richard Leakey
Summon the sleeping human within! Reawaken your ancestral self while using the tools of the ancient hunters: atl-atl, rabbit stick and bow. Explore plant knowledge through caretaking and harvesting from the field and the forest. This week we will be joined by special guests who have mastered some of these ancient arts. Participants may complete a special project, such as a bow or planting stick, under the guidance of a craftsman.
Hunter-Gatherer 1: August 9th - 13th
Hunter-Gatherer 2: August 16th - 20th
Wilderness I&II
Travel with us into the wilderness of the Finger Lakes National Forest. Celebrate the peak of summer feasting on blueberries, tracking beavers, telling tall tails around the fires and navigating the boundless resources of this public land. Going beyond "survival", this will be a time to learn about caring for our forest while caring for ourselves.
Wilderness 1: July 26th - 30th
Wilderness 2: August 23rd - 26th (please note this is a 4 day program with optional overnight)
Wilderness 2 Overnight: August 26th-27th
During our second week in the wilderness, older participants will have the option of spending a night in a solo survival shelter of their own making. This will be an opportunity to safely test all the skills they have practiced under the guidance of our most experienced wilderness instructors.
Call of the WILD 
"He was sounding the deeps of his nature, and of the parts of his nature that were deeper than he, going back into the womb of Time." - Jack London, "The Call of the Wild"
Listen carefully and you will hear the call of the wild within. With the animals as our guides we will follow our instincts, play hard, laugh loud and take time to go "where the wild things are". A special focus this week on personal expression through stories, songs and movement will deepen our connection to nature.
Call of the Wild: July 19th - 22nd (please note this is a four day program)
Ellis Hollow Week
In collaboration with the Ellis Hollow Community Center, we are pleased to offer this opportunity to learn about and explore the unique creatures and landscapes of the Ellis Hollow Creek valley. Though not part of our camp, use of the pool After camp hours can be arranged through The Ellis Hollow Community Center for a fee.
Ellis Hollow Week: July 26th - 30th
Trailblazers
On the road with Primitive Pursuits! Picking up the trail of our most popular school year program, we are offering this summer adventure program for the first time ever. Meet downtown at Cooperative Extension, jump into a van and head out to a different wilderness area each day. Discover uncharted wilderness all around Ithaca that you never knew existed, while you continue practicing your routines of gathering water, shelter, fire and food in all kinds of terrain. Please note that groups are limited to 10 participants. Register early to reserve your space.
Trailblazers: August 30th - September 3rd
SUMMER CAMP TIMES, COSTS, AGES & LOCATIONS
To register now CLICK HERE
Times:
Day camp programs run from 9am - 3pm with staff on site from 8:30am - 3:30pm for extended supervision at no additional costs.
Overnight programs end at 10am on the morning following the overnight.
Costs:
Trailblazers $240-$340* (includes transportation costs)
5 Day programs $220-$320*
4 Day programs $190-$290*
4 Day programs with Overnight $250 - $350*
*All programs are on a self determined sliding scale.
Funds received above the base rate are tax-deductible and used for scholarships.
Ages:
Camps are open to youth, 6 - 16 years of age with the following exceptions:
Overnights - Age 10 & up
Advanced Primitive - Age 9 & up
Trailblazers - Age 9 & up
Locations:
4H Acres - 418 Lower Creek Rd. Ithaca NY
Wildcrafting I & II, Scout Week I & II, Primitive Camp, Advanced Primitive, Hunter Gatherer I & II
Finger Lakes National Forest - 7 miles west of Trumansburg NY at "Teeter Pond"
Wilderness Week I & II
Ellis Hollow Community Center - 111 Genung Rd, Ithaca
Ellis Hollow Week
Meeting @ CCE - 615 willow Ave. Ithaca N.Y & exploring unique natural areas outside Ithaca
Trailblazers