Summer Day Camps
Join us for an entire summer of nature filled day camps in ithaca n.y. - Registration is now open!
The following Day camps are open to youth aged 6 - 12.
See Advanced Camps for ages 10-14.
...A robin calls softly at the approach of a small group of forest adventurers. Three days ago this same robin had been alarmed and taken flight at their approach. Now, after watching and listening to the kids practicing the ancient skills of survival and awareness, the robin continues, undisturbed. The children pause and give thanks for his song, as they too have become more relaxed in their forest home.
Wildcrafting @ 4-H Acres
Wildcrafting I: June 25-29
Wildcrafting II: August 13-17
Harvesting and crafting the raw materials of the late spring and mid-summer landscapes are the focus of these two weeks. You'll keep your hands and creative minds busy transforming wood, plants, feathers and bones with water, fire, steel and stone. In gratitude for the unique natural resources each week has to offer we'll eat roots and drink teas that nourish our inner nature. You will take home the treasures you've made and found, along with the stories that live inside them.
Base Camp @ 4-H Acres
Base Camp: July 2-6
Ready for an epic adventure? Welcome to base camp. This is our foundational primer for survival and fun. Have you ever carved wood? Made a fire without matches? Or built a waterproof shelter entirely out of sticks and leaves? These and other essential wilderness skills will be our focus this week. We'll cook on open fires, harvest wild edibles, make rope out of plant fibers, and play our favorite games. You've heard the stories - now come live the adventure!
Trailblazers @ CCE-TC**Additional $20 for transportation, & ages limited to 8-12
Trailblazers I: July 2-6
Trailblazers II: July 30-Aug 3
Trailblazers III: Aug 20-24
Go on the road with Primitive Pursuits! Meet downtown at Cooperative Extension, jump into a van and head out to a different wilderness area each day. We'll explore wild places all around Ithaca that you never knew existed, while continuing to practice our routines of gathering water, shelter, fire and food in all kinds of terrain! Please note that this is for 8-12 year olds and includes a transportation fee. Register early to reserve your space - the van fills up fast.
Hunter-Gatherer @ 4-H Acres
Hunter Gatherer I: July 9-13
Hunter Gatherer II: August 27-31
"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 eldest hunters: atl-atl, rabbit stick and bow. Explore plant cultivation by harvesting from fields and forests with ancient tools made by your hands. This week we will be joined by special guests who have mastered some of these ancient arts. Participants may complete a special project under the guidance of a craftsperson.
Wilderness Camp @ Finger Lakes National Forest
Wilderness Camp I: July 9-13
Wilderness Camp II: July 23-27
Wilderness Camp III: August 13-17(with overnight option for ages 10 and up)
Travel with us into the wilderness of the Finger Lakes National Forest. Celebrate the peak of summer feasting on cattails, following beaver trails, and telling tall tales around the fire. Navigating the blueberry thickets and wide-ranging landscapes of this public land will be a special focus. Going beyond "survival", this will be a time to learn about caring for our forest while caring for ourselves.
Scout Camp @ 4-H Acres
Scout Camp I: July 16-20
Scout Camp II: August 6-10
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. You'll hear stories of stealth and mystery and then begin crafting and telling your own stories from real life adventures.
Outpost Camp @ Ellis Hollow Community Center
Outpost Camp I: July 23-27 (with overnight option)
Outpost Camp II: August 6-10
We are excited to return to the Ellis Hollow Community Center this summer to offer two full weeks of nature connection and survival skills. Explore the unique natural beauty of the Ellis Hollow Creek valley with us while practicing the art of fun! From awareness routines and shelter building challenges to making fires and foraging wild food there will be boundless potential for learning the ropes. For the last two years, this has been the first camp to fill up, so register early!
Primitive Camp @ 4-H Acres
Primitive Camp I: July 30-August 3
Primitive Camp II: August 20-24
Fire by friction, shaping tools and digging roots - this is your chance to find out what it would take to replace your gear in a survival situation. This week your group will travel to uncharted territory and create a primitive camp from raw materials. Try your hand at using stone tools, building a rain proof shelter and making your own primitive tool kit from the forest around you. Our focus will be on the four basic survival priorities: shelter, water, fire, and pizza!
SUMMER Day CAMP Costs, Times, & LOCATIONS
Costs:
Day Camps - $250-$350 (self-determined sliding scale)
Trailblazers - Add $20 for transportation fee
Overnights - Add $65 for camping fee
For information about enrollment policies and procedures go here.
Times:
Day camp programs run from 9am - 3pm with staff supervision from 8:30am - 3:30pm for your added convenience.
New for 2012: Epic Adventure Day! Extend each day from 8am - 4:30pm for an additional $25 per child.
Locations:
4H Acres - 418 Lower Creek Rd. Ithaca NY
Wildcrafting Camps, Scout Camps, Primitive Camps, Hunter-Gatherer Camps
Finger Lakes National Forest - 7 miles west of Trumansburg NY at "Teeter Pond"
Wilderness Weeks
Ellis Hollow Community Center - 111 Genung Rd, Ithaca
Outpost Camps
Meeting @ CCE - 615 willow Ave. Ithaca N.Y & exploring unique natural areas outside Ithaca
Trailblazers
