Day 1 :D

We started off the camp with a bit of wonderfully chilly weather, and heavy cloud cover over the Land Lab. We met in the barn at first, and the other counselors introduced themselves to the students who didn't know us yet. Then we kicked off the day's activities with a blindfold walk through the woods. In this exercise, the kids split into pairs of two and they trade off leading each other through the woods without touching one another, in order to strengthen and exercise their other senses. Then we split into two groups. The first went to talk to Dylan about where we are going to build our shelter, what kind of shelter to build, and the benefits of different sites based on such variables as elevation to sun exposure. The second group went with Judy to the Woodshop where she introduced them to all of the tools, the work space, and the procedure of making a project (i.e., planning, gathering supplies etc.). Then the groups switched. We broke for lunch and the kids played Capture the Flag once they were done.

After lunch, we had quiet time. The kids split off by themselves, and were given the option to draw things, read books, copy maps, or even sand blocks of wood. After quiet time, we split the afternoon into two blocks, and let the kids choose between four different workshops. Judy worked in the Woodshop, Leslie made herb books, Colin and Dylan led a Forest Foray and I helped build terrariums. Everything went well. The Forest Foray was a great adventure off the beaten path, our terrariums turned out great, and there are some great projects starting in the Woodshop!

See you tomorrow!

Alex