Rapp Nature Camp serves up the ‘perfect day’ for attendees
“What makes a perfect day? A bright blue sky? Quiet Time? River Time? Bubbleheads singing a new verse on the bridge over the Hazel River? Perhaps … or maybe … when you look for something, you can nd it.”
Those are words of last summer’s young campers, telling the collective story of one of their very rst days at camp. This year, we’ll be taking the time to actually look for those special somethings that we will call “Treasures,” at Rapp Nature Camp’s 37th season of summer adventures.
And with a bunch of young pairs of eyes looking, we will no doubt nd lots of nature’s treasures to share — campers of all ages are already signing up for another session of nature exploration. (And in case you’re wondering, “Bubbleheads” are members of our camp’s singing group!)
First on this year’s camp calendar will be springtime outings for adults — our “Perennial Campers.” During the rst week of March, we’ll meet at the camp’s home base at Singing Creek to observe hundreds of amphibians that are breeding in our Frog Pond and two other little ponds that are naturally formed.
Despite the ice in our Frog Pond, the wood frogs are already quite noisy and will likely still be actively breeding in early March. Plus, herpetologist Brian Gratwicke will help us in our observations and guide us as we establish a new breeding area for wood frogs and spotted salamanders. We’ll also have a chance to swap some plants and take home a plug of watercress to plant in a stream near you.
Other outings for Perennial Campers this year will include a walk through the magni cent wild ower plantings at the Smith farm in Aylor Hollow, a walk through Big Meadows at dawn, and a hike to the third peak of Oventop Mountain.
Note that these events will be announced on short notice — we’ll be watching the weather and keeping tabs on the wonderful sequence of springtime nature happenings in our county. All Perennial Campers events are free, and pre-registration is required — let us know of your interest and we will send you a notice for each event.
Meanwhile, younger campers are signing up for our week-long summer sessions. This year, we will have four one-week sessions, beginning June 20. Our summer day camp is open to campers 8 to 16 years old and you can sign up for any number of sessions.
As always, we’ll be identifying owers and trees, wading in the Hazel River, looking for colorful sh and aquatic insects, singing original songs, and exploring new trails. If you are new to Rapp Nature Camp, you may want to request a copy of “News from Singing Creek,” which provides a good overview of camp activities.
For enrollment information and applications, and for details on Perennial Campers outings, see our website rappnaturecamp.org, or contact Camp Director at 540-9879530 or singingcreeek@earthlink.net.
Finally, we are looking forward to a special night of camping in July, made possible by funding from the PATH Foundation. This will be the last event under my directorship! But, most de nitely it will not be the end of my association with our beloved camp. We’ll have news of successors for our camp sta posted very soon on our website.
“Perhaps… or maybe… when you look for something, you can nd it.” See you at camp!