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June 14-20, 2009

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Wolf Camp was voted 1 of 2 Best Camps in the Northwest Family News Reader's Poll of 2001, the only year they ran a poll, and we were also chosen as one of the five "best camps ever" by YM Magazine in its March 2003 issue.

"At Wolf Camp,  I got to meet people interested in things I'm interested in.  Camp also gave me confidence and taught me things that I thought I'd never be able to learn.  Wolf Camp is a wonderful chance to get out and make new friends and learn new things about nature and wildlife." – Sage Snook, Age 12 in 1998, three year veteran of Wolf Camp.

July 26 - Aug 1, 2008

Availability: Space Remains Open
Scroll Down or Click for Current Enrollment.

The Forgotten
Wilderness:
Animal Tracks &
Bird Voices

with some prerequisite,
for ages 12-17.

Requires the following prerequisites:
• Weekend workshop that runs from 10-1 on the morning camp starts.
Previous program at Wolf Camp or another earth skills school focusing on wildlife.


There are few people who can understand the language of the birds and follow tracks that animals leave behind. This week you will develop the ears of a bird and the eyes of a tracker. Become a detective in order to follow clues and solve mysteries that would otherwise have gone unnoticed in nature. Amazingly, animals reveal themselves to all who can read their stories in the earth.

As you will see, tracks can tell us about the size, health, emotions, history and even intentions of animals which would otherwise remain hidden all around us. Never feel alone in the forest again as you learn to communicate and understand the sights and sounds which birds use to point out predators, to quarrel with their neighbors, or to sing with appreciation. Enter the world of animals, becoming that which you follow.

This camp session takes place primarily at Wolf Camp but will include field trips to the Skykomish River and the surrounding area. Activities covered during this camp session include, but are not limited to the following list, and are somewhat dependent on weather, instructor descretion, camper desire, and serendipity:

Sunday: Intros, Agreements, Navigation, Sensory Awareness, Songline.
Monday: Animal Forms, Stalking Games, Mammal Families, Five Arts of Tracking, Bird Language, Swim Test, Songs.
Tuesday: Dawn Chorus, Tracking Review & Challenge, Skykomish River Tracking & Floating, Bird Identification, Trailing Challenge, Campout.
Wednesday: Farm Animals, Most Important Plants, Insects, Beetles, Arachnids, Anthropods, Reptiles and Amphibians, Lake Swimming, Camp Fire & Games.
Thursday: Knife Safety Test, Make Walking Staves, River Tracking & Floating, Plaster Casts, Bird Language Recordings, Animal Photography, Campout, Music & Stories.
Friday: Advanced Tracking Challenge, Campers Choice of Games, Preparation for Presentations, Cleanup, Music & Stories.
Saturday: Closing Circle and Family Presentations

The goal of this camp session is to bring you to a deeper understanding of the natural world, and skills covered during this camp session include, but are not limited to the following list, and are somewhat dependent on instructor preference and camper readiness:

• Sensory Awareness & Stealthy Movement
• Understanding Birds
• Understanding Mammals
• Farm Animal Care
• Understanding Animal Impact & Dependence on Plants
and an intro to
• Understanding Insects
• Understanding Beetles
• Understanding Arachnids
• Understanding Anthropods
• Understanding Reptiles
• Understanding Amphibians

This session's storyline is Tracker Tom Brown but may be modified by the instructor, and some of the songs you may learn this week include:

The Owl and the Eagle
• Talk to the Animals
• Tale of the Wolf
Do Re Mi
Feed the Birds
My Favorite Things
Morning Has Broken
If I Only Had A Brain
People of the River
Yonder Come Day
Caterpillar

This session's likely lead instructor will be Chris Chisholm but may change depending on need and availability, and the history of this camp session includes:

• Pilot Year: Started under another name in our very first overnight camp year of 1998.
• Past Instructors: Chris, Nikki, Lorien, Dan.
• Intensity Rating: 7
• Rating on Fun Scale: 7

Enrollment as of June 1st:
2
spaces remain open.

Availability: Space Remains Open
Scroll Down or Click for Current Enrollment.

Tracking Endangered Species,
Search & Rescue

for returning campers ages 12-17.

Requires the following prerequisites:
• Previous weekend stayover that ran July 5-6.
Intro Tracking Week (see left, or equivalent in prior years).
• Plus One of the Following:
any of the 3 training camps running June 15 - July 4, or
a week of ancient scout skills, or
a week of wilderness medicine & herbal medicine, or
a week of survival skills or primitive living with wild plants, or
a week of environmental artistry or stone age artisanry skills, or
a week of kayaking/sailing with sealife.

We'll be searching the North Cascades Highway, Loomis State Forest, the Okanagon, the Canadian borderlands, and other dazzling environs in an effort to prove that there are wolves living and breeding in Washington State. In addition, you be helping to track down lynx, mountain goat, and wolverine if possible, while studying your favorite endangered species of choice in depth to become an expert spokesperson for their livelihood.

Between efforts to track endangered species, we'll also put our skills to the test as your team engages in scenarios track down missing people and 'escaped criminals', and if you choose an added element of challenge, you can ask assistant instructors to lie in ambush, armed with paintball blow guns. And get ready for an all day mission to solve a detective mystery and ultimately rescue a person trapped in the woods.

You will also review the basics of Wilderness First Aid this week so that if you ever really have to search for lost or injured people back home, you will know how to rescue them.

We'll also go much deeper into the mysteries of animal tracking and bird language. Learn basic 'pressure releases' that tell many more secret details about the maker of the track, and learn the categories of advanced bird language enhanced by Wolf Camp founder and your personal guide Chris Chisholm.

You can also stay up all night scoping animals, and further your "hunting" skills by attempting to photograph animals, including mammals and birds.

This is a travel camp that starts at Wolf Camp, but takes place primarily along the northern canadian border of Washington State. Activities covered during this camp session include, but are not limited to the following list, and are somewhat dependent on weather, instructor descretion, camper desire, and serendipity:

Saturday: Plannning & Packing.
Sunday: Review of Tracking & WFA Skills; Shopping for Food & Gear, Travel to First Hot Spot.
Monday: Tracking Lynx & Wolverine in Loomis State Park.
Tuesday: Tracking Wolves in the Colville National Forest, Setting Up Romote Cameras.
Wednesday: Tracking Mountain Caribou & Bears in the Pond Orielles National Forest.
Thursday: Tracking Wolves in the Pond Orielles National Forest, Night Scoping.
Friday: Human Tracking Challenge, Traveling Home & Preparing Presentations.
Saturday: Closing Circle and Family Presentations

The goals of this camp session is to prove that wolves live in Washington State, while you bring your tracking skills to the next level. In order to do so, the following skills will be introduced:

• Tracking down animals and document their presence, including insects, beetles, arachnids, and anthropods, as well as birds and mammals.
• Managing a survey of animals to ensure how many are in an area.
• Mimmicking at least 10 birds, including their song, alarm calls, companion calls, and aggression calls.
• Identifying and knowing the gifts of plants in varying ecosystems.
• Camoflaging yourself and your documenting gear in any environment.
• Articulating the needs of animals, both in writing and public speaking, especially regarding the endangered species of your region.
• Understanding the issues of threatened fishes, as well as marine mammals if time allows.
• Finding lost people and rescue them via extraction and first aid.
• Communicate clearly and work well with teams.

This session's storyline is the Tale of the Wolf but may be modified by the instructor, and some of the songs you may learn this week include:

• Same as for the Forgotten Wilderness, Animal Tracks & Bird Voices, and as for the GeoTRIP, and as for the Peaceful Nature Cooperative Arts Camp.

This session's likely lead instructor will be Andrew Twele, but may change depending on need and availability, and the history of this camp session includes:

• Pilot Year: 2006.
• Past participants include Lorien, Megan, Glen, Morgan, Indigo, Patrick W, Katie B, Torrey, Charlie, Maddie, Carl, Melina, and in 2006 we dropped James off at his hunting cabin near Tonasket (where the pizza is awesome) and then met Bill up in Canada.
• Intensity Rating: 7
• Rating on Fun Scale: 9

Enrollment as of June 1st:
2
spaces remain open.

Click Here to Go Back to the Index of Overnight Youth Camps, or print out an Application Form which has the whole schedule listed, and send it in the mail with your deposit; or Email or call us at 425-248-0253 with questions.

Scroll Down or Click Here for Camp Costs & Refund Policy:
Transportation Choices & Daily Camp Schedule, including optional Saturday night stayovers;
How to Prepare & What to Pack
Behavioral Agreements

Logistics, Health & Safety: We don’t rely on novice camp counselors to lead programs, because of course, the skills we teach require great experience. Our highly seasoned, dynamic instructors are the best, and we place the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health of our students as our top priority. We have always maintained an intimate 6-1 or smaller camper-instructor ratio, and we facilitate excellent organic and wild edible meals utilizing our min-farm and local co-ops. All camps weeks are co-ed.

To read an essay written by Wolf Journey author and resident director Chris Chisholm on choosing an appropriate camp and the emotional challenges facing young campers, click on Camper Preparedness & Emotions. Parents are encouraged to call directly into Wolf Camp at 425-248-0253 as well as follow our Summertime Blog with Daily Pictures & Journal Entries, while campers can freely call home as much as they need during the time they are with us. Register for as many weeks as you like!

Click Here for our Registration Form page where you can download the form, print it out, and

Tuition: The cost per week is $500 if you register with a minimum $200 deposit between November 1, 2008 - January 15, 2009, or $550 if you register between January 15 - March 30, 2009, or $600 if you register between March 30 - June 15, 2009. There is also an additional $50 surcharge (one per family only) for new campers if they don't return all requested materials (questionnaire that we send out after you rgister, etc.) by June 15th, and also for returning families if they don't pay their balance by June 15th, except in the case of financial hardship. New families may wait until the day camp starts to pay their balance. The total cost per week if you register after June 15, 2009 is $650. However, everyone may receive cumulative discounts of $50 per additional family member, and $50 cumulative discounts for additional camp weeks, and $50 off for referring any new family who registers someone for camp, with the minimum price per week bottoming out at $500. You retain your original rate if adding extra camp weeks at a later date (if space remains available) so be sure to send in that initial registration for at least one camp week asap! $200 per week per participant deposit is required to hold your spot, and campers may apply for as many weeks of the summer as they like. There is also a $75 per family airport pickup/dropoff fee option (includes pickup and dropoff - or just $50 for one pickup or one dropoff).

See our Merit Scholarships, Financial Aid & Giving page to learn how campers can raise money for paying their own way to camp, and how to get financial aid if needed. Our refund policy is written just above where you sign your registration form. It reads that if we cannot accept your registration due to closed enrollment or other reason during the application process, you will receive a full refund on deposits. Otherwise, deposits are not refundable. If you need to cancel after making further payment, you may receive a credit for a future program, minus a 25% administration fee of your total payments, in case of emergency. Of course, you will receive a full refund if the program you sign up for is canceled and not rescheduled at a time you can attend. Participants may be asked to leave at any time for inappropriate behavior or unresolvable match to camp, and no refund (nor credit necessarily) will be given for the portion of the program which is missed.

Camp Schedule & Transportation:

Every camp week starts with Sunday lunch and goes through Saturday lunch, rendezvousing at Hill Park on Blackman's Lake in the town of Snohomish, which is about a mile away from the Wolf Camp staff home office. If you are driving, check-in between 12:00 - 12:30 and please bring a pot-luck dish to share. After initial introductions, we'll eat between 12:30-1:00 and then give an overview of the week between 1:00-1:30, including detailed information on our trip itinerary for the week. Cleaning and pack-up runs from 1:30-2:00 (when parents are free to go) and after reviewing our camp agreements and adding any special rules especially concerning van safety and other issues, we'll take off for our camp destination. Click Here for our Driving Directions to our Hill Park camp rendezvous point and our staff home office in Snohomish.

We also provide pick-up and drop-off at SeaTac Int'l Airport in Seattle, as well as the ferry, bus and train stations in Seattle and Everett. The cost for your first airport trip is $50 (pick-up at baggage claim unless unaccompanied minor, then at gate), and $25 for the second (drop-off at security unless unaccopanied minor, then at gate). Each trip to the bus, train, or ferry station in Seattle costs $25, or just $15 into or out of Everett. If flying or taking a train, ferry, or bus, book your arrival on Sunday between 9:30-10:30 a.m. if at all possible. Book your departure on Saturday between 4:00-5:00 if possible.

Mon-Fri: Morning wake-up, stretches, washing, and breakfast vary slightly depending on previous evening activities, but if all was quiet by 10:00 p.m. we would awake at 7:00, do warm-ups from 7:30-8:00, and have breakfast from 8:00-9:00 ... 9:00-12:00 is the morning session. 12:00-1:00 is lunch, and 1:00-2:00 is usually swimming time. 2:00-5:00 is the afternoon session. 5:00-6:00 is dinner, and 6:00-7:00 is usually "secret spot" or personal time. Evening sessions begin at 7:00, and bedtime varies according to the activity and the time of sunset.

Saturday Pick Up: We'll pack up from our camp location on Saturday morning and drive back to Snohomish. For pick-up, meet us back at Hill Park at 12:00 and again, please bring a pot-luck dish to share between 12:30-1:00 and enjoy camper presentations from 1:00-2:00. It is critical for local family members to arrive by 12:30 at the latest and stay all the way until 2:00 in order for campers to experience a healthy integration of these incredibly unique experiences back into their home lives.

Optional Saturday Night Stayovers cost $75: If you are involved in the youth mentoring program, or if you cannot possibly arrange pick-up, drop-off, or flight times arriving when requested on Sunday, or departing when requested on Saturday, then you may stay over the Saturday night prior to and/or following camp with staff at our home office in Snohomish. If you need to arrive on Saturday the day before your camp week starts, then you must either arrive at the airport, ferry, bus or train station between 2:30-3:30 p.m., or get dropped off in Snohomish when we are available to receive you during the afternoon or evening. If you need to depart on Sunday after your camp week ends, then you must either depart the airport, ferry, bus or train station between 10:30-11:30 a.m., or get picked up in Snohomish by 2:00 p.m. at the latest.

What To Bring & What You Get: After registering, we will send you a detailed program description, with directions on how to prepare. For week-long camps, we will also send a questionnaire for new campers to complete by a June 1 deadline. It will include health history questions and other information that are designed to ensure that the program for which you apply is the best choice for you. We will also send you a detailed letter on driving directions and how to prepare for camp.

The most important thing for you to do is to sleep well the night prior to camp and eat a healthy breakfast and lunch the day camp starts. Also, please bring the results from your most recent physical exam to place into your file upon check-in on the first day of camp. A very recent physical is not required as long as you were forthcoming when you filled out the health history form (which was part of your registration form), but a physical is highly recommended if you have not had one in the past year. Please tell your doctor your plans for coming to camp, and the activities involved.

Remember, this is a primitive camp, so set your expectations appropriately. As for what to bring, if you cannot attain all of the required items, or if you have a favorite item you want, even though we haven't mentioned it, or advised against it, or provide it for you, simply advise us before camp starts. We always have extra to share. Otherwise, the items on this page and on the reverse are things you'll need to bring to camp to help ensure that everyone is comfortable.

We provide an emergency whistle, mini first aid kit, keychain flashlight, camp tee-shirt and bandana, plus some journal materials and craft products to be taken home after camp. During some weeks, we also train you to use a real survival knife, but only campers who attend a second overnight camp week and who reach our Level III knife safety can bring the knife home. Alternatively, parents may also pay for a $15 knife at the end of their child’s first week if they wish. We also have binoculars, field guides, instruments, extra sanitary supplies, water bottles, rain ponchos, compasses, blankets, and of course sunscreen available when necessary for use. Many products are also available in our camp store, with all revenues donated to the WOLF Foundation - Max Davis Scholarships.

Do not bring your own snacks unless you have special dietary health needs. All accidentally brought snacks will be donated to camp for future use. You can bring a wooden, stainless steel, or durable plastic spoon, fork, bowl, cup, and plate if desired, with your name well labeled (no aluminum), but we do provide dishes for you at camp, along with your own mesh bag for storing them.

___ Waistband pack or day backpack that holds a large water bottle (keep it full). Include two oversized plastic garbage bags to cover your gear in rain, and if desired, a disposable camera inside a zip-lock bag. The waistband pack might be a good place to initially pack your sanitary supplies such as toothbrush, floss, feminine products, and a small hair brush or comb. We'll provide biodegradable soap, shampoo, tooth paste, conditioner, and lotion. Leave cosmetics, etc., at home unless you need a special product for health/allergy reasons. Also, remember any protective cases for eyeglasses, contact lenses and solutions, plus for your medicines that you need to take and keep track of yourself.

___ Clothes: Two pair of long pants which are easy to move and run in, two long-sleeve shirts, and two undershirts (t-shirts and tank-tops should be tasteful, and noisy fabric should be avoided. ) 3-6 pair of underwear and socks. ( Two of the sock pairs need to be wool or synthetic material). Swimwear and a large, raggedy beach towel. One pair of shorts is plenty in addition to your swim suit. Also bring polypropylene or wool or nylon/spandex long underwear bottoms and top.

Clothes: Fleece or wool pullover (pants are a plus, too) because wool and synthetic materials are the best rain gear - cotton is very comfortable but it is worthless when wet, and you'll find out that gortex and other plastics are waterproof, but they are loud, they don't breath well enough, and they pool water. Remember that it gets cold by the water, at higher elevations, and at night, even in the middle of the summer. Note that earth tone (greens, browns, etc.) clothes are best for camp skill games and they will increase chances of seeing wildlife.

Clothes: Synthetic or wool hat and thin gloves for warmth, and a hat for the sun, and hair ties if applicable. Please note that for all clothing of every kind, you should expect them to get very dirty. Campers staying over between camp weeks can do laundry on Saturday evenings. The natural color or patterned clothing is most important for the following camp weeks: Scouts, Canyons & Dunes, Tracking, Primitive Fishing, Hunter-Gatherers, Endangered Species, and the Ultimates. The clothing for cold conditions are especially important for the Alpine Hike, Scouts, Canyons & Dunes, Tracking, GeoVORG, Sailing, Survivors Side, Kayaking, Primitive Fishing, Endangered Species, and the Ultimates. Sunglasses and a sun hat are required for those who burn easily, and for all who are attending the Alpine Hike, Canyons & Dunes, Rock Climbing, GeoVORG, Search & Rescue, Sailing, and Kayaking.

Backpacks & Luggage: If you are attending the Youth Mentoring CIT, Canyons & Dunes, Alpine Hike, Rock Climbing, GeoVORG, Advanced Tracking, Sailing, Kayaking, or Endangered Species, you need to be able to easily carry and pack all gear in a large backpack, with your sleeping bag and pad secured tightly to it. Those attending other camps can pack normally, such as in a big duffle bag, but still be able to carry everything in one load 200 yards from our parking area to your sleeping quarters.

___ Tent with a rain fly and zip-up screen if you have one, a sleeping bag, and a sleeping pad underneath for comfort and warmth. Brothers and sisters may camp together, but otherwise, we will separate boys and girls under the supervision of an appropriate instructor. They will also be grouped by age. Also, if you want, bring your preferred, non-toxic (that means not Deet unless that’s the only thing that you think works for you) bug lotion, not the spray kind. Look for Citronella lotion and other natural products, if possible. We do provide this in our camp store as well.

___ Two comfortable pair of outdoor shoes or boots, and a pair of thin sole shoes or aqua socks for swimming and stalking. Please make sure you have broken them in well in advance to avoid common blisters. Waterproof hiking boots are required for the following camp weeks: Alpine Hike, Pioneering, Canyons & Dunes, Rock Climbing, Tracking, GeoVORG, Wild Foods & Fire, Survivor’s Side, Primitive Fishing, Hunter-Gatherers, Endangered Species, and the Ultimates.

Lost & Found Policy: If you leave it at camp, it will be picked up by charity. We do not have staff to package and send home forgotten items. To help avoid loosing things, please put your name on every item you bring, and bring only what you need. For clothes, print your name on the tag. Go ahead and bring any small artwork tools if desired for drawing, carving, etc, and small musical instruments, like wooden flutes, rawhide drums, rattles, if desired. Leave all electronic devises and other distractions at home.

Wolf Camp - A Haven Of Physical & Emotional Safety: Please read these agreements for participation in camp. They are particularly important to ensure a safe, educational, and fun experience under challenging circumstances that are unique to the WolfCamp. Parents: please explain to your child that deciding to participate in Wolf Camp means agreeing to honor the experience as a safe haven for every person - physically and emotionally. Also, please help us best explain the following agreements by discussing them with your child in an age-appropriate manner consistent with your family values. Campers will also add agreements they wish the group to honor during the week, and instructors will have a few more details to add that will help make Wolf Camp fun and safe. Parents: please edit agreements for age appropriateness.

____I will remain within the designated boundaries during camp. The boundaries will be pointed out when we arrive at camp.
____I will go off by myself only with clear permission from my group leader. Otherwise, I will always be with a partner and make it known to my group leader our whereabouts.
____I will only enter water under clear direction from a lead camp instructor.
____I will respect the personal boundaries of others in camp, including bodies, belongings, and behavior that others may or may not witness. We will discuss appropriate sleeping, dressing, and bathroom situations at the start of camp.
____I will refrain from sharing any stories, jokes, or comments which are derogatory toward others in camp, toward groups of people in the outer world, or toward sacred themes such as bodily function, including human reproduction. Also, all participants agree to discuss only age-appropriate themes and behaviors around younger campers without instructor supervision.
____I will refrain from taking romantic or similar actions while participating in Wolf Camp.
____I will refrain from using drugs, including alcohol, from 24 hours before the day camp starts, until my last contact with any camp participant after camp is over. I will bring a written description of any prescribed medicines, including instructions for intake.
____I will respect the sensitive plants and animals in special areas during camp, and I will put nothing in my mouth that I don't know 100% that it won't cause illness or poisoning.
____I will always encourage others to rise to the challenge in every group activity.
____I will always watch out for the safety of every person in camp.

These agreements will be discussed the first day of camp to clarify them for participants, and campers will also add agreements they wish the group to honor during the week. Instructors will also have a few more details to add that will help make camp fun and safe.

Remember that deposits are not refundable unless your registration is not accepted. If you cancel after making any payment, you may receive a credit for a future program, minus a 25% administration fee of total payments made, in case of emergency. You will receive a full refund if your program is canceled and not rescheduled at a time that you can attend. Again, no refund (and not necessarily any credit) is given if a camper is inappropriate at camp.

Back to the Index of Overnight Youth Camps.


Employment: We only need instructors with experience running camps and teaching in the field of Earth Skills and Permaculture, including skills of Tracking, Primitive Artisanry, Herbalism, or Wilderness EMT training with real outdoor survival practice. If you would like experience as a teacher and learn skills of the Naturalist, Tracker, Herbalist, Scout, Hunter, Artisan, or Permaculture Pioneer, apply to become an instructor through our Earth Skills Teaching Apprenticeship. We are also seeking an additional permaculturist, herbalist, tracker, artisan, marketor, administrator, and custodian to invest in Wolf Camp during our transition into a workers cooperative. Click here to find out how you can invest as a worker-owner.

SITE MAP This site is updated periodically, but be sure to tell us if you find a missing link, erroneous information or other problem. Thanks!


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www.wolfcamp.com • email us • 425-248-0253
Wolf Camp • 1313 A 2nd St., Snohomish WA 98296