|
HOME • CALENDAR
PHONE or EMAIL US
CONFIDENTIALITY:
Wolf Camp does not share
its database — period.
• Wolf College SITE MAP
• Wolf Camp SITE MAP
• Wolf Journey SITE MAP
|
| March 24-29 (2013) |
Artwork by Wolf Journey alumn Joanna Colbert.
|
 |
Course Goals:
The goal of this camp session is to work with the miraculous blossoming of springtime plants, plus witness the glory of resident and transitory birds during the annual spring migration. Skills covered during the course include, but are not limited to the following list, and are somewhat dependent on instructor preference and student readiness:
• Desert Tracking & Birding
• Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants
• Geology of the Columbia Basin
• Natural Navigation, Lostproofing & Orienteering
• Sensory Awareness & Stealthy Movement
• Cordage Making & Other Survival Crafts
• Drawing, Naturalist Journaling
• Desert Camping & Hiking
• Camp Cooking, Storytelling & Music
• Original Outdoor Skill Games
|
|
Artwork by Wolf Journey alumn Joanna Colbert.
|
|
Course Itinerary:
The itinerary during this course includes, but is not limited to the following list, and is somewhat dependent on weather, instructor discretion, student preference, and serendipity:
Sunday: 9:00 Optional Departure from Puyallup; 10:00 Optional Pickup at SeaTac Airport in Seattle; 11:00 Optional Pickup in North Bend; 12:00 Optional Lunch at the Sunset Cafe in Cle Elum; 1:00 Optional Wolf Trackers Training in the Teanaway Pack Territory; 5:00 Dinner at the Sunset Cafe in Cle Elum; 6:00 Set Up Camp in the Teanaway Pine Forest; 7:00 Introductory Session; 9:00 Campfire Music & Stories
Monday: 7:00 Morning Bird Walk; 8:00 Breakfast; 9:00 Pine Forest Plant Harvest & Processing; 12:00 Drive to the Yakima Canyon for Lunch & Camp Set-Up; 3:00 Harvesting Hike in Umtanum Canyon; 6:00 Dinner; 7:00 Plant Processing; 9:00 Campfire Music & Stories
Tuesday: 7:00 Morning Vista Walk; 8:00 Breakfast; 9:00 Nature Hike deep into Umtanum Canyon; 1:00 Lunch at Secret Cave Site; 2:00 Plant Restoration Hike Back; 6:00 Pack & Depart for Dinner in Ellensburg; 7:00 Drive to Sun Lake State Park Campsite; 8:00 Camp Set-Up & Showers; 9:00 Campfire Music & Stories;
Wednesday: 7:00 Morning Bird Walk; 8:00 Breakfast; 9:00 Dry Falls Museum & Nature Hike; 12:00 Drive to Potholes Sand Dunes for Lunch & Camp Set-Up; 2:00 Animal Tracking & Plant Harvesting; 6:00 Dinner; 7:00 Plant Processing; 9:00 Nighttime Dunes Sit;
Thursday: 7:00 Morning Tracks Walk; 8:00 Breakfast; 9:00 Sand Dunes Nature Hike; 1:00 Lunch Break; 2:00 Return Harvesting & Restoration Hike; 6:00 Dinner; 7:00 Plant Processing; 9:00 Campfire Music & Stories
Friday: 7:00 Morning Tracks Walk; 8:00 Breakfast & Packing; 9:00 Birding Drive along Hanford Reach to Toppinish; 12:00 Lunch at Yakima Museum; 2:00 Wild Horses Hike; 5:00 Departure from Toppinish; 6:00 Dinner & Departure from Ellensburg; 8:00 North Bend Drop-Off; 9:00 Puyallup Drop-Off
Saturday: Optional Drop-Off at SeaTac Airport in Seattle
|
Chris & Kim in the desert. 2009.
|
|
Course Instructors & History:
This session's lead instructors will be Kim & Chris Chisholm.
• This course takes place in the same locations as our very first overnight camp week which took place in the spring of 1998.
|
|
GENERAL INFO, HEALTH/SAFETY, FOOD & FAQs
• Air/Bus/Driving Choices
• Tuition & Registration: Download & Send Form; by Phone; or Use PayPal
• How to Prepare & What to Pack;
• Agreements for Participation;
Join us as we share these exciting, critical skills of the Naturalist, Tracker, Herbalist, Scout, Hunter, Artisan & Pioneer. It's time to relearn these earth skills which almost went extinct in the past century, in order to apply their lessons to our modern society, helping the world live in balance. Testimonials from past participants will help you understand how we strive to nurture the growth and success of everyone, while providing the rarest of positive experiences. Register for as many weeks as you like this year!
Health, Safey & Food: Our highly seasoned, dynamic instructors place the health of our students as top priority, and we enjoy a stellar stafety record since founder and lead instructor Chris Chisholm (BA, EMT, Youth Specialist CDC II) started offering programs in 1996. We have always maintained an intimate 6-1 or smaller ratio of campers-instructors, with lead instructors driving vans who average age 35, accompanied by assistant instructors averaging age 21. All staff receives training in risk management, wilderness first aid, and the pedagogy of earth skills education. During summer courses, food is purchased organic, cultivated in our gardens, or harvested in the wild, making for wonderful meals that we all prepare together. In addition, we make all necessary accommodation for vegans and vegetarians, pork-free religious traditions, and of course food allergies.
All camp 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 our main cell phone directly whenever you like during camp, while campers can use our cell phones to freely call home as much as they need during the time they are with us.
Youth Camps FAQs Page is being developed.
PICK-UP, DROP-OFF and AIRPORT/BUS/DRIVING OPTIONS
Arrival Options on Sunday:
Complimentary Cle Elum Arrival Option: Meet us at the Sunset Cafe in Cle Elum, WA on Sunday for an introductory dinner from 5:00-6:00 p.m. after which we will depart to our campsite.
$25 Cle Elum Wolf Trackers Training Arrival Option: Meet us at the Sunset Cafe in Cle Elum, WA on Sunday for lunch from 12:00-1:00 and participation in our Wolf Trackers Training taking place during the afternoon.
$50 North Bend Arrival Option: Meet us in the Safeway parking lot across from Starbuck's on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. and travel over the mountains with us to participate in our afternoon Wolf Trackers Training before this week's course starts in the evening.
$75 SeaTac Arrival Option: Book your Airport/Bus/Train Arrival into Seattle-Tacoma on Sunday morning in time to meet our pick-up vehicle which departs at 10:00 a.m. on the dot, but be sure to call or email us with arrival times before confirming your plans. Meet around 9:30 at baggage claim unless unaccompanied minor, then at gate or unaccompanied minor waiting area. Travel over the mountains with us to participate in our afternoon Wolf Trackers Training before this week's course starts in the evening.
$75 Puyallup Arrival Option: Meet us at the Wolf Campus in Puyallup on Sunday at 8:00 a.m. to help us finish packing and travel over the mountains with us to participate in our afternoon Wolf Trackers Training before this week's course starts in the evening.
Departure Options on Friday-Saturday:
Toppinish Departure Option: Depart from the Yakima Museum in Toppinish, WA at 5:00 p.m.
$25 Friday Ellensburg Departure Option: Have dinner wth us in Ellensburg and depart at 7:00 p.m.
$50 Friday North Bend Departure Option: Have dinner with us and travel over the mountains before getting dropped off in North Bend at 8:00 p.m.
$75 Friday Puyallup Departure Option: Depart from the Wolf Campus in Puyallup on Friday at 9:00 p.m. after participants travel back home with us.
$100 Saturday Puyallup Departure Option: Participants can travel back to the Wolf Campus and stay overnight with us in Puyallup, where the latest departure time is at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Please let us know at what time you plan to pick-up / depart on Saturday morning.
$125 Saturday SeaTac Departure Option: Participants can travel back to the Wolf Campus and stay overnight with us in Puyallup, and then get dropped off at the Airport/Bus/Train Station in Seattle-Tacoma anytime on Saturday. Drop-off at security unless unaccopanied minor, then at gate, but again, be sure to call or email us with flight times before confirming your plans.
The cost for our Birds & Buds of Dunes & Canyons durins spring break is $605 if you register by June 5th, $620 if you register by September 5th, $635 if you register by November 5th, $650 if you register by December 20th, $665 if you register by February 5th, $680 if you register by March 10th, and $695 thereafter if space remains available. Cumulative discounts of $20 are given per additional family member, $20 cumulative discounts for additional camp weeks, $20 off for referring any new family who registers someone for the course, and $20 if you use your own vehicle throughout the week. $175 per week per participant deposit plus optional van transportation fee described above is required to hold your spot.
Additional Fees: See below for optional transportation fees, and please check the gear you may need, and if you don't have health insurance which is required, we can help you arrange temporary insurance for the trip. Other than that, everything is covered besides your travel as described above.
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.
PACKING & PREPARING
After registering, we will send you a detailed program description, with directions on how to prepare, including a packing list. For week-long camps, we will also send a questionnaire for new campers to complete. 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.
Click Here to go to our Essay on How to Pack for Overnight Courses
Lost & Found Policy: If you leave it at camp, it will be picked up by charity unless you pick it up within one month. We do not send forgotten items home except in case of absolute emergency need. Again, to help avoid loosing things, please put your name on every item you bring, bring only what you need, and leave all electronic devices and other distractions at home.
AGREEMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION
A Haven Of Physical & Emotional Safety: Carefully 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 Wolf Camp experience. 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.
____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.
____I will follow additional rules specific to our group location. Examples include using appropriate footwear based on substrate hazards and type of activity, kitchen and sanitation rules, tool safety, etc.
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.
Come Meet Us
Click for a link to the School Year Class Series for your next opportunity to experience our welcoming educational style.
To register, print out an application, call us or email with questions, and we'll send you all the details.
|
