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- You Should See Our Museum Exhibition That's Making a Splash!
- Wobbly Legs After 421 KMs
- 'Cool - Snakes!'
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Camp Kawartha's Summer Camp is on Display! |
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Through start up pains, a world-wide economic depression, a world war, a Cold War, huge technological changes, a pandemic, and now climate change, the Summer Camp program has been a constant. 100 years (1922-2022) of children and youth experiencing the thrill of a canoe trip, learning to do a decent backstroke, learning about trees, animals, and insects, developing self-confidence and self-esteem as well as friendships – it’s been a magical ride for thousands upon thousands of summer campers!
We are delighted to let you know that we are acknowledging this amazing anniversary with an exhibition at the Peterborough Museum and Archives! They generously gave us an exhibition space and we filled it with pictures and stories!
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The exhibition, “Camp Kawartha: Making a Splash for 100 Years”, is up and will run until December 4th.
Be sure to drop by if you get a chance – it’s a great way to celebrate the Camp and to trace its evolution into an award-winning camp, outdoor and environmental centre. It is also an opportunity to learn about some of its fascinating history. Did you know there was a baby born at the Camp?! Did you know the Camp was almost sold to developers?! Did you know the Camp has earned more than 20 awards for its summer camp program as well as advancing environmental stewardship?
Leave us a memory at our Memory Station once you’ve had a look. You can add your story to the next exhibition in 2122!
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Kudos to the Environment Council Volunteers |
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We send out a huge thank you to the volunteers of the Environment Council of Clear, Stoney and White Lakes!
Jackie Hodge, Trish Jamieson, Brenda Bunker, Rosemary Addison, Ted McLaren, and Lois Wallace
They have been amazing, devoting hours to the upkeep of the sunny slope garden and the woodland garden which were both installed by volunteers back in 2019 and 2020.
Those gardens are used to teach children and area cottagers (and the just plain curious) about the benefits of naturalizing a shoreline to protect not only shoreline habitat, but also water quality and water habitats!
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And those gardens are thriving, even though a major storm (called a Derecho) blew through, and we’ve had torrential rains over the summer! They are a testament to the effectiveness of shoreline naturalization with native plants!
A special thanks to Lois Wallace of the Environment Council for her recruitment and organization of the volunteers. She leads by example and has spent hours devoting herself to the removal of unwanted weeds and arranging for tours and information sessions!
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Teachers, Group Leaders - Consider a Winter Visit |
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It seems everyone wants to get in for a school visit or a group visit in September and October!
But there is much to be said for other months too! Consider November, or January, February, or March. This is an amazing time to explore the natural world from a different perspective…from the beauty and freshness of winter!
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Our cabins are heated and with proper clothing and dressing in layers, you can have an amazing time in this crisp and beautiful season. Gather round the fire for a nighttime sing-along or venture out for some star gazing. Whatever you choose your day (and night) will be filled with the magic that is winter.
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Wobbly Legs and All - It was a fantastic ride for the planet! |
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Glen Caradus and Nick Ormond did it! They completed their 421 kilometre, 18-hour bicycle ride to raise awareness about climate change. They staggered off their bikes, tired but happy at having accomplished such a monumental undertaking!
The ride started at the Rowan Tree Children’s School on Monaghan Road in Peterborough and ended up at the Camp. To reach their goal they had to maintain a 25 km/h speed – with just a few breaks.
Each kilometre represented one of the 421 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world needs to ensure carbon emissions are less that 450 parts per million to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
“I have a four-year-old son and I’m always thinking about his future.” Said Glen. “We did this for the kids, along with the climate.”
A special part of the ride was the request for donations to support the work of Camp Kawartha and Rowan Tree! To date, Camp Kawartha has received over $1,800.00 which we will direct towards environmental initiatives.
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Year End Giving: Help Us Finish Strong |
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It seems around here that everyone’s attention has turned to Thanksgiving. Discussions lately have centered on family get-togethers, special meals, touch football games, and other traditions. It is almost hard to believe that 2022 is in fact winding down.
With that in mind, you might be considering your end of year donation plans and we ask you to keep the Camp in those plans. Our mission of fostering stewardship is needed now more than ever. You can be part of helping children (and adults) discover practical ways to foster a greener future and to help connect them to our beautiful natural world…and each other!
You can make a one-time annual gift prior to midnight on December 31st, or you might want to consider becoming a monthly donor throughout 2023 to spread your payments over months rather paying all at once. Either way, it’s as simple as visiting our website.
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If you would like to discuss with us where you can invest your funds, please reach out to Jacob Rodenburg – jrodenburg@campkawartha.ca – and find out about our Renewal Program (tree planting), our Subsidy Fund (for both Summer Camp and Outdoor Education Classes), and our Building Fund (replacing Poplar Cabin which was destroyed).
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It's Time to Book Your School Visit! |
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Join us at the Environment Centre this year for a day visit that will engage your students and bring learning to life!
Our day visits offer a variety of programs to choose from that utilize hands-on exploration, experiments, storytelling, drama and games, that tie into your classroom learning and meet requirements from the Ontario Curriculum.
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Registration is OPEN for Nature School Programs |
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In our Environment Centre Nature School, we strive to foster the development of character and friendships, a deep respect for nature, and a desire to take care of our beautiful home – the Earth. We learn through Outdoor Skills, Nature Studies, Sensory and Awareness Activities, Games, Imaginative Play, Exploration, Arts, Projects, and plenty of time immersed in direct experience of Nature in all conditions
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Mike and Jeremy, our Maintenance Team, were recently erecting our new tipi out on The Range. After much discussion about erecting such a large structure, they got to work and had the framework up in no time. The canvas was put on the next day. To hold the base in place they utilized some large rocks, and to their surprise and delight found these little guys hiding under one of those rocks.
These are red-bellied snakes and as with most snakes in Ontario, they are harmless (the only snake in Ontario that is venomous is the Massassauga Rattlesnake which is found only up by Georgian Bay and the Bruce Peninsula).
Look at the picture closely and you will see the variety of colours – each snake is slightly different. Also known as the fire-snake, often this small reptile has a bright red stripe along its belly, however, they can be pink or orange in colour. This snake often has light spots on the neck, which may form a ring. The chin and neck are often off-white in colour.
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Red-bellied snakes mate mostly in spring and sometimes during the fall. Like garter snakes, the females incubate their eggs inside their body and give birth in late summer to between 4 and 14 live youngsters. Newborn snakes are about 7 to 10 centimeters in length. It takes about two years for them to become adults.
Active at night, red-bellied snakes eat small invertebrates such as earthworks, slugs, larvae, centipedes, and millipedes. They help to control those insects that eat plants from our gardens. When threatened, they flatten themselves, expose their bright coloured belly and curl the edges of their mouth outward to expose their tiny teeth. It’s a unique response! These snakes are both beautiful and harmless.
These four are probably not very old. They were as startled as Mike and Jeremy when they were exposed. They slithered off, no one the worse for wear.
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GREAT READS FOR ORANGE SHIRT DAY &
NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH & RECONCILIATION
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Camp Kawartha is an accredited, award-winning, not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to the promotion of the highest standard of programming, with a particular focus on outdoor environmental awareness, outdoor and environmental education and stewardship. Registered Charity # 12453 9214 RR0001
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705-652-3860 1-866-532-4597
info@campkawartha.ca
campkawartha.ca
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