Author: Calla Craze

The month of April is all about showing  love to this beautiful planet we call home with Earth Day on April 22nd and Arbor Day on April 19th. At Camp… every day is Earth Day! It is hard not to take all of the  glorious natural beauty around us for granted throughout the summer. If you pause for a moment to think about the numerous natural spots and wildlife that are literally in our backyard for 6 weeks, it really is an unbelievable experience.

Earth Day and Arbor Day support environmental protection and celebrate nature, so many people use this time of year as an opportunity for tree-planting and litter-collecting events. At Camp Woodland we are fully immersed in nature from sun up to sun down. We co-exist with the wildlife of the north woods, enjoy peaceful walks through the climax forest, and explore different ecosystems and habitats all summer long. One cabin that fully embraced this love for our natural surroundings last summer was Sunnyside with the cabin theme of “We Speak for the Trees!” from the Lorax.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,

Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” – Dr. Seuss

In what ways did the sun shine for you this summer?

“I really liked making new friends! I got to knee board, so fun! I also loved my activities… I took a lot of things I can’t do at home.”

“I loved the food this year, I liked trying archery, and the banana boat was awesome!!”

“Never being bored and always having something to do. Also, YUMMY FOOD!!!”

“Sleeping in a cabin, passing two levels in archery within two weeks, and playing tether ball.”

“Playing with bunnies!”

“In all of my awesome activities: riflery, horseback riding, arts and crafts, rec. swim, and farm zoo.”

What was something that took you by surprise and was better than you imagined?

“Tennis, farm zoo, rec. swim, and being away from home.”

“Getting to trot on Rusty (best horse). Also getting on a knee board. Dan’s food is extremely good. Best cook ever (sorry mom and dad!!!)”

“Chicken pot pie, but only from camp.”

“When I started archery I thought that I was going to be really bad at it, but when I heard that my first round was my first qualifier I was confident I would be able to succeed.”

“I learned how to do a front walkover and the food.”

“Riflery!”

What was something you were able to do that you have not been able to do over the past year?

“Play tennis decently and do archery.”

“During tennis I could actually do my serve properly. I used to be very bad at them. I also got to sleep until 7:30 every morning. I also learned a little Spanish which is a pretty cool language.”

“Archery, swim, and just be with people.”

“Play tether ball. I had played once before, but didn’t succeed.”

“Front walkover, backwards roll, and holding a bunny.”

“Riflery, horseback riding, and farm zoo!”

What did you learn most about yourself?

“That I can make friends when I am myself.”

“That at camp I could do stuff I was always scared to do like holding a checken, riding, a horse, and riflery.”

“That complaining doesn’t help anything.”

“That I was wrong to be afraid of camp because I love it here.”

“I love bunnies!”

“I don’t like drama and trying new things won’t hurt.”

We have a saying that it doesn’t rain at Camp Woodland, it dews. Well, dew or shine, our girls sure know how to have fun! Our rainy day activities are so much fun, we crave them. There’s never a dull moment when we get to bundle up into our trusty rain boots and Woodland jackets to enjoy a camp Lip Sync contest or human treasure hunt.

One of our most iconic lip sync performances last summer was by the girls from Silverbirch to “The Circle of Life” from The Lion King. They went all out with designated baboon and lion costumes and had the crowd laughing and cheering the whole way through. Lip Sync contest was just one of the many memories these girls had to share from last summer

In what ways did the sun shine for you this summer?

Ella: My favorite things about camp are rifler, canteen, getting Camper of the Day, Lip Sync Contest, Song Contest, the French toast, and kneeboarding.

Katharine: Well, as always I got to ride every day here and I love the horses soooo much. We are also bubbled so we don’t have to worry about covid.

Sophie: Meals, having fun cabin nights, activities, riding in the speedboat, playing games with everyone, and passing levels in swimming!

Vale: Archery, sailing, and my friends.

Taylor: Activities and making friends.

Amalia: All the games, the people, and everything there is.

Sami: I like horseback riding, farm zoo, and arts and crafts the most because they speak to me. I also found a baby catfish.

Alix: The animals, kneeboarding, and tubing.

Mariana: Everything!

Libby (Live-In CIT): My friends always making me feel better when I was feeling down.

What was something that took you by surprise and was better than you imagined?

Ella: Kneeboarding took me by surprise and was better than I imagined. Riflery, swim lessons, and riding were the same.

Katharine: Honestly, when we were doing rotations farm zoo wasn’t boring like I thought it would be and Parker is the best.

Sophie: Archery because I have never done it before and I am glad that I love it a lot! Also swimming even though some days I don’t want to do it, I am glad I do.

Vale: Archery

Taylor: Definitely the food.

Amalia: The camp food.

Sami: Fish Friday, because it looked and tasted like chicken nuggets.

Alix: Kneeboarding and tubing!

Mariana: How they handled covid.

Libby (Live-In CIT): Being a Line-In and living with my campers was so fun and I got to know them better.

What was something you were able to do that you have not been able to do over the past year?

Ella: Ride a horse and have the space and time to run around and be a little crazy.

Katharine: Archery and sailing because I love doing those things, but I don’t have an archery range or a sailboat near my house.

Sophie: I gained confidence in myself in riding and just getting better at everything that was new.

Vale: Riflery

Taylor: Socialize and go to a summer camp.

Amalia: Back handsprings, water ski, have a hug candy bar every day for canteen.

Sami: I am learning how to sleep knowing there are spiders around.

Alix: Kneeboarding! Obviously, I really like kneeboarding.

Mariana: Socializing.

Libby (Live-In CIT): All my activities (ex: riflery) and Coed Show! and seeing all my best friends.

What did you learn most about yourself?

Ella: I need to branch out and try more new things at home. I also learned that being away from the people I know is okay because I will make new friends and find new people that I can say I know.

Katharine: I learned that I need to be confident in order to do anything well and that I should be more enthusiastic.

Sophie: That when things get tough to keep going and to keep having fun. Also, that I am more patient living with six girls and being the best person that I can be.

Vale: That I am really caring.

Taylor: That I can accomplish anything if I’m positive about it and don’t give up after not succeeding at first.

Amalia: I don’t like to swim.

Sami: I have learned that I know how to handle baby chicks.

Alix: I love water stuff.

Mariana: I didn’t forget to speak 😊 (at all).

Libby (Live-In CIT): It is important to have a support system with people that are going through the same thing as you.

If this photo doesn’t scream “strong women,” I don’t know what does! We like to think that the ‘W’ of Woodland always represents the girls who leave camp a little (or a lot!) stronger than they were before. As we honor the women in history who have blazed a trail before us, I can’t help but think of all of our strong, independent Woodland girls flourishing and blossoming into even stronger versions of themselves throughout the summer.

No one can outshine the girls of Starshine when it comes to being true to yourself and giving every experience your all. These ladies really know how to take charge, tackling new goals and accomplishments every step of the way. They have really been working on honing their skills in activities and developing as leaders to the younger campers by demonstrating their focus, drive, and determination everyday.

In what ways did the sun shine for you this summer?

Sydney: I love all the people at camp and I love pushing myself to do stuff. I love all of the activities and Sunday games too.

Mariana: I have been having one of my best summers! Everything has been amazing until now and I’m pretty sure it will stay like that until the end of the summer.

Delia: Being able to try new things, but also do activities I have always loved.

Lizzy: This year my favorite things were Riflery and all the new experiences and conversations I’ve had with people I’ve known in the past and people I just met this year.

Lou: I loved getting to know people more. I also loved learning lots in my activities.

Carlota: Trying new activities, getting along with everyone, and having a great time with my cabin.

Caroline: Hanging out with all of the girls and getting to do all of the 6 week activities like Olympics and Woodland Fair.

Ivana: My favorite things were Archery, the people at camp, and knee boarding in the lake.

What was something that took you by surprise and was better than you imagined?

Sydney: Something that took me by surprise was the sailing program. It has been amazing this year and I learned so much.

Mariana: Going to the bog/moss garden. I thought it was going to be boring, but it was super fun! You jump, talk, play… I loved it and I’m so happy that I did try it. I don’t regret it.

Delia: Doing the first week with just my cabin. I thought would be confusing and hard, but it helped us bond.

Lizzy: Before camp I was worried about not getting along with my cabin mates, but I haven’t fought with anyone in my cabin and everyone was kind to me and others.

Lou: I won my first race I skippered and I had so much fun!

Carlota: The rotation week because I tried new things that I ended up loving and learning a lot.

Caroline: I wasn’t sure how confident I would be on a horse because I didn’t ride for 2 years, but I’ve been doing really well!

Ivana: That the food is really good and the lake is really cold.

What was something you were able to do that you have not been able to do over the past year?

Sydney: I haven’t been able to sail or swim everyday in a lake, which are both things that I love to do.

Mariana: Wakeboarding! I have never tried it except for here at camp. I tried it for a couple days and I have been advancing very well. My record so far is going halfway around the lake.

Delia: I was able to do sail race and just regular sailing. I don’t get to sail at home so that’s why I love it so much at camp.

Lizzy: This year I was able to pass levels that I’ve been trying to pass for a long time like, level 5 and kneeling in Riflery.

Lou: I was able to reconnect with people I hadn’t talked to in a while. I was able to reconnect with my favorite activities as well.

Carlota: I was able to do a lot of things like sail and shoot in Archery and Riflery.

Caroline: I haven’t gotten the chance to go sailing with my grandpa, so I’m soo glad I was able to here!

Ivana: Probably all of the activities and having to take care of yourself for almost everything.

What did you learn most about yourself?

Sydney: That I love trying new things and I love learning about things that I don’t know much about.

Mariana: That it’s ok if something doesn’t go how you expected it to the first time. If you keep doing it and trying to get better at it you will get better and you will be able to do it how you wanted to.

Delia: To not get frustrated with myself when things don’t go how I planned.

Lizzy: This year I learned that I am good at keeping my emotions under control even when I feel super down.

Lou: I learned that I have the most fun when I am not stressing about things.

Carlota: I learned to believe in myself, keep trying, and not give up.

Caroline: I learned not to rush things, but also not to procrastinate. If I rush myself or procrastinate I feel really overwhelmed and anxious, so I have to take my time on school work and everything else.

Ivana: That I can be really responsible, enthusiastic, and mostly positive every day.

February 28th was “National Set a Good Example Day,” which inspires us reflect on all of the extraordinary ways our girls learn this at camp.  From the time they wake up in the  morning to the sound of the Woodland bell, to the moment they fall asleep in their bunks at night after a busy day of activities, they are surrounded by staff and other campers leading by positive example.

There are role models surrounding and guiding them each step of the way as they stay in their summer home at Camp Woodland. There are a plethora of opportunities to learn healthy, productive and favorable habits by observing, listening, interacting and practicing what they see.  These girls are encouraged to live by their “good examples” and to be a positive force in all aspects of not only what they do at camp, but also what they do at home, in school and for their communities.

The young leaders from Driftwood are no exception to these principles. They have grown into some of the best role models for our younger campers and embody all things Camp Woodland. They jumped right in to their activities with passion and enthusiasm and are always willing to lend a helping hand. This fun loving, tight knit group of girls had a lot of memories to share from their most recent summer at Camp Woodland, and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next summer when they officially join the CIT program!

In what ways did the sun shine for you this summer?

Bri: Getting to meet the girls in my cabin, make new friends, meet all of the amazing counselors, try new activities, gain new skills, pass levels, play amazing CIT games, host camper council, go to a TP exchange, and have an amazing social!

Megan: I liked that we got to try new things and that we got to be creative.

Maya: Meeting all the new people, shooting riflery and learning a lot about the rifles and how to maintain them, seeing friends I have not seen in forever, and learning that I love playing tennis!

Lindsey: My favorite things were getting to do my activities, meeting new people, and trying new things. I also loved the food. I loved getting to try things I can’t normally do at home.

Isabella: I loved all of my activities this year, and I had far more opportunities this year than last year.

Tess: Every one of my activities brought me so much joy this summer. I also absolutely loved getting to see all my friends who sow me everyday that they care about me as much as I care about them.

What was something that took you by surprise and was better than you imagined?

Bri: All of the people here being so nice and caring, as well as the incredible food! I was also surprised how I actually got to be a Pre-CIT and help out the actual CITs and counselors with the games and activities!

Megan: Riding. I thought that I was going to be really bad at it, but I was better than I thought.

Maya: Having a smaller cabin. I was sad a lot of my close friends were not coming back, but it gave me time to meet all of the new campers and get closer with the people in my cabin.

Lindsey: Actually going out and approaching people. I was nervous about whether I should talk to people and once I did I met some really nice people.

Isabella: I’ve improved a lot in tennis and riflery, and the P-CIT surprise was fun too.

Tess: I never imagined that I would get so much better at skiing or riding. I also didn’t expect Driftwood being such a small cabin to be as fun as it was.

What was something you were able to do that you have not been able to do over the past year?

Bri: I was FINALLY able to not wear a mask! Also, it was so cool to be able to go to a summer camp again!

Megan: Riding. Where I live there are not many barns so it was nice to ride again.

Maya: Shoot a gun! I love how I can set personal goals for myself in riflery and have fun at the same time. Shooting is something I can’t do at home, which makes coming back to camp 100 times better because you can do new or fun things that you can’t elsewhere.

Lindsey: Socialize, I tried swimming again.

Isabella: Of course, riding horses and sailing boats is something I don’t get to do at home. I’ve also been doing more physical activity every day, which is good.

Tess: Literally every single one of my activities are things I cannot do at home. I also got to hug all my friends which I missed last year.

What did you learn most about yourself?

Bri: That I really like teaching all the girls and helping when needed! It’s helped me know that I wouldn’t mind being a music teacher one day!

Megan: That when I am around supportive people I try new things that I am normally scared to do.

Maya: Saying “no” to people, younger or older, can be difficult, but super important in many situations. So pretty much to put myself as first priority instead of being last priority.

Lindsey: I do better in archery than I first expected. I learned that I might have acid reflux. I learned how to be a role model to other girls.

Isabella: I’m now 95% certain that I am in fact an introvert.

Tess: I worry too much If I live in the moment more then I have a good time and don’t freak myself out as much. I need to trust that things will work out.

New year, new you! Hey, did you know It’s Cool to be YOU in 2022? Camp is all about growth and becoming your best self through new  experiences and relationships that can’t be found anywhere else. No one experiences a summer of firsts like our littlest campers, so we thought it would be fitting to share some of their thoughts on summer 2021 this month.

In what ways did the sun shine for you this summer?

Maggie: Getting camper of the day made me feel GREAT! But Lip Sync was so fun!

Lia: Lip Sync Contest because we won 3rd place and we made up a dance. The bog because it was bouncy.

Morgan: Going to the aqua trampoline, Olympics, gymnastics, Chaos and Destruction (the goats).

Roberta: Going on the aqua trampoline and heeling on the sailboat.

Clara: I learned a lot of new things and made new friends I had lots of fun and loved my counselors.

Masyn: Riding is so fun and I love swimming too.

Allyson: Arts and Crafts and Farm Zoo.

Olivia: Canoe trip and aqua trampoline.

Aria: When I first sailed, went around the lake on the knee board for the first time, meeting my cabin mates, and going to the aqua trampoline.

Amelia (CIT): Sail Race, my campers, teaching campers how to water ski, Coed Show.

What was something that took you by surprise and was better than you imagined?

Maggie: I thought I was going to be stuck in level 3, but I passed to level 4.

Lia: Fish Friday!

Morgan: My friend Maggie, Coco and Chanel (the dogs), sailing, and passing out of levels 3 and 4 in swimming.

Roberta: The aqua trampoline!

Clara: I did a handstand and a cartwheel and tried trotting.

Masyn: Drama is fun too because you get to do plays and do lights and make the background.

Allyson: The cabins

Olivia: The Aqua Tramp had a blob and the Canoe Trip because I haven’t camped in a while.

Aria: Olympics, aqua trampoline, Camp Birthday, clothesline.

Amelia (CIT): Something that took me by surprise was how close I became with my cabin group (2nd years).

What was something you were able to do that you have not been able to do over the past year?

Maggie: Archery, a round off, and trying new foods.

Lia: A cartwheel.

Morgan: Tennis, canoe, soccer, and Olympics.

Roberta: A front limber in gymnastics.

Clara: Archery and horseback riding.

Masyn: Tennis, dance, gymnastics, and riflery.

Allyson: Archery

Olivia: Front limber with the roller at gymnastics.

Aria: Sleeping in a cabin with friends.

Amelia (CIT): See my friends, forget about COVID, sail, etc…

What did you learn most about yourself?

Maggie: I can swim better than I thought I could.

Lia: That my ear hurts easily.

Morgan: Surviving in a cabin and don’t leave your buddy tag up.

Roberta: That I am a good sister.

Clara: I learned I liked stuff that I never thought I would have.

Masyn: In riding we learned how to begin to trot and go around the poles.

Allyson: That I am brave and strong!

Olivia: Never keep your buddy tag up unless you are swimming.

Aria: I can be very patient.

Amelia (CIT): I am resilient and a great leader.