Camp Woodland Blog

“What a wondrous time is spring,

when all the trees are budding;

The birds begin to sing,

the flowers start their blooming…”

Every spring the first little taste of sunshine and greenery we get after a long dreary winter makes me long to be reacquainted with nature in my favorite place in the world… Camp Woodland.

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. Once we become unplugged from technology and heighten the awareness of our senses, you truly are able to see, hear, smell, and touch the abundance of nature in our summer home.

As a middle school science teacher I became aware that many of my students had limited exposure to nature. Spending every summer of my life at camp up north, it never occurred to me that others may not be as fortunate to have such a rich relationship with the outdoors. Many of my students never had a true close up encounter with a wild creature or have even REALLY seen the stars at night (with no city lights to impede the view).

It can be disarming to some when you first move into your little rustic cabin in the woods, but you soon grow accustomed to being surrounded by the tall pines, the sound of birds waking you up in the morning, and yes, even the occasional spider. There are so many peaceful nature spots that are part of our everyday camp life: Vespers Hill with an astonishing view overlooking the water, climax forest trails that are home to chipmunks and whitetail deer, Sand Lake where loons call to one another and bald eagles circle up high while on the hunt for their next meal, the moss garden with its pillow like floor, the spongy bog, and bright orange daylilies in front of the lodge that magically bloom in time for camp birthday… There are just too many to count!

Because a picture is worth a thousand words, I am going to let these stunning images speak for themselves.