Ancestral Survival Arts (ASAP) - Woods Wisdom

All Day Major • Ages 8-12

Ruth Ann Colby, Pam MacDonald

This class will immerse students in the landscape to learn through play - games that awaken the senses and hone awareness while cultivating a cooperative community experience. We will explore basic tracking, eat plants, make cordage, build shelters, practice fire building skills, experience camouflage, study natural hazards, and learn other wood’s wisdom that captivates student’s interests. The focus of this class will be to learn experientially as we rediscover our innate woods wisdom and deepen our relationship with ourselves, one another and the earth.

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SurvivalConcentric DesignMajor
Ancestral Survival Arts (ASAP) - The Way of the Woods

All Day Major • Ages 10-14

David Ott, Pam MacDonald

This class will focus on deepening student’s knowledge and awareness of woods wisdom through more in-depth experience, exploration and play - games that also awaken the senses and hone awareness while cultivating a cooperative community experience. Students will learn bowdrill (friction fire technique), build shelters, create cordage from raw materials, practice ancestral weaponry, explore tracking (compression shapes and gaits), while immersing themselves in the woods of the farm with awareness practices and games. We Will learn natural camouflage & rely on the interdependence of the class community as we learn how to stalk animals and move across the landscape with minimal disturbance.

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SurvivalConcentric DesignMajor
Ancestral Survival Arts Program(ASAP) - Way of the Woods Protectors

All day major Ages 13-18

Shannon Thomas, Pam McDonald

This class is for students who have participated in the basic Ancestral Survival Arts Program and want to fine tune old skills based on their interests. Each day will comprise part of the day working on hard skills based on group interest, with options such as tracking (cluster tracking, drawing tracks), fire build(bowdrill, etc.) shelter creation, cordage and advanced textile arts (quadbraid, finger weaving), traps, edible and medicinal plants and advanced camouflage. The second part of the day will be immersive practice in applying multiple skills simultaneously, such as awareness practice and games, stalking through the woods while in camouflage and practicing ancestral weaponry OR tracking and trailing in teams while blindfolded. The fun and flow of theis class will be dictated by student interest & initiative!

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Nature, SurvivalSharon OberyMajor
Budding Artists

Pee Wee • Ages 5-7

Amy Schroeder

In this class, students will create our very own masterpieces, trek though nature and explore science in the outdoors. We will use clay, paint, and other art materials to create art. Join us as we explore the marsh, forest, and trails on this exciting adventure. Gear up for a week of games, play-based learning, and fun while we capture the beauty around us!

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Nature, Science, ArtSharon OberyPee Wee, Major
The Camp Musical

Ages 8-14

Daisy Fritz

This year campers will learn, rehearse and perform in the world premier of Sir Andre Lloyd Webber’s “Cats!” Students will learn audition skills before auditioning and being cast in a musical production that will be performed at the end of the week. Throughout the class students will learn and develop skills in music, improvisation and acting. This class will be an all-day major Tuesday, Thursday and Friday – so students will only have minors on Monday and Wednesday. STUDENTS MUST BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN FRIDAY EVENING PERFORMANCE!

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PerformanceConcentric DesignMajor
Clay Creations

Ages 10+

Ella Brown Dunn

Students will experience various techniques specific to clay with both guided and free expression time as well. Students will leave with a foundation of how to make both sculptural as well as functional ceramic art this is glaze fired. All experience levels are welcome!

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ArtConcentric DesignMajor
Coyote Warriors Standard

All Day Major • Ages 13 -17

Luke McNally, Damion Schierer, Luke Scalise

More than a game, Coyote Warriors builds upon a foundation of
athletics to teach young people about teamwork, conflict, work ethic,
awareness and maintaining a healthy mind and body. This course is
about building confidence in teens. By facing hard work and struggle
in a fun environment, we equip students with tools to better prepare
for work and school beyond nature’s classroom. Coyote Warriors relies
upon an ancestral understanding of team sports blended with modern
science and a hint of the spiritual. It is a chance to escape the
contemporary world, examine ourselves in nature, and return to the
challenges of modern life with new training for adulthood. These lofty
ideals are achieved from the ground up, starting from a foundation of
running and team rivalry. Please note, scholarships are not available
for this class.

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Survival, NatureConcentric DesignMajor
Coyote Warriors Young Adult Advanced Class

Ages 18+

Luke McNally, Damion Scheirer, Luke Scalise

Building upon the principles of Coyote Warriors, the advanced class offers young adults a  chance to continue their Coyote Games experience, while engaging in more complex challenges including leadership, acts of service, and planning for their adult life. Facing a period of major transition, young adults will benefit from developing their professional interests,  collaborative discussions about continuing education, and finding and vetting professional mentors. In addition to playing doubleball, activities will include learning from other Art & Science in the Woods instructors, advanced workouts, and cross-country travel around Blue Heron Farm. Participants will take field trips to the marsh and old growth forest, conduct acts of service in benefit of their fellow Campers, and gain training and hands-on learning in the ecology, agriculture, and natural resource management of the farm.

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Culture, Nature, SurvivalSharon OberyMajor
Drawing & Sculpting from Nature

Ages 8 - 12

Sharon Bladholm

We will explore immediate diverse habitats, such as the woods, prairie, marsh and river. We’ll take our sketch books with us making nature notes and then return to our barn to explore the amazing forms and colors of nature. We will also work from a diverse set of scientific specimens including preserved turtles, frogs, fish, mud puppies, and crayfish We take them out of their jars and can get up close and personal using them as inspiration for both drawing, watercolors and sculptural work in self-hardening clay. We will also have other natural history specimens such as bones, skulls, dried plants, seeds and pods, and marine specimens to provide inspiration. Sharon will also weave stories of Amazonian explorations into her art instruction with lessons about biodiversity and conservation.

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Art, NatureConcentric DesignMajor
Fiber Arts in the Forest

Ages 10+

Julia Schwass

Students will use a variety of fiber arts with an emphasis on the importance of reducing pollution by repurposing materials from “trash” and using natural and non-polluting dyes. The class will learn about the power of the slow arts – not just as a technique, but as a philosophy that fosters patience, connection and mindfulness. Students will be encouraged to slow down, engage with their materials thoughtfully, and make something both beautiful and purposeful from the world around them. By the end of the week, students will have various projects to bring home and we will work on a class project together, often inspired by the class itself as their mindful moments often allow for expanded creativity!  Ages 10+

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ArtConcentric DesignMajor
Getting Familiar with Reptiles

Ages 8-12

Douglas Holmes

We will explore the Sun Foundation property, looking for native reptiles and amphibians. We will show you how to find and identify animals. We will discuss what they eat and how to take care of them. You’ll get to catch, touch and hold them. Plan to get hot, wet and dirty! Please make sure to wear clothes that are appropriate.  Class will be all day on Wednesday.

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Science, NatureConcentric DesignMajor
Motion Maps and Mayhem

Ages 7-12

Dellvenna Hambling

Spend the week learning about the physics of motion, moving your body through the woods using maps and magnets (compasses), and enjoying the general mayhem of camp! Campers will learn some bite sized physics lessons and be introduced to the art of land navigation with map and compasses. If you have a compass, please bring it.

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Science, NatureSharon OberyMajor
Mural, Mural, Mural!

Ages 8+

Adam Maas

In this class we will work on and complete a LARGE mural as a group. We will draw our inspiration from nature and the life around us using bright colors and vivid expressions that capture the artist/explorer in each of us. Get ready to get messy and creative and leave this class with the knowledge to make a painting of any size.

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Art, NatureConcentric DesignMajor
Mythological Forest Creatures

Ages 7–11

Gretchen Fitzpatrick

Have you ever wondered if fairies, gnomes, Bigfoot or other mythological creatures really exist? In this class we believe! Campers will spend the week exploring the many mythological creatures that live deep in the forest. Students will make art in clay, painting and found objects. They will also learn basic skills of tracking, camouflage and wild edible herbs through games and stories. Of course, camp wouldn’t be complete without some games, songs and creating a mythological creature of their own.

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Nature, Art, SurvivalConcentric DesignMajor
Nature Writing

Ages 13+

Annie Kelvie

First, we will make our own nature journals using a simple bookmaking technique. Then we will be off hiking into the various habitats of camp to explore and observe, using nature as inspiration for our own creative writing. We'll try out a variety of different prompts for poetry, stories, and creative non-fiction, all based on what we are seeing in the woods. Students will also have the opportunity to share their work at the end of the week!

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Art, NatureSharon OberyMajor