News from Camp: October 1, 2017
We are enjoying spectacular Indian Summer days here at camp. The golden Aspen are at their peak and are stunning against the bright blue sky. We’ve been spying on the herd of elk at Potts Spring and have also seen deer, porcupines, wild turkeys, bobcats, and, of course, the fat black Abert squirrels. Many of our summer birds have headed south and the year-round bird residents are beginning to show up at our feeders more regularly.
Our outdoor education program with sixth graders from District 20 in Colorado Springs has been underway since early-September. We also hosted a “No Child Left Inside” open house September 16 and were very happy to have many local families join us for a morning of hikes and nature-based activities led by our staff. We are very committed to doing everything we can to help young people connect with the natural world. The benefits are enormous—as Richard Louv, author of “Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder” says: “Children who have a personal connection with nature are happier, healthier, and smarter.”
The horses are grazing happily in Fishcreek where they are exceptionally appreciative of the lush green grass. They miss taking rides every day with their many friends but are already looking forward to next summer.
The office is a busy place, too! We are working on publications for this winter and keeping track of the flood of enrollments for next summer. The summer of 2018 will be our 70th and we are looking forward to sharing adventures, friendships and lots of fun. Many returning families have already enrolled, and additional enrollment information will be going out throughout the month of October. If you know of interested families, we’ll be happy to send our brochure. They can also request information from our website.
The COEC Board of Trustees will meet later this month. This dedicated group of camp alums meets twice each year to provide oversight and help to our Senior Leadership Team as we move forward to carry out our mission and implement our strategic plan. We are also excited to be making plans for our giant reunion next August 16-19, when many alums will join us to help us celebrate our 70th anniversary.
We hope you are having a fantastic Autumn!
