By Youth and Development Director Liz Cohen
This summer, over 600 children explored the Fells while attending Fells Forest Camp. Campers spotted deer, went in search of snakes and dragon flies, removed Japanese Knotweed with vigor, and got a close look at insects, frogs, and turtles. One of my favorite moments from this summer happened during lunch when someone noticed a spotted fawn. Campers and staff quietly huddled together, remaining calm and still, and as a group, we witnessed the sweet innocence of a baby deer. It was a beautiful moment that everyone experienced together, and for me, was a standout moment of the summer!
The goal of Fells Forest Camp is a simple one: to connect kids with nature. We hope that as our campers get older, they will fondly remember the friendships they made at camp, the animals they encountered, and the wonder they felt when discovering something new about the forest for the very first time. We hope that as our campers grow and mature, their joyful experiences at camp connecting to nature become lasting memories and spark a genuine desire to protect and advocate for the forest and all of earth’s natural environments.
Nurturing this connection to nature comes in many forms. We offer programs where kids use scientific observational skills to explore the forest and learn more deeply about ecosystems, habitats, insects and the interconnectedness of all living creatures. We offer art programming where campers use nature as inspiration for creating art. We also provide less structured programs where children spend time in the forest exploring and discovering the wooded trails on their own terms with the support of nurturing counselors. This unstructured time in nature is by far our campers’ most beloved aspect of camp. Even our most science-minded campers’ favorite part of the day is when they have time to explore and play in the forest. It is when the light bulbs go on, and children’s creative energy is sparked.
One counselor said, “My favorite part [of camp] was getting to see kids be creative and come up with their own games outside in the woods, because that’s exactly what kids their age should be doing.”
This summer, children built basketball hoops and seesaws from branches and sticks, designed makeshift storefronts where they sold and traded materials like acorns, and invented a sushi restaurant with written menus, waitstaff, and the cutest maki rolls I’ve ever seen, made from rocks, sticks, leaves, and rolled moss. When a group of children come together in the forest completely unplugged from technology, they play uninhibited, let their guard down, and become a part of something uniquely special.
“The Fells Forest Camp strikes the perfect balance between thoughtful programming and unstructured exploration. Our kids come home reconnected to nature and their local environment and with renewed confidence and independence.”
– 2025 Camp Parent
We also had a few “firsts” this summer.
We introduced camper t-shirts for the first time! It was incredibly cool to see campers arrive to camp in their colorful tees! As a bonus, selling the t-shirts via the fundraiser enabled us to keep the cost of the t-shirts down and we raised $683.85 for next year’s Camper Scholarship Fund. Overall, it was a huge success!
This summer’s Camper Scholarship Fund enabled 15 campers to attend camp, the largest number of scholarships we have been able to award since the start of the fund in 2023. We truly appreciate the families who donate every year at registration. Without these donations, the Camper Scholarship Fund would not be possible. It’s never too early to donate! Please consider making a donation for the 2026 summer season.
We also celebrated our first graduate of our CIT (Counselor in Training) joining our staff as a full-fledged camp counselor this summer! He was the first former camper and CIT to step into the counselor role and did a fantastic job!
We established the CIT program in 2024 with the goal of creating a pipeline for campers who have aged out of camp but who want to continue their journey as a counselor. The CIT program is designed to be a two-year leadership training where 13- and 14-year-olds learn the necessary skills to be a counselor at Fells Forest Camp. CITs participate in daily workshops and leadership activities, and spend time in camper groups, which provides hands-on learning opportunities and gives CITs a chance to practice the skills they have acquired. With the guidance of counselors and the CIT Coordinator, our CITs gain the skills, confidence, and a deeper understanding of what it takes to be a camp counselor. We are looking forward to deepening our camp culture and traditions next summer when more former campers, turned CITs, will become official counselors at Fells Forest Camp!