Here it is. The last report from GPC’s 2019 NextGen Outdoor Camp. Be sure to tune in next year for more Words from the Woods! It was a whirlwind summer for NextGen Outdoor Campers. We rode bikes, horses, and waves. We picked plums, pulled ivy, and plotted the slope of Lions Park Beach. We learned…
Howe Farm Park Stewardship: Success in Four Parts!
Photos taken by Claire Voris The boardwalks leading to Salmonberry Creek at Howe Farm Park had met their match. The contender? A family of beavers and their dam. Beavers are quite prolific in this section of Salmonberry Creek. Their dam spans the width of the creek and has forced the waters and mud to rise…
Words from the Woods: from ponies to tide-pools
A few impactful words from NextGen Outdoor Camp’s Outdoor Education Specialist Skyler Schmidt. Skyler is a Washington native who spends his off-season teaching elementary school in Pacific Beach, and his summers teaching NextGen students how to embrace the wild places of his home state with confidence. Skyler, aka “Geoduck,” has a special talent for creating…
Words from the Woods: summer harvest
NextGen Outdoor Camp is beyond lucky to have Evergreen College grad Breanne Johnston interning with us this summer. Breanne aspires to teach middle-school history, and is using the summer to work closely with professional teachers Lauren Richardson and Skyler Schmidt to learn how to navigate our dynamic outdoor classroom, and to design curriculum that will…
Words from the Woods: a letter of thanks
NextGen Outdoor Camp students have the privilege of meeting with some phenomenal mentors this summer. These individuals have given of their time and resources to create impactful experiences for NextGen students that reflect GPC’s mission: to get students outside and provide them with the recreational and educational opportunities that will allow them to appreciate their…
Words from the Woods: for the next generation
Outside the Suquamish House of Awakened Culture, Denita Holmes sits on her knees gently sifting through strips of red cedar that rustle like paper as they settle on the lawn. She’s collected the cedar herself, and describes to the small group of NextGen Outdoor Camp students what that process entails. The tree must be at…
