Author Archives: Mass Audubon

Send Us Your Photos!

IMG_7787Did you take awesome pictures during your camp session at Wildwood? Have you ever wanted to be in our brochure? Now is your chance!

We are accepting submissions of photos taken at Wildwood to use in the 2015 program brochure. It can be of you, your friends, your IG or DG, the waterfront, a nature moment, or anything that you think captures the spirit of Wildwood.

Photo Requirements

  • Acceptable formats: .jpg, .png, .eps, .tiff
  • Size: >1 MB
  • The photo must have been taken on Wildwood property (Wildwood alumni may send photos from old locations—we love to see historic Wildwood!)
  • The person submitting the photo should be the photographer or parent/caretaker of the photographer.
  • By submitting your photo, you grant Mass Audubon permission to use the photo in our 2015 program brochure. Photos will not be used for any other purpose without further permission.

photo (35)How to Submit

Please send your photo(s) to Amanda Duggan at [email protected] and include

  • Photographer’s name
  • Year the photo was taken

Please note, photo submission does not guarantee placement in the brochure.

We can’t wait to see Wildwood through your eyes!

What Should I Pack for Camp?

The beginning of camp is only a few weeks away, which means it’s time to start packing! We recommend making a list ahead of time so you have time to find everything you need without forgetting the essentials.

Common Forgotten Items

  • Raincoat (a real one, NOT a cotton hoodie!)
  • Sunscreen
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Water bottle or canteen

Tips and Tricks

For some great tips on what to bring and how to pack efficiently, re-visit our post from last year: Amanda Packs for Camp. Former Administrative Coordinator Amanda Zoellner shared her strategies for packing, and they are just so helpful that we’re sharing them again!

Hey past campers, do you have any advice for new campers on how to pack for camp?

 

 

 

Sneak Peeks

This weekend was our last Open House, and we’re getting really excited for camp to start next month (can you believe it?)!

We had a great turn out of campers and families excited to see Wildwood for the first time, or visit again before camp begins. Chris and Welch led tours of the property, which was at peak beauty, thanks to the sunshine. Even the flora and fauna helped us show off, with trillium and bluets in bloom, and a newly hatched turtle, eastern newt, and red squirrel making appearances for our visitors.

Check out the Open House photos to get a sneak peek of camp from home. What are you looking forward to the most?

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Welcome Information For Wildwood Family Camp 1 & 2

We’re excited that we’ll see you at Family Camp soon, and we hope that you’re looking forward to your time with us. If you’ve not returned all your completed camp forms, please mail them to the Wildwood office in Lincoln, MA, immediately, or let us know that you’ll bring the completed forms with you to camp. (Don’t forget copies of your health insurance cards!) If you need a new copy of camp forms or the camp handbook, visit our website to download them. The handbook also contains a suggested packing list (p. 12) to assist you as you prepare for camp.

If you need driving directions to Wildwood, look in your camp handbook (p. 18), or get printable directions from our website. (Once you get to Rindge, NH, using a GPS or online directions is inadvisable.)

A few reminders and suggestions:

• Wildwood is a large camp, and you’ll be happiest if you wear sturdy, comfortable shoes. We ask our staff and campers to wear shoes or sandals with a heel strap (not flip flops), except at the waterfront or in the shower.

• Wildwood is a Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary. For the health and safety of campers, staff, and wildlife, family pets may not be brought to Wildwood.

• For everyone’s safety, please plan not to use personal transportation like your own bikes and boats while you’re at Wildwood.

• Wildwood is a drug- and alcohol-free environment. Please do not bring alcohol or illegal drugs with you to camp or use them while at camp. Adult program participants may use tobacco products only in designated areas away from children.

• For high ropes activities, participating campers must be large enough for safety equipment to fit properly (usually age 6+).

• Camp is a great time to “unplug.” If you can, please leave electric and electronic devices at home. (Platform tents and yurts do not have electricity.) Adults who need to have cell phones should plan to turn them off or to silent/vibrate mode while participating in activities. Cell phone reception at camp is unreliable.

A sample schedule for family camp follows. You’ll receive a detailed schedule when you arrive. Activities and times are subject to change based on weather and other factors. All activities are optional, but please let us know if your family plans to leave camp or miss a meal. If you are unable to arrive at camp as scheduled, please call the camp at 603-899-5589 to schedule an alternate arrival. If you haven’t made alternate arrival plans and don’t arrive at camp on check-in day, we’ll contact you by phone to determine when to expect your arrival.

Arrival Day

2:00 pm  Check-in begins – please plan to arrive before 3:00 p.m., or let us know if you’ll need to arrive later. A staff member will meet you at the parking lot entrance with name tags and unit assignments. Next, take your luggage to the appropriate marked area in the parking lot and we’ll transport your luggage to your unit. Walk to your unit and spend some time settling in to your living space. Introduce yourself to the other families near you. Then, join us at the waterfront to meet other families and enjoy activities! We’ll have swimming (weather permitting) and several ongoing activities available.

3:30 pm Welcome & All-Camp Orientation in the Amphitheater

4:00 pm Afternoon Activities

6:00 pm Dinner

7:00 pm Opening Campfire

9:00 pm Return to units to prepare for bed – Sweet dreams!

Each activity period will include several options: swimming, boating, walks & hikes, nature activities, crafts, and field games. (Some activities will be scheduled so that everyone who wants to can try these activities.) Family activities for adults and children together, kids-only activities for campers ages 5 and older, and adults-only activities will be offered during each activity period. We may offer an adults-only digital photography workshop, so bring a digital camera if you’d like!

Second Day and Third Day

7:00 am PBJ (Pre-Breakfast Jaunt)

8:00 am Breakfast

9:00 am Morning A Activities

10:30 am Morning B Activities

12:00 pm Lunch

1:00 pm Siesta (quiet time in the units)

2:00 pm Afternoon A Activities

3:30 pm Afternoon B Activities

5:00 pm Family Time/Free Swim

6:00 pm Dinner

7:00 pm Evening Activities (may include: campfires, skits and songs, all-camp games, natural history activities, waterfront activities, or even a movie on a rainy evening)

9:00 pm Return to units to prepare for bed

Departure Day

7:00 am PBJ

8:00 am Breakfast

9:15 am Closing activities

10:00 am Return to units for packing. Wildwood staff will pick up your luggage and take it to the parking lot. Please sweep your cabin or tent and place any trash into the large central trashcan in your unit before you leave!

11:00 am All families depart

We look forward to seeing you and your family at Family Camp soon. Please feel free to call us at our toll-free number, 866-627-2267, or e-mail [email protected] if you have any questions!

Bob’s Texas Trek II

image (12)The second half of our trip took us south along the coast of Texas to South Padre Island where we saw a great number of ducks, wading birds, and butterflies. Next we moved inland and along the Rio Grande river, where the bird life picked up even more. We ended in Laredo before heading back to Corpus Christi to complete our 1100 mile trip where we saw 179 different bird species! What a great trip to witness this very important wintering site for many of our native birds, butterflies, and so much more.

Enjoy the album below of some of the amazing sights we witnessed.

-Bob

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Bob’s Texas Trek I

image (5)Here we are at last, birding the Rio Grande Valley and the Texas South Coast!

Our travels will take us to some of the finest birding localities in the most bird-rich state in the union including: the vast salt marshes and bays of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, the sandy barrier beaches of hundred-mile-long Padre Island, boatthe subtropical Rio Grande Valley, and the South Texas Plains.

We safely arrived in Corpus Christie on Wednesday afternoon and promptly began our Texas birding adventure: 40 species of birds in 2 hours!

Thursday we visited the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, first by boat, where we saw image (2)19 federally endangered whooping cranes – whoo hoo! Then we checked out the land portion of the refuge and saw a many other birds and a few alligators. Later, we saw a black-legged kittiwake, and a gull from Alaska who apparently had gotten a little lost!

More adventures ahead, I’ll check in again soon.

Bob

 Photo credit: Bernie McHugh

Black-legged Kittiwake
Photo credit: Bernie McHugh