Category Archives: Summer Camp

Wildwood Winter Getaways

Need a getaway? Want to play in the snow? Join us this winter for a fun family getaway at Wildwood!  We are turning our health center into a winterized lodge for camp families. Wildwood will be all yours to use as your winter playground. During your visit we hope you will enjoy the natural world, relax, and play in beautiful New Hampshire. There will only be one family at Wildwood at a time.

Snowshoe, cross country ski, sled, build a snowman, have a snowball fight—all are fabulous options for your family getaway at Wildwood!

The Health Center has the following amenities available for your family:

  • Sleeps 7
    • Fitted and flat sheets are available
    • Bring your own blankets and pillows
    • One bedroom with a queen bed
    • One bedroom with a single twin bed
    • Two bedrooms with twin bunk beds and adjoining ½ baths
  • 3 Bathrooms, one with a shower
    • Bath towels are provided
  • Full Kitchen
    • Includes a gas stove, full-size refrigerator, coffee pot, coffee grinder, stand mixer, microwave, food processor, tea kettle, tables, and chairs
    • Fully furnished with pots & pans
  • WiFi
  • 32” TV
    • You can plug a laptop in, but bring cords and adapters for Apple products
  • Washer & Dryer

Dates:  Weekends, December 11, 2020 through April 4, 2021

Fees:

  • $325/family for Friday through Sunday night
    • Families must book both nights
    • Thursday or Sunday night costs an additional $100 (please call to add either or both nights on to your stay)
  • Wildwood is gear available for purchase
    • Please call and we can have purchases available in the health center upon your arrival 
    • Tie-Dye Blanket – $25 (twin size)
    • Blue Blanket – $20 (small lap blanket)
    • Warm Wildwood Socks – $10 (small, medium & large available)

Check-in: Any time after 9:00 am on Friday

Check-out: By 5:00 pm on Sunday

Get Your 2020 Wildwood T-Shirts!

Each year, I look forward to getting my summer camp t-shirt, no matter how old I am. Like you, I miss camp, and I’m happy to put on a camp shirt and feel a little closer to my summer home.  

Creative costumes and face paint from the counselors for the Wrath of Nature evening program
Creative costumes and face paint from the counselors for the Wrath of Nature evening program

Last week I woke up and knew it was a camp shirt kind of day, so I pulled out my favorite one, a sage green shirt with a beautiful loon on the front. The nostalgia I feel every time I open my drawer of camp shirts makes me close my eyes for a moment to remember some of my favorite camp memories: My morning walk to the dining hall and the excitement I feel when I smell the pancakes and bacon, an afternoon spent laying in a hammock in the Chill Zone, sitting in the amphitheater full of campers singing at the top of their lungs, or jumping into the pond during OATs. I actually laugh out loud when I remember Heffalump Hunts.

Wildwood’s 70th summer didn’t go at all how we’d planned, of course, but until we can celebrate together again in 2021, we want you to have that nostalgic camp t-shirt feeling, so we’re offering a special Wildwood t-shirt that you can order now!

Not only can you help support Wildwood by purchasing a 2020 Wildwood T-shirt, but you can also wear it and think of all the amazing camp memories you have made in the past and all the memories we will make next summer.

Order Your 2020 Wildwood T-Shirt by December 2!

“Winter Explorers” Learn Cold-Weather Survival Skills

Do you know how to dress for different winter conditions? What to do if frostbite sets in? How to build a fire on top of the snow? Or maybe how to build a shelter outside?

Learn these and even more winter outdoor skills with staff from Wildwood Camp and the Jaffrey Parks & Recreation Department during our Winter Explorers program series.

This winter, on the third Saturday of each month, we’ll discover a different skill to help us brave the winter weather. Each session takes place from 9:00 to 11:00 am.

Register online on the Jaffrey Parks & Rec website for one session or for all four at a discounted rate.

Photo © Phil Doyle

November: Winter Attire

Saturday, November 21, 2020
At Jaffrey Parks and Recreation
31 Howard Hill Road, Jaffrey, NH 03452

What are your jeans made of, and can they really keep you warm in cold weather? Through a variety of experiments, learn the “do’s and don’t’s” of what to wear during the winter months, including the differences between various fabrics.

Note: Participants should bring clothes in a backpack or bag that you believe could help keep you warm if you were outside in the cold for ten hours.

Winter Hiking with Wildwood at Mount Monadnock
Winter Hiking with Wildwood at Mount Monadnock

December: Winter First Aid

Saturday, December 19, 2020
At Wildwood Camp
462 Old New Ipswich Road, Rindge, NH 03461

Be prepared for any accident that may occur during the winter months. Learn the warning signs for hypothermia, frost bite, and dehydration and what to do if you or someone else is showing signs.

Note: Instructor Cheryl is a certified Red Cross First Aid instructor; participants will not be certified at the end of the program.

January: Fires & Cooking

Saturday, January 16, 2021
At Wildwood Camp
462 Old New Ipswich Road, Rindge, NH 03461

Have you ever tried to build a fire on snow? What happens to wood when it is wet? Learn the answers to these questions and more as we build a fire and cook over an open flame. Together we will learn the science of how to start a fire without matches.

Note: Participants should bring a travel mug, thermos, or cup with a lid for hot beverages.

Camp cooking in winter
Camp cooking in winter

February: Shelters & Knots

Saturday, February 20, 2021
At Wildwood Camp
462 Old New Ipswich Road, Rindge, NH 03461

Protecting yourself from harsh winter weather with a DIY shelter is a great skill to have! Use materials you can find in the woods to help make your shelter safe and warm, and learn different knots and lashings to create a camp chair or even a table!


To register for these programs, please visit the Jaffrey Parks & Rec website. Join for one session or for all four at a discounted rate! Should you have any questions, reach out to Wildwood’s Education Program Manager, Cheryl Oliveira at [email protected].

Wildwood Getaways Family at Waterfront

Introducing Wildwood Getaways!

Wildwood Getaways Family at Waterfront
July 2020 Wildwood Getaways Family at the Waterfront

Join us in summer 2020 for a physically distanced family getaway at Wildwood! Wildwood is turning our camp into a campground for camp families from July 10–October 15. We will provide families with a space to sleep and relax while being physically distanced from others.

You can choose from any of the following lodging options:

  • Bring your own tent: $55/night
  • Yurt / Wooden Tent: $70/night
  • Cabins: $75/night (cabins have electricity)
  • Muir Lodge: $125/night (includes: 4 bedrooms, sleeps 7, private bathroom, shower, kitchenette, refrigerator, microwave, convection oven, cooktop, kitchen sink, dishes, living room, front porch, firepit & picnic table outside)

We will assign one family only to each unit. Each unit has a firepit, wood, sink, toilets, picnic table, trash & recycle cans. Families bring their own bedding, personal items, food, and all cooking/cleaning gear.

The waterfront is open from 10:00 am–noon and 2:00–5:00 pm and is included in the nightly rate. Waterfront activities include canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding & swimming. If possible, families are encouraged to bring their own lifejackets.

The shower house is a shared space. We will assign families a time block to shower and will clean and sanitize the shower house between families.

Check-in is from 1:00–5:00 pm and check-out is no later than 11:00 am.
We ask families to move out of the unit by 11:00 am in order to avoid being charged for an extra night, but they are allowed to continue to enjoy our property after check-out.

Learn More and Reserve Your Getaway Today!

Wildwood Summer 2020 Cancellation Notice

Dear Wildwood Community:

It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that we announce that Mass Audubon will not be opening Wildwood Camp for the summer of 2020. We will also be rescheduling the 70th Anniversary Alumni Weekend. This was not an easy decision to make. The health and safety of our campers, staff, and community have always been our top priority, and given the COVID-19 crisis we know this is the right thing for us to do.

Please watch our closing video here with a special message from the director:

Our community is resilient and through our love of Wildwood, we will make it through this!  We survived moving locations three times over the past 70 years and have grown stronger through the challenges we face. The recovery plan for New Hampshire’s economy provides a slow and cautious approach for the months ahead, with many limiting regulations in place. After further research and discussion, we concluded that the camp experience as we’ve known and loved on Hubbard Pond will not be possible this year.

All 2020 campers are eligible to return next summer, regardless of age or grade in school. Summer camp families have the option to:

  • Receive a full 2020 tuition refund
  • Roll tuition to next year (get 2021 at the 2020 price)
  • Donate all or part of the tuition to Wildwood (for a tax-deductible donation)

Thank you to those who have already generously donated.  These are challenging times and your support means so much. Please contact us to let us know what you would like to do with your 2020 tuition.

Things are hard right now, but remember: camp is a place where we do hard things. Doing hard things is how we learn courage, resilience, self-confidence, and grit, and adopt a healthy “growth mindset”.  With that in mind, we want you to know that we’re here for you. Look for more information coming soon about engaging with us on social media, reimagined summer programming, and much more as we make every effort to continue to engage and support you throughout this summer and beyond.

We are forever appreciative and thankful for our Wildwood Community.  We hope you and your family are able to remain safe and healthy during these times, and we look forward to the day we all meet again in person. Get out and enjoy nature and know that Wildwood is always right there in your heart.  

If you have questions or are ready to alert us to your refund preferences please contact us at [email protected] or leave a message on the camp line at 603-899-5589 and someone will call you back.

Warm regards,

Becky Signature

Becky Gilles
Wildwood Director

P.S. We know this will be really difficult news for many of our campers to process. Please take advantage of some of the resources below and contact us if we can support you—we are here for you!

Resources for discussing summer without camp with your children:

Knots, Knots, and More Knots!

Checking knots and harness attachments at the ropes course
Checking knots and harness attachments at the ropes course

Confident and competent rope work is an essential skill at camp. Whether sailing, camping out, at the ropes course, or just making your unit dope, there are a variety of knots that are useful at camp. There are hundreds of useful knots, but the list below covers almost all of the ones you need to know at camp, so grab a piece of rope and give it a shot!

Bowline: The bowline (pronounced “boh-lin”, like a bow on a gift box plus the name Lynn) is a super versatile knot. With a little practice, it’s quick to tie and easy to untie. Extremely useful for sailing and camping.

Clove Hitch: A useful knot for quickly and securely tying the end (or middle, if you know how to do it) of a rope to just about anything. Useful all over camp.

Figure-8: The mother knot for a whole family of knots. It has limited (but still important) uses by itself, but the other knots in the family are critical on the ropes course. Master this one first and then check out the figure 8 follow-through, 8-on-a-bight, and the Super-8.

Taughtline hitch: A knot for adjusting the tension on a rope, we use this one on the tents in the units and on guy lines for tents and dining flies on campouts.

Truckers Hitch: Probably the most complicated knot you should learn for camp, it’s actually a series of knots. Used for getting tons of tension on a rope, like when making a clothesline or putting up a dining fly. There are many ways to it.

Sheet Bend: A much more secure way than a square knot to join two ends of rope, but still super simple to tie.

Okay, it was a little windy for evening campfire so we had to improvise...

A Brief Update from the Director

Okay, it was a little windy for evening campfire so we had to improvise...

Dear Camp Family and Friends,

We hope you are well and we miss you. We wanted to take this opportunity to tell you how much we are thinking about you and hoping to see your brilliant, beautiful faces this summer.

The health and safety of our campers have always been our top priority. We are still aiming for our May 20 deadline to announce our summer camp plans. We have had a few questions we wanted to follow up on. 

Is Mass Audubon running camp this summer?

We are eagerly awaiting guidance from the CDC and/or state health officials on whether and in what capacity we will be able to offer camps to our communities this summer. Camp may not look the same this year, but we’re doing everything we can to plan for a summer of fun in the outdoors with you in a way that makes sense for the safety and well-being of our communities.

What if you want to withdraw from camp?

We recognize that in-person camp may not possible for every family. If your family would like to withdraw from camp you will receive a full refund.  Please contact the camp office at [email protected] or call 866-627-2267.

We hope that families will consider redirecting some or all of their camp fee as a donation, or keep a credit on file for future use at Mass Audubon.  Program income is a large part of how we accomplish our mission of Protecting the Nature of Massachusetts. By donating all of or part of your fee or creating a credit for future use, you can support Mass Audubon’s mission and our ability to provide ongoing programming.

Online Camp?

We are working on creating some virtual camp experiences for this summer. Getting kids out in nature and away from electronic devices has long been a core value for our camps and one that we are giving careful consideration throughout the planning process. Our goal is not to replace nature with screens, but to utilize virtual communication as a tool to safely connect with our camp families, interact face-to-face, and share ways to get outside and explore.

 We hope you are staying healthy and safe. Please don’t hesitate to connect with us if you have concerns.

Thanks so much for being a part of the Mass Audubon Camp family.

Becky Signature

Becky Gilles
Wildwood Director

Wildwood Director Becky Gilles leading a Beginning Birding class

Bird-a-thon for Wildwood

Wildwood Director Becky Gilles leading a Beginning Birding class
Wildwood Director Becky Gilles leading a Beginning Birding class last spring

What is Bird-a-thon?

On May 15-16, Wildwood will participate in Mass Audubon’s annual Bird-a-thon

Bird-a-thon, Mass Audubon’s largest fundraiser, brings together supporters from across the state to raise essential funds for nature conservation, education, and advocacy.  Our goal is to identify as many bird species as possible in 24 hours. 

Due to COVID-19, this year’s event will be a family-friendly, carbon-free, safety-focused BIRD-AT-HOME-A-THON! There are new rules and a revised point system, and the winning team will be the one that’s earned the highest number of points. New this year, you can bird from any state!  Send in your bird checklist and those birds count towards our team goal.  

Not a birder? No problem! You can still earn points for your team by completing fun, nature-related activities like drawing a bird or doing a scavenger hunt.

What are we fundraising for?

Camperships! Every year, Wildwood provides over $50,000 in camperships to families in need. Will you join our team in this important fundraising effort? Ask for donations to Wildwood from your friends and family. Your efforts will make it possible for more young people to experience the magic of Wildwood.

How can I participate?

Team members can earn points for their team by birding close to home and/or by completing fun activities. In addition, every species a team sees will count towards our cooperative, statewide effort to spot all 286 bird species that can be found in Massachusetts during spring!

Set up a fundraising page, donate, and send in a list of the birds you find to be included in our official species count. Our hope is that all camp families will bird, donate, and raise money for Wildwood!

To join our team, visit the Wildwood Bird-a-thon Team Page. For more information contact Wildwood Director Becky Gilles at [email protected].

Wildwood Dining Hall with Refinished Floors

Spring 2020 Property Update

Since camp ended last fall, we have been busy working on the property and have some very exciting projects to share with you. While our resources (staff time and funding) are now very limited, we were able to get some major projects done over the winter and continue to make as many improvements as we can.

The sinks in every unit now have a roof on them, so you can brush your teeth and not get wet in the rain. We also rebuilt many of the fire pits in the units. 

We installed a Gaga Ball pit in the rec field and we can’t wait to see lots of campers playing! (If you’re not sure what Gaga is, search for videos on YouTube—it’s a lot of fun!)

New Gaga Pit at Wildwood
New Gaga Pit at Wildwood

The big project we worked on was the Dining Hall. The kitchen half of the building needed some structural work, so the floor was removed down to the dirt and a new poured concrete floor installed. We learned that porcupines really liked living under the Dining Hall in the winter!

In the dining room, the wood floor has been sanded and refinished back to its original natural red oak color. We think it came out beautiful!

Wildwood Dining Hall with Refinished Floors
Wildwood Dining Hall with Refinished Floors

We can’t wait until our campers can come and enjoy the improvements we’ve made and start putting that Gaga pit to good use!

Looking back at Wildwood's waterfront and dining hall from First Point Trail

A Message from Wildwood Director Becky Gilles

Looking back at Wildwood's waterfront and dining hall from First Point Trail
Looking back at Wildwood’s waterfront and dining hall from First Point Trail

Dear Wildwood Camp Family,

I hope this letter finds you all safe and healthy.

We at Mass Audubon are looking towards this summer with hope that we have come through this pandemic with our friends and families safe, and that we can return to our favorite activities, like connecting campers with nature. With that in mind, we are hoping to provide another wonderful summer of camp as planned. 

Camper Session Dates

Changes to your camper’s session start date and other aspects of camp may occur due to recommendations from the CDC and state health authorities during the current pandemic. If we need to delay the start of this year’s camp season or cancel, we will notify you by May 20.  

Camp Due Dates

We have extended the May 15 deadline for final payments, camper withdrawals, and health form completion to June 15 (Though to help us best prepare for summer, we encourage you to complete your camper’s health forms earlier, if possible).

Though none of us knows what is ahead, we are thankful for your friendship, your generous support, and your patience during this challenging time. For updates about Mass Audubon’s response to COVID-19 and educational resources for families, please visit our website.

Keep up to date on everything Wildwood on our Blog, Instagram & Facebook accounts.

Please call (866) 627-2267 or email [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns. Wishing good health to you all. 

With gratitude,

Becky Signature

Becky Gilles
Wildwood Director

[NOTE: This letter was sent to all registered camp families via email. If you are registered for summer 2020 and did not receive this email, please contact [email protected].]