{"id":14508,"date":"2020-08-07T15:01:25","date_gmt":"2020-08-07T19:01:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=14508"},"modified":"2020-12-11T09:39:53","modified_gmt":"2020-12-11T14:39:53","slug":"hip-hip-hooray-for-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/hip-hip-hooray-for-camp\/","title":{"rendered":"Hip, Hip, Hooray for Camp!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summer just isn\u2019t summer without camp. Sunshine, fresh air, friends, and fun in the outdoors are the optimal nourishment for body, mind, and soul. So when COVID-19 shut down Massachusetts this spring, our camp and education staff immediately got to work, developing plans to open some of our day camps<\/a> if the opportunity presented itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While awaiting guidance from the state and local boards of health, they rewrote policies and created new safety and hygiene protocols, ordered PPE supplies, and adapted programming for the age of social distancing. Our top priority was to make camp as safe and fun as possible and give kids a healthy “dose of normalcy” for the first time in months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Campers
Campers inspect a bird nest at Wachusett Meadow Nature Day Camp in Princeton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And based on what we are seeing at our 11 day camps that are open across the state, it was all worth it. Don’t take our word for it, though. Here’s what a few camp families have recently shared with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toads and Games and Friends, Oh My!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat a gift to offer this magical experience during COVID! Our children came home every day energized and inspired, regaled us with stories of their encounters with the farm animals, catching toads, playing games outside, meeting new friends, and entertaining camp counselor stories about birds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Epidemiologist-Approved<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am an epidemiologist and I was so happy with the safety precautions taken by the camp staff! I felt completely comfortable leaving my child at camp each day. The staff went above and beyond to create a fun and healthy environment for campers. I am so appreciative of the entire staff’s hard work this summer!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hitting the Reset Button<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Screenshot
Text message received by one of our camp directors from a happy camp parent.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rising to the Occasion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sad that the kids and our world is going through this, but I\u2019m grateful you all rose to the occasion and still made it all happen. You did a GREAT job navigating this year.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heartful Thanks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

“Camp was the best week we\u2019ve had since COVID closed Massachusetts schools in March, no exaggeration. Your enthusiasm, warmth, professionalism and flexibility were utterly fantastic. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking to Join the Fun?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The appreciation from our camper families and the smiles on our campers\u2019 faces (underneath masks, of course) are just the fuel we need to persevere through these challenging times, together.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are still a small handful of slots available at a few sites, so if your child is eager to get in on camp this summer, check with your local day camp<\/a> to see if they have availability. We can\u2019t wait to see you! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summer just isn\u2019t summer without camp. Sunshine, fresh air, friends, and fun in the outdoors are the optimal nourishment for body, mind, and soul. So when COVID-19 shut down Massachusetts this spring, our camp and education staff immediately got to work, developing plans to open some of our day camps if the opportunity presented itself. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":14533,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-get-outdoors","category-stuff-we-love"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/Wachusett-Meadow-Day-Camp-August-2020-2.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-3M0","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12056,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/in-your-words-camper-mia-papazian\/","url_meta":{"origin":14508,"position":0},"title":"In Your Words: Camper Mia Papazian","author":"Ryan D.","date":"December 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Fourteen-year-old Mia Papazian has attended Boston Nature Center Summer Camp since she was five.","rel":"","context":"In "In Your Words"","block_context":{"text":"In Your Words","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/in-your-words\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/12\/Mia-750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/12\/Mia-750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/12\/Mia-750.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/12\/Mia-750.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15094,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/camp-is-coming-an-update-on-summer-camp-2021\/","url_meta":{"origin":14508,"position":1},"title":"Camp Is Coming! An Update on Summer Camp 2021","author":"Ryan D.","date":"December 24, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"What's that? Did you say camp is coming? Yes, camp is coming! Mass Audubon's camp staff love winter, but we really miss summer camp, and we bet you do, too. Across the state and at one special property in southern New Hampshire, our camp staff is hard at work getting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sledding with Wachusett Meadow Camp Director Elizabeth Broughton","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/Screenshot-2020-12-23-111423.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/Screenshot-2020-12-23-111423.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/Screenshot-2020-12-23-111423.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/Screenshot-2020-12-23-111423.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12284,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/what-is-nature-camp-and-why-should-you-try-it\/","url_meta":{"origin":14508,"position":2},"title":"What is Nature Camp? And Why Should You Try It?","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"January 31, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"It is summer camp registration season, and that means it\u2019s decision time! Summer is an ideal time for children to be outside, but choosing between camp opportunities can be overwhelming. How do you pick between dozens of options? And why should you consider nature camp? Photo: Phil Doyle Why Nature\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Outdoors"","block_context":{"text":"Get Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/01\/Arcadia-Camp-Photos-2019_CREDIT-PHIL-DOYLE-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/01\/Arcadia-Camp-Photos-2019_CREDIT-PHIL-DOYLE-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/01\/Arcadia-Camp-Photos-2019_CREDIT-PHIL-DOYLE-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/01\/Arcadia-Camp-Photos-2019_CREDIT-PHIL-DOYLE-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3258,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/18-camps-one-important-accreditation\/","url_meta":{"origin":14508,"position":3},"title":"18 Camps, One Important Accreditation","author":"Hillary T.","date":"February 25, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Amanda Zoellner, who works at Wildwood, Mass Audubon's overnight camp in Rindge, New Hampshire, sheds light on the importance of a summer camp being accredited by the American Camp Association. What do camp directors do in the winter? Most Mass Audubon camp directors coordinate and teach other sanctuary programs during\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "EcoKids"","block_context":{"text":"EcoKids","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/ecokids\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/02\/campcounselors.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1905,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/12-reasons-mass-audubon-camps-rock\/","url_meta":{"origin":14508,"position":4},"title":"12 Reasons Mass Audubon Camps Rock","author":"Hillary T.","date":"March 19, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"When you choose a summer camp for your child, we know there\u2019s no shortage of options. We also know that as parents, you\u2019re always looking to provide your kids with the best possible experiences. Perhaps we\u2019re a bit biased, but we think our camps are the bee\u2019s knees, the snake's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "EcoKids"","block_context":{"text":"EcoKids","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/ecokids\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2013\/03\/CampPic.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":14950,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/the-power-of-camp\/","url_meta":{"origin":14508,"position":5},"title":"The Power of Camp","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"November 19, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Today is\u00a0Summer Camp\u00a0Day of Action\u00a0for Black Lives.\u00a0 As a statewide conservation organization that operates\u00a019\u00a0nature\u00a0day camps and a residential summer camp\u00a0serving\u00a0more than\u00a015,000 campers, we stand with our colleagues and friends in the camp world\u00a0affirming\u00a0that\u00a0Black Lives Matter at Camp.\u00a0\u00a0 Nature itself is untainted with prejudice; however,\u00a0too many Black and Brown community members\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kids at camp","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/0042_RoxburyLatin2017_042_750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/0042_RoxburyLatin2017_042_750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/0042_RoxburyLatin2017_042_750.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/0042_RoxburyLatin2017_042_750.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/68"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14508"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14508\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15015,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14508\/revisions\/15015"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}