End of Summer
This summer we welcomed campers, ages 5-12, and Counselors in Training, ages 12-18, throughout the summer to engage in all aspects of our ranch. Our weekly themes ranged from Junior Ranchers, Farm to Belly, Pollinatorpalooza, and Great Outdoors. Campers’ days were filled with discovery! Children learn best and create the most vivid memories when they engage all their senses and our campers learned about the natural world by touching, tasting, smelling, hearing, seeing and doing.
Campers spent time with our goats and sheep - often cheering them on as they did pasture run-out, milked our goats - including our very new to Slide Ranch goats Spangle and Katniss (who arrived here to her new home during a camp day!), visited with our chickens and ducks - including a cohort of chicks that returning campers saw grom from chick to pullet, found clues about pollinators and the many wild animals we share our coastal ecosystem with; learned about bees and other pollinators, decomposers, composting, garden plants, created fairy houses, played in our forts, cleared invasive plants from our trails, built enrichment structures for our young chickens, cooked chapati and pizza over a campfire, and made sun tea and pestos with herbs from the garden. They learned about the farm cycle, farm chores, and skeletal anatomy by re-creating bony animals at Bone Grove. Throughout their adventures they talked about the many ways we all can take better care of our earth.
Some campers went on a trash hunt, created garden scarecrows from beach trash, meandered through the Fennel forest and all through the tidepools; listened to the sounds of crashing waves and sea birds; felt sand under their feet and built sand and stone habitats, rainbows of rocks, and learned a little geology along the way! We painted using water from the ocean, made art from the sun, made paper with decles made from repurposed honeybee trays and wove with looms made from the same, and participated in many scavenger hunts and spontaneous explorations.
We practiced principles of organic gardening and animal care, of Leave No Trace, and undertook stewardship projects, and investigated life cycles and reciprocal relationships with the animals, plants, and the wild lands. We harvested zucchini, kale, chard, rhubarb, fresh herbs and more to make a ton of yummy food. Farm to Belly campers engaged in our first ever Slide Ranch CHOPPED competition that had each group using a secret ingredient to create either a beverage, appetizer, salad, main course, or dessert. Each camper group’s creation was judged and awards for creativity, presentation, best use of ingredient, Slide Ranch spirit, and taste were handed out to the young chefs! We came together to enjoy a dramatic reading of Stone Soup, learn that we are stronger as a community, and recreated the giant pot of soup for campers and their families to enjoy. YUM! And above all we gave thanks for the foods we eat and were mindful of all the processes and people involved in getting it to our bellies.
Slide Ranch is a really special place where kids get to ask and answer many questions and above all else, they get to be themselves. Our incredible Outdoor Instructors celebrate each camper’s individuality and enjoy providing rich, sensory adventures for children. We truly hope all of our campers have special Slide Ranch memories and experiences they will carry with them forever.
Slide Ranch is open to the public seven days a week from sunrise to sunset. Come catch a glimpse of the adventures to be had here and consider joining us for any one of our wonderful upcoming events and volunteer opportunities!
