Truly a Second Family

By Sara Schmidt on June 27, 2013

We’re well into the second week of Session 2 here at GRP, and you can tell.  Long gone are feelings of homesickness and discomfort – campers have melded together into what can only be described as a second family.  When you share close living quarters, shower houses, a dining hall, as well as memorable and life-altering experiences like we do here at GRP, it’s impossible not to form extremely close bonds with the people here, especially the people who live in the same cabin.

      

Wednesday was the start of GLPs here at camp.  Group Learning Projects are day long activities and challenges that campers get to choose to participate in.  There’s a variety of choices so that every camper is engaged and satisfied.  We offered a running course, where campers ran over 10 miles around the preserve, a GRP band course, where campers learned about instruments and how to play them, and a GLP where campers created a topography map of the preserve (a huge feat, condensing all those acres).  Others hiked to Bridal Veil, where they found a mushroom of every color of the rainbow, some went to Pisgah, and others made beautiful Rahku creations.  Two other groups made huge dream catchers with natural materials or learned about drumming and primitive crafts at the Pioneer Cabin.  

      

Wednesday night was also Pirate Night and Staff Hunt, and an argh-some time was had by all.  The whole camp throws themselves into creating the best pirate get ups and perfecting their pirate lingo.  Later, during staff hunt, campers amass points by finding counselors and mentors who tried to seek asylum in the woods.

We’re all sad to see these two weeks close – GRP, an incredible place, can only be improved upon with its incredible campers.

-Z

Sara Schmidt
Sara Schmidt

Sara Schmidt serves as the Administrative Director and Registrar for Green River Preserve. She is excited to be part of the GRP family in her role which focuses on “all things camper.” Her primary responsibilities include camper registration and billing, camper retention, and the GRP Camp Store. Sara also serves as the Editor of Green River Preserve’s seasonal newsletter, Whispers From The Preserve, and she manages the camper scholarship committee. Her newest endeavor is to help build GRP’s Annual Fund and partnership program.