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A Day In the Life at GRP

By Green River Preserve on June 13, 2016

Riiing riiing. Riiing riiiiing.

The first bell of the day pulls us out of our deep sleep and the thought of pancakes and bacon is enough to get us moving to the Lodge for breakfast. After singing our morning blessing and showing our gratitude to the sun, we head inside to chat with our friends and chow down. The most important part of meal time is analyzing how much food we’ve wasted at each meal via the ORT (organic recyclable trash) Report. If we waste only a little, we are in “Coolsville”, but if we have too much, we end up in the “Danger Zone.”

Next, it’s time to tidy up our cabins and get ready for the most educational (and sweaty) part of the day: Mentor hikes! We munch on some blueberries, identify some leaves, and maybe stand under a waterfall or two.

Before we know it, it’s time for lunch. Burgers and fries? Yum! Don’t worry, Mom: I had a salad and some fruit, too. Exhausted and full, with our brains filled with knowledge about the plants and wildlife on the Preserve, we head back to our cabins for Rest Hour (a.k.a. the Best Hour and/or the Counselor’s Favorite Hour).

As Rest Hour comes to a close, we grab our water bottles, appropriate shoes, swimsuits and anything else we might need for our activity periods. After all three activities are over it is…FREE TIME! Perhaps we’ll take a dip in the lake, then head on over to Camp Store to grab some sweet GRP gear. Evening program is up next after dinner, and every night it’s something new. Predator vs Prey? A Variety Show? It is always sure to be an exciting time.

As the sun slowly begins to set, with our jammies all on and our teeth all brushed, we settle into our bunks and crack open a book (preferably Dr. Seuss, to fit our theme for the summer). Another day at GRP has come and gone. As they say, “time flies when you’re having fun!”

-Laine Elliott

Green River Preserve
Green River Preserve

Green River Preserve is a non-competitive, coed summer camp connecting children with nature. Located on a 3,400 acre private wildlife preserve in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, this extraordinary natural setting inspires campers to have a greater understanding of themselves, their environment, and their fellow man. Designed for bright, curious, and creative children, our program nurtures character development and fosters skills like perseverance, curiosity, communication, optimism, creativity, and GRIT.