Evening Program

Two nights ago, campers gathered on the Front Field to play one of GRP’s most celebrated games: Predator vs. Prey. From Girlsville and Boysville came a flood of children in dark clothing, painted faces, and leaf-riddled hair (for, of course, the purposes of effective camouflage). Two lucky cabins emerged proudly in their brightest colors—these cabins were the hawks, sitting at the top of the food chain which forms the basic foundation of the game. Over the course of the evening, campers played the role of numerous forest dwellers: insects, frogs, snakes, and, of course, the hawks.

At the end of the game, after the different animal groups had roamed base camp in search of vital resources (food, shelter, and water) and, on occasion, attacked one another, we reconvened on the front field for a debrief, learning about bioaccumulation, pesticide poisoning, and the variety of other factors that make life in the wild an unpredictable and often dangerous one.

The next night, we returned to the front field, but this time, flannels, denim, and bandana headbands stole the show. A makeshift stage had been set up, where a few members of GRP’s resident band, the Green River Ramblers, stood, ready to play music for Tuesday night’s activity: the Shindig. For the rest of the evening, campers and staff joined hands with one another and danced to the sound of bluegrass music and the rhythmic instructions of the Shindig’s Caller. Campers returned to their cabins sweaty but laughing, enthralled by another full day in this place.

These evening programs represent quite effectively what GRP hopes to be for its campers: a place of learning and of awareness, but also a place of silliness, community, creativity, and fun. To grow, we think, requires both, and we aim to be a place that can cultivate these things well, encouraging laughter and occasional seriousness, while perpetually seeking both joy and truth.

Story by Katherine Poore & Photos by Samantha J. Keebler/Brandon S. Marshall