Screens Detox

One of the many wonderful and important lessons the Green River Preserve imparts on campers and counselors alike comes from something’s absence. Here, we are separated – unplugged – from TV, video games, cell phones. And while these things certainly provide us with some wonderful things, it’s deeply important that we disconnect (pun intended) ourselves from these things to appreciate the wild wonders all around us.

GRP is that place and that time. GRP is the difference between looking at food and tasting it, between listening to music and playing music.

Speaking of which, the music we listen to at GRP is the music we make. The Green River Ramblers – dare I say the best band in the Green River Valley – assemble. We perform amazing covers of songs like Rocky Raccoon, as well as original hits like our brilliantly titled camp anthem, the Campthem. From guitars and violins, to drums and banjos, an entire ensemble of wacky improvisation puts a party in our ears.

Here at GRP, the stories we watch are those that unfold right before us. Our favorite ornithologist (bird-nerd) Dr. Dodo and Mr. Bojangles squawk about all the different birds on the Preserve. Dr. Dictionary, our beloved human thesaurus, comes to teach us the new word of the day. The Cabin Fairy comes to bequeath the cleanest cabins with their well-deserved Pink Flamingos. Ortman and Scrappy are there with us, making us laugh and teaching us how to reduce food waste. And around campfires, we sit in rapt attention as GRP’s great storytellers transport us from one magical place to another.

Here, the adventures we embark upon are right beneath our feet. We climb mountains, enjoying resplendent views that never get old with millennia-old moss. We delve into caves, exploring the homes of the ancient civilizations that preceded us and the fascinating critters adapted to those environments. We explore the same places but at night, seeing the fireflies dance in the air and the little creepy crawlies swimming in the soil. And as for swimming, we don’t swim in pools, but in rivers and lakes, natural pools and waterfalls.

By the time we get back home from camp, we’ve had so much fun outside we’ve completely forgotten about the electronics we thought we missed.

Story by Noah Gerhardt with photos by Samantha Keebler & Brandon S. Marshall