Summer Camp 2020

A message from the GRP Directors

Dear GRP Families,

There is no easy way to communicate this message. After two months of gathering and assessing the information available to us, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Green River Preserve summer camp and expeditions for 2020.

Coming to this decision has been excruciating for our year-round team and board of directors. We are a small non-profit. We know the impact camp has on each camper who walks on the Preserve. We know the special connections we build each summer are life-changing. We know so many of us have been waiting all year for the chance to stand under Uncle’s Falls or on top of the Balds and be renewed. And yet, we also know we cannot safely provide these experiences this summer with so much uncertainty around this virus.

Our primary objective is to provide a safe and nurturing learning experience. The recent regulations from the federal and state government have made it clear that summer camp as we know it, GRP style, would be so restricted and regulated that it would challenge the heart of our mission and togetherness as a community. These regulations, as well as many of the unknowns around COVID-19, create far too much unmanageable risk for us to feel confident in our ability to operate camp this summer.

We know this news is devastating to hear. It is devastating to communicate. As parents ourselves, we feel the deepest pain for our children. It is another disappointment on top of so many already this spring. Our oldest, Phen, is ready to tick one more year towards his walking stick, perform his new comedy act in the variety show, and rekindle his friendship with his bunkmate of the past two summers. Hawkins, our first time camper, has been waiting since three months old to live in a cabin and be a true GRP camper. This was his year. He has been counting down the days since last summer.

We also know this pandemic hasn’t just caused disappointments. We know this pandemic has put many of you in financial strain. Our plan from the beginning has been to work with you, and to redirect your tuition dollars towards what suits your family best. We have created a form in your CampinTouch account to help us with the refund process. We appreciate your patience over the next six weeks as we answer each request. You will have the option to donate, defer tuition to 2021, or receive a full or partial refund.

In short, your dollars matter and we ask that you consider making an impact with them if you can. Green River Preserve is a 501(c)3 organization. Any tuition you choose to leave with us will have a positive effect on summers to come. And it truly matters now more than ever. We will be operating in 2021 without any revenue from this year to support us. The economic repercussions will be felt for years to come. By donating or deferring your tuition if you are able, you ensure that camp will continue to deliver our mission and provide joyful connections to nature for children in the summers to come.

Moving forward with this decision behind us, our goal will be to continue to serve our mission and our families in the best ways that we can with the realities of the current situation. We will be reviewing our programs, making adjustments for our campers, and responding to our new normal so the 2021 GRP experience will be better than ever.

We will open enrollment for 2021 programming in late summer and spaces will be guaranteed for all enrolled 2020 campers and expeditioners.

We cannot thank you enough for all of your generous support, boundless kindness, and patience over these last two months. You and your children have been at the forefront of every decision that we have made along the way. We think of our families constantly and are so grateful you are part of our community.

Next year, we will gather and sing and dance again around the campfire. Be well. Be safe. And continue to seek the joy of being alive.

Anne & Steve, Directors

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call us at 828.698.8828 or email us at info@greenriverpreserve.org.

Thank you, and stay well!

To read more about medical care at camp, as well as policies for tuition and withdrawals, please visit this link to download our parent handbook.

For more information about COVID-19, we recommend you visit the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.