In this camp we'll explore the questions: how can we get sweetness from the wild? Where does Maple or Birch Syrup come from, and how is it made?  We'll learn about sap, and tap a tree to see if the sap is running. We'll sample different saps, and make maple taffy on snow- yum!

• Day 1: Magical Creature Creation: We'll make a little creature out of recycled materials and papier mache. (Perhaps it will be modelled off one of the animals, or perhaps it will be straight out of our imaginations!) This first day we'll work on designing and forming our creatures.

• Day 2: The second day we'll cover our creature in papier mache to give them a thick, durable skin. 

• Day 3: Magical Creature Creation: We'll paint our creatures using acrylic paint, and add any final embellishments such as horns, feathers, and strings for hanging

• Day 4: Balm of Gilead: We'll forage for black cottonwood buds and then make them into an easy to use balm that smells wonderful and is great for putting on bee stings, sunburnt lips, and skinned knees this summer

• Day 5: Open afternoon+ horse painting: this last day is left with some extra space in it to add any final touches we might need to our creatures before getting them ready to come home with us. We'll each have a chance to paint a work of art on a horse, and try riding bareback!

Inspired by ephemeral nature artists such as Day Schildkret and Andy Goldsworthy, we'll look for beauty in the wild messiness of spring by creating earth altars together: temporary, beautiful offerings to the land made out of natural materials. Then, we'll go into the classroom and mix and roll seed bombs filled with wildflower seeds, perfect for throwing into a corner of the world that needs some beauty, or planting in our gardens when we get home. 

In this camp we'll join in the celebration of spring by making dandelion or elderflower flavoured gummy candies and a dandelion flower essence! Gathering the flowers we need helps us understand the diversity of pollinators, and take in some of the life force that is waking through the natural world. the life Each child will go home with a jar of their very own gummies, and a dropper bottle of dandelion flower essence to share with their family-- and perhaps the faeries, if they wish. 

• Day 1- We'll create our own homemade fruit leather by blending and drying a custom mix of seasonal fruit, We'll also make a big vat of wildcrafted iced tea we can enjoy all week

• Day 2- Yarrow melt and pour soap 

• Day 3- Papermaking. We'll gather flowers and other natural objects on our ride in the morning and embed them in the paper to make a beautiful mandala 

• Day 4: Activity TBA

• Day 5- Open afternoon+ horse painting: this last day is left with some extra space in it to finish up a project from a previous day, and for each of us to have a chance to paint a work of art on a horse, then try riding them bareback! 

In this camp, we get to go for a mushroom hunt on horseback! We'll learn to make a spore print, and ignite our curiosity with the questions: what IS a mushroom, anyway? What are their roles in the natural world? How can they be helpful to humans? We'll learn about what makes mushrooms different from each other, and will look at gills, teeth, pores, veils, spores, and mycelium. Our goal is not to be able to ID every mushroom, but to kindle enthusiasm, curiosity and exploration, Safety around edible and poisonous species will be covered. 

We will spend the morning befriending, grooming, riding and caring for the horses and other animals. In the afternoon we will explore the world of plant healers, and ask and attempt to answer the following questions: What is medicine? Before we had pills and drugs, how did we heal ourselves? How do we know if a plant is safe? How do we harvest in a respectful way? Is it possible to have a relationship with a plant the same way we do a person or an animal?

We will go on a plant walk to meet a few new plant friends, and make our own White Chocolate lip balm infused with the healing properties of chickweed, wild mint, plantain, and wild Pemberton roses! 

Join us for our very last camp of 2020! In the afternoon we'll explore the world of conifer trees. Why do some trees loose their leaves while others stay green year round? How do we tell evergreen trees apart from each other? What does each kind of tree smell like? As it is the season of gift giving, each participant will have a chance to create some of their own treasures to take home including a handmade wreath and conifer infused bath salts.