Eco Camp 2024 – Parent Info

Dear Eco Camp families: ECO Camp wishes to welcome your campers to the summer of 2024. We are looking forward to a great summer. If this is your first time, or you have been before, you will have a great time connecting with others and the environment.

1. DROP OFF HOURS : Drop off is 9 :00 and pick up is 4 :00 – please be prepared to spend a little extra time at drop off and pick up. –If you have purchased BEFORE care or AFTER care you may start dropping off your child at 8 :00 and you may pick up after 4 :30.

FIRST MORNING DROP OFF PLEASE GIVE YOURSELF EXTRA TIME

2. DROP OFF LOCATION : car drop off for ALL days of camp is in the same area as last summer: in the big parking lot – you go past the beach road on the left side and you come to the main parking lot on the right adjacent to the bathroom facility and just past the older picnic pavilion and the smaller NEW pavilion (FYI we have both of these buildings rented each day for the use of your children). There will be signs.

3. SIGN-IN – There will be 2 sign-in stations: One station for groups 1 – 4 (approximately ages 5 – 8)/ another station for groups 5 – LIT (approximately ages 9 and 13).

**Unfortunately, you will NOT be able to bring your child to their table group before the program gets started.**In the past several parents would wait near their child’s table to see how they were doing before leaving. While we understand your desire to make sure your child is OK – you will have to do your best to console them in the car – we simply cannot have parents walking through groups of campers to find their child or be with them past the drop-off zone.

4. SIGN-OUT – at the end of the day: You will notify our staff at the drop-off/ pick-up zone who your child is and WE will go and find them for you.

5. SITUATIONS – Eco Camp policy regarding refunds: We have not set a policy “in-stone” because we feel there are just too many variables. We believe that our reputation in Orangeville and surrounding areas is positive because we are reasonable in these situations. No two situations are really ever the same – so we deal with them as they happen. That said – we do not feel that we should be required to refund anyone for 1 or 2 missed days of camp. That said, if the absence goes beyond 2 days we should probably start trying to figure out why your camper is absent and what is reasonable. If you wish to cancel last minute (4 weeks or less) before camp we try accommodate you if we are able to find a new camper to fill your spot.

BASIC MENU

LUNCHES – all lunches will include fresh fruit and/or veggies cut up for the campers

Monday – grilled cheese sandwiches

Tuesday – hamburgers/ cheeseburgers & chips

Wednesday – pizza (cheese or pepperoni)

Thursday – cook your own hot dog & s’mores

Friday – pizza (cheese or pepperoni)

SNACKS

Morning Snack is either cookies or Nachos

Afternoon Snack is a popsicle

Special food requests or allergies please call or txt Karen (Storm) 519 939 8330

ACTIVITIES

NEW climbing wall (one day a week – older campers given priority)

Some of the favourite activities at Eco Camp are:

• Canoeing • Nature Hikes
• Archery • Pond Study
• Cook Outs • Nature Crafts
• Mountain Biking (must bring own bike) • Forest Games/ Scavenger Hunt/ Mapping
• Theme Day Fridays • Fishing (must bring own pole)

BRING

To make sure you are prepared for the outdoors in all weather conditions we suggest you bring

• Sun Hat • Hoodie or Wind breaker
• Sun Screen • Water Bottle
• Towel & Bathing suit • Comfortable Shoes (runners)
• Plastic cup & plate & cutlery • Raincoat
• ** A large Ziploc bag for your dirty dishes – • Bug spray (if you use it)

 

DO NOT BRING

Please do NOT bring electronic devices, knives or valuables. This year backpacks will not be stored in the building but in the picnic shelter. On “easels” with hooks.

OPTIONAL

We have PFDs and paddles; however, you may bring your own if you wish. Mountain biking is an optional activity scheduled for Wednesdays and Fridays. If campers wish to take part, they will need to bring a bike (in good working condition) and a helmet. Fishing is also an optional activity which will require your camper to bring their own fishing rod (and tackle if they wish).

We will see you soon at Island Lake Conservation Area from 9:00am-4:00 pm (Unless you have arranged before and after care). Here are a few last-minute reminders for you.

SAFETY & OTHER

  1. WAIVER FORMS – MUST be signed in person the first morning at drop off zone. The real parent/ guardian of the camper must drop off the child on the first morning. NO exceptions. ** If you are carpooling AFTER the first morning – the person bringing the children must sign in ALL of them as their legal guardian – so this means the parent sending them with the other driver has given signing authority to the other person in the car. The other parent will still have to sign-in your child on your behalf. Which means that if you send your child in a car pool and there are children in three different groups in the car – it is possible that the person doing drop-off might have to do sign in at 3 different stations
  2. HEALTH CARD – perhaps the easiest way for you to provide the health card # is to write it on the Waiver form. Please bring a photocopy of your camper’s health card – or provide the number at the time of drop off.
  3. FOOD REQUESTS – If you have any special food requests or concerns, or any last minute queries do not hesitate to ask myself (Moose) or my wife (Storm) or the Program Directors (River) or (Newt) before leaving the first morning.
  4. **If your child has any challenges entering new situations, or if there are any concerns that we may wish to be aware of before camp arrives, please email us, or call ahead and discuss these with us, thanks!!
  5. DIRECTONS – When you go into Island Lake (stay right) you will go to the gatehouse, you will tell them you are going to Eco Camp. They will guide you to the right. Go past the first open field on your right hand side. Go past the road to the beach on your left hand side. Then you will come to a much larger parking lot on your right hand side – this is where you will park to drop off your child/ children this year.
  6. If you have any trouble sending an email to solidsummercamping@rogers.com please feel free to use gksol@rogers.com … Don’t forget you can always call us at 519-939-8333 or 519-939-8330.
  7. SWIMMING : The CVC will not be testing the lake water anymore at Island Lake. As many of you know from recent camp years, we have been swimming less and less due to high bacteria counts. We do not wish to risk your child’s health so we will not be swimming in the lake at this point. Please let us know if you have a concern around this decision.

INSTEAD OF SWIMMING – FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, WE HAVE BEEN RUNNING A “WATER GAMES” SESSION AT OPTIONS WHERE CAMPERS PLAY GAMES THAT INVOLVE BUCKETS AND SPONGES, RUNNING THROUGH SPRINKLERS etc. … WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE WATER GAMES FOR ALL CAMPERS WHO WISH TO COOL OFF IN THIS FASHION. (AND OF COURSE, THERE ARE ALWAYS POPSICLES AND ACTIVITIES IN THE SHADE FOR A HOT AFTERNOON).

Your friends at ECO Camp,

Greg (Moose) Director of Eco Camp and Teacher for UGDSB

Karen (Storm) C0-Director and Teacher for UGDSB

Ian Wolfe (Wolf) – Assistant Director and Teacher for UGDSB

Rachael Sypkes – Program Director and Teacher in Georgetown.