Week Two of Camp: Nature, Nourishment and New Skills!
Week two of the Lopez Island Family Resource Center’s summer camps was all about nature, creativity, and hands-on learning. With four camps running, there was something for every young explorer, builder, coder, and chef!
We were lucky to welcome Mike Rosekrans from the Youth Conservation Corps for guided nature walks and games, where campers spotted and identified plants and animals along the LifeTrail while learning about Leave No Trace principles and how to be responsible stewards of the land.
Earlier in the week, guest instructor Margo Thorp from the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank joined us for native plant activities: she brought plants from the nursery, led a fun seed-to-plant matching game, and guided campers as they cleaned native seeds and created bookmarks decorated with native plant designs.
Coding Camp: Bright Ideas and Blinking Lights
Thanks to a partnership with the Economic Development Council, our coding campers dove into circuits, sensors, and simple robotics with instructor Liam Griskey-Watson. Campers experimented with LEDs, motors, and even programmed their own games to run on LCD screens!
Culinary Camp: Cooking Up Confidence
In the kitchen, Culinary campers stirred up more than just meals. From homemade pizzas and fresh salads to perfectly emulsified Caesar dressing and creamy panna cotta with strawberries, kids gained kitchen skills and confidence. Camp closed with a shared meal enjoyed with family—a sweet ending to a full week.
Thank you to our guest instructors and community partners for making this week possible! Whether painting with berries, wiring circuits, or sharing a meal, our campers reminded us once again that learning happens everywhere!
Wilderness Explorers: Stories from the Forest
Our nature-themed Read-a-Rama camp invited kids to connect with the natural world through stories and crafts.
In The Hike, campers learned to identify local wildlife, practiced map-making, and created beautiful nature rubbings with leaves, moss, and sticks.
Tree Hole Homes gave us a glimpse into the secret lives of native tree frogs (paired with some very popular frog egg slime!) before kids built their own unique animal habitats.
Berry Song inspired gratitude for the gifts of the land as campers mixed salal berries into paint for a collaborative mural and created painted “berry rocks.”
BuildAbility Camp: Teamwork and Reflection
In BuildAbility Camp, kids focused on building confidence and collaboration. Journaling and reflective drawing offered moments of quiet observation, while cooperative games like Wildcraft encouraged campers to work together and problem-solve as a team.
Our week of nature nourishment and new skills culminated in a special visit from the Burke Museum, sparking excitement among geology and paleontology fans—both big and small. (Stay tuned for more on this special visit in the coming week!)