Nature Camp

Nature Camp is a private, residential, coeducational summer camp specializing in natural history and environmental science education for youth and is one of the oldest camps of its kind in the country. Since 1942 Nature Camp has sought to train a corps of interested and knowledgeable youth, aged 5th through 12th grades, to conserve and protect the environment and to become wise stewards of the natural resources of the earth.
Nature Camp is situated in a valley by the banks of Big Mary's Creek in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Rockbridge County in Virginia. Nature Camp is founded on the principle that no one can be expected to save the world who doesn't care about the world, and no one can be expected to care about the natural world who doesn't know about and understand it.
Nature Camp was originally located at Sherando Lake, but later moved to its current location in George Washington National Forest near the town of Vesuvius. The land belongs to the United States Forest Service, but is on indefinite loan to Nature Camp. For many years Nature Camp was sponsored by the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs. But in 2006 the camp faced steep bills for expensive upgrades to its plumbing and electrical systems, and the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs concluded that it could no longer support the camp. For the next year the continued existence of the camp was in question, but supporters and alumni of Nature Camp organized to raise money for the needed improvements. Sponsorship of Nature Camp was transferred to the Nature Camp Foundation. Since then the garden clubs have continued to support Nature Camp by providing scholarships to many campers each year.
Nature Camp seeks to foster an appreciation for and love of nature by inviting its campers to explore the world around them through hands-on, outdoor, experiential learning. The camp attempts to inspire "the young people of today to become environmentally responsible and conscientious citizens of tomorrow." The camp runs four two-week sessions each summer, with the oldest campers attending the first session and the youngest attending the last. Nature Camp is an academically-oriented camp, with the campers taking classes that use the surrounding mountains and forests as classrooms and laboratories. Typical classes include geology, herpetology, entomology and many others. In addition to the four youth sessions, there is one adult session each year.
There are a number of traditions associated with Nature Camp. One of the most exciting is the legend of Percy, a predatory green algae blob who has haunted camp since Lillian Schilling's day. The memory of Bob Goodman, a former caretaker, also lives on at Nature Camp today. A popular tradition is the Sunday hike, where the campers divide into groups, and each group takes a different hike of varying lengths. Popular destinations include McClung Mountain, Hogback Mountain, Whetstone Ridge, Mount Pleasant, and Mine Mountain. The Sunday hike is traditionally followed by a turkey dinner and banana pudding. That evening, a screening of "All the Difference" proves to be a monumental occasion for all campers and counselors.

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