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Traditional Lifestyles Exposure Workshop
Programs at Turtle Island
School Camps
Turtle Island's school camp is full of fun and adventure based on exciting educational experiences with nature. Hands-on "doing it" nature crafts step students into another realm of consciousness as they experiment with nature through daily lifestyle activities. While living in tipis and Adirondack shelters, making nature crafts, students not only create meaningful art, but also develop self confidence and group cohesiveness.
We work with students of all ages and levels of outdoor experience. The school trip is a living experience, confronting and realizing the essentials of life. Students have the opportunity to see the world through new perspectives created through immersion in the natural environment. They are guided by sensitive naturalists toward understanding the beautiful intricacies of life. We purposefully maintain primitive surroundings instead of "overdeveloping" our site.
Our educational program is based on students' interaction with and development of outdoor living skills. These skills are taught by extraordinary naturalists who have integrated the outdoor living theme into their personal lives. WOODS WISDOM gained from such activities as making and tending a fire, pitching a tipi, making a bed, and gathering water gives campers a fundamental education for living in the wilds comfortably. As skills develop so does confidence.
Boys and Girls Summer Camps
Our unique Boys and Girls Camps offer a totally natural living experience and exceptional education. All campers and instructors live in tipis and rustic shelters. Campers learn to make what they need for wilderness comfort. We are here to provide Basic Living and Environmental Education experiences which help boys and girls become balanced people. All of our Summer Boys and Girls Camps activities promote positive growth through fun and exciting learning opportunities. We also provide quiet time for reflection where youth can gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their relationships with others. Turtle Island Preserve offers an excellent outdoor classroom where hands on activities breathe life into Native American and Colonial history, as well as the natural sciences. We believe learning should be fun. Our Summer Camps provide youth with a strong experiential foundation and motivation for cultural and scientific studies. Summer camp is "our gift to the world". Over 15 professional educators-not just college students as is standard in summer camps, but a clan of extraordinary, unique individuals are chosen for their excellence in their field. These professionals come together to create a phenomenal community with a staff to student ratio of better than 1:2.
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Family Camp
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Camping is a time for slowing down and escaping the fast pace of our busy scheduled lives. Turtle Island's Family camping trip provides a unique and special opportunity. Parents and their children can "slow down" and enjoy each others uninterrupted company while experiencing the joys and wonders of the natural world. Daily activities are designed to acquaint participants with their new surroundings, to understand, enjoy and appreciate the natural world. There's no age or experience limit. Family camp is a time for growing and learning. We work on fundamental lifestyle crafts and activities of the "back to basics" simple living, that has so much to teach us regarding universal truths and values. There is no need to rough it in the wilds when your family can learn to work with the natural world and camp comfortably. Outdoor living teaches much on a practical level.
"Eustace Conway's Traditional Lifestyles" Exposure Workshop
Explore traditional tools, techniques and practices of a sustainable historic economy.
This time with Eustace Conway is an adventure in time travel. The workshop will be held on Turtle Island's horse drawn farm; a real working farm abounding with rich Appalachian tradition.
This will be a spontaneous interaction with crafts and lore that Eustace practices daily. Philosophy and real life anecdotes will weave into the day's pursuit. A small group intimately sharing like this will glean insightful, inspiring involvement with real live cultural engagement and interpretation. Get as involved as you dare or simply watch the intriguing activities that develop.
Activities may include spoon carving, plant gathering and usage, blacksmithing tools, horse and buggy rides, garden harvesting, cooking with wood, using a log builder's tool kit and much more. The possibilities are endless. Eustace has been practicing these skills full time in a non-electrical alternative lifestyle for over twenty years.
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Adult Camp (5 days)
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Adult Camp offers a natural experience for those who wish to learn old time Appalachian mountain skills, develop a deeper connection to the earth and make new friends. It enables a profound understanding of our connection to all of the creatures and elements that share the earth. A small group of ten adults come together to learn while living comfortably outdoors in a beautiful forest setting. Participants should leave refreshed and inspired to actively uphold the values that are nurtured at Turtle Island.
ADULT CAMPS AND WORKSHOPS, SCHOOL TRIPS, SCOUT RETREATS, COLLEGE SERVICE LEARNING PROJECTS AND FAMILY CAMPS MAY BE SCHEDULED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS DEPENDING ON AVAILABILITY