Now in its 26th year, Outdoor Family Weekend promises to educate and engage campers of all interests and abilities with a host of new workshops and evening entertainment.
As in past years, it will take place at Stillwater State Park in Groton, VT. Dates for the 2024 event are Sept. 6 – 8.
The weekend is sponsored by University of Vermont Extension and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources’ Departments of Fish & Wildlife and Forests, Parks & Recreation. A campsite (for up to eight people), expert-led workshops, Friday night ice cream social and evening activities are all included in the $175 fee. Campers also will have full access to the park’s facilities, including free rental of canoes.
For details or to register, go to https://go.uvm.edu/outdoor-family. Registrations will be accepted until Aug. 18 or all spots are filled. For the best selection of campsites and workshops, early registration is advised. Campsites are assigned on a first come, first served basis with every effort made to accommodate families that request adjoining sites.
For questions about registration or to request a disability-related accommodation to participate, call Lisa Flinn at 802.656.7607 or 800.545.8920 ext. 67607 (Vermont calls only) by Aug. 18.
Participants can add a Sunday night stay at their campsite for no additional charge. Arrangements should be made at the ranger station upon arrival. Fishing licenses also may be purchased at the park although are not required for kids 14 and under.
The weekend kicks off with an ice cream social and evening campfire. On Saturday afternoon, campers will gather to celebrate Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday and learn about fire safety.
An evening fireside program will feature stories of fire and folklore told by Virginia Holiman, a farm-to-school educator from Highgate, and Kurt Valenta, founder of the Exordium Nature Experience in Enosburgh Falls.
Throughout the weekend there will be a camping gear swap. Families are encouraged to bring their gently used tents, sleeping bags, camp cookware and other hiking and camping gear to exchange for something new-to-them.
Each camper may sign up for three workshops with each session offering more than a dozen choices, including some geared specifically to younger children. A few workshops will incur a nominal fee for materials.
Options include shelter building and knot tying, firecraft, painting on canvas, shooting sports, campfire cooking, yoga in nature, introduction to mountain biking, canoe fishing, edible and medicinal plants, basic first aid and compass orienteering, among many others.
Several new workshops are offered this year including tracking nature’s clues, log tricks and tree climbing, reading the natural landscape of the forest, low-angle rappelling, woodland stagecraft, dog-powered sports and more.
Younger campers can sign up with a parent to create a fairy hideaway, explore stream and aquatic habitats, learn how to fish or investigate the various types of seeds found in the park to make a seed mosaic.
For more information, check out https://www.facebook.com/OutdoorFamilyWeekendVT.
