Nature Camp memories

For several years in the late 1960's, I attended Nature Camp, in Vesuvius, VA. At that time, we lived in Buena Vista, VA. I was offered a chance to go to Nature Camp, and went, knowing nothing about the programs, the mission, or the facilities at the camp. I was the least likely person to enjoy this experience. I was interested in the arts (primarily dance) and literature, not science. I was not a fan of "roughing it" and had never been camping in my life! I was very small, very shy, and not at all athletic. Who could have predicted my love affair with Nature Camp? I don't know what happened, or how, but I fell in love with Nature Camp my first year there, culminating in being named Best All Around Girl Camper that year. After that, nothing could have kept me from going back. I remember spending hours in the lab. There were counselors who became special friends, and campers whom I looked forward to seeing year after year. The magic of Nature Camp - I was hooked, and looked so forward to the time when I could become a counselor. Unfortunately, in 1970 my family moved to Alabama, and I never again had the opportunity to go back to Nature Camp.

Even after these 40+ years, I have fond memories of Nature Camp. I never became a scientist, but the lessons I learned at camp stayed with me far better than any of the science classes I took in school. Every now and then when I can answer a trivia question that no one expects from me, I think back with a smile about all those hours in botany, entomology, and ornithology classes. I remember the "big" test at the end of the session, and having to identify all those plants. Poison ivy was a dead giveaway, because there was a sign saying not to touch. The values instilled at Nature Camp still influence decisions that I make in my life. I was so happy to find the website and discover that the camp that holds such happy memories for me is still providing those same experiences to young people today.

A Grain of Truth

My dad's philosophy is, don't let the truth stand in the way of a good story. I subscribe to that, so as you're reading my posts, if you were there and don't remember the event exactly as described, please feel free to comment, but understand that I write from my perspective and philosophy. There's always a grain of truth in every story, and more than that in most.