Eco-Explorers Adventure Camp
Earthaven Summer Day Camp for Kids
July 31 – August 4, 2023
Earthaven Ecovillage,
Near Asheville, NC
Eco-Explorers Adventure Camp is a unique and exciting opportunity for kids age 6-12 to connect to themselves, each other, and the natural world within the magical landscape of an ecovillage.
The adventure camp is held with love and care by the dedicated staff of The Village School, Earthaven’s homeschool support program for the lower and middle grades.
We will romp around Earthaven Ecovillage’s 320+ acres of neighborhoods, gardens, village commons, and wild spaces, enjoying:
- Morning circle time with songs, stories, and friendship building activities
- Field and forest games to challenge developing minds and bodies
- Hand crafts and natural building projects
- Traditional ecological skills and lore
- And much much more!
Earthaven Ecovillage’s rich environment of hardwood forests, eco-conscious buildings, and thriving human community is an awesome place for kids to develop ecological literacy, gain practical life skills, and build meaningful friendships.
Our daughters (7 and 8) both attended eco-explorer’s camp and loved their experience. They came away from the experience with a bunch of new friends and a renewed appreciation for both nature as well as the modern conveniences they usually take for granted.
Daily Schedule
- 9:30 – 12:30 Morning program
- 12:30 – 1:15 Lunch
- 1:15 – 4:00 Afternoon program
The Group
This program is designed for children who will be 6-12 years old at the start of the program.
Campers will include:
- Local children from the area
- Children whose parents are participating in Earthaven Ecovillage Experience Week
- Children of Earthaven area residents
Children of Experience Week participants
Historically, Earthaven Ecovillage Experience Week participants have yearned for an age-appropriate experience for their children while at Earthaven. This Adventure Camp is designed to be that complementary program for children age 6-12. These youthful campers will participate in Adventure Camp during the day (Monday- Friday) with other children from the village and beyond while their parents are learning the ins and outs of the Earthaven experiment. When Adventure Camp is not in session, the children will be with their families in the larger camp scene of the Experience Week.
Children commuting to the village
This program is open to children commuting to the village. The Earthaven campground will NOT be open to commuting day campers or their parents during this program.
Our three children adored the Earthaven kids’ camp. Each day they came home with new stories of the games they played, friends they met, or adventures they had. If they could have attended the camp every day in the summer, they gladly would have. They’re already very much looking forward to next year.
Sliding Scale Tuition
Because some people have more financial means than others, we have created a sliding scale fee system to accommodate a range of economic realities. The high-end of the scale reflects the value we believe the program holds, and the low-end offers a more accessible entry point.
By choosing a higher price point, you are helping make the program more accessible to others for whom the low-end may be cost-prohibitive. Please consider your needs and resources to determine what might be a stretch, but not a strain.
Cost
Day Campers
Tuition Sliding Scale: $350-450, which includes instruction, all materials, and lunches.
Children of Earthaven Ecovillage Experience Week Participants
Tuition Sliding Scale: $575-675, which includes instruction, all materials, 6 nights accommodations, and all 18 meals throughout Earthaven Ecovillage Experience Week.
Kids’ camp was a fulfilling experience for my son and daughter, and they are excited to return next year! The games and activities were nourishing to their minds, hearts, bodies, and creative spirit. They especially enjoyed making fairy houses and other props, and then using them to perform a play.
Scholarships
We offer partial scholarships (50% of the middle of the sliding scale) to black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) with financial needs who otherwise would not be able to afford to attend. We understand that BIPOC experience more financial and institutional barriers to participation, and this is one way we are able to create more access. If you identify as BIPOC with financial needs and would like to receive a scholarship, please contact us.
I enjoyed the fun games that we played in the forest as well as the art projects we did with natural materials, including making a mini village out of cob.
Logistics
Food
Delicious, omnivorous meals are prepared by talented culinary artists from the Earthaven community. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options available.
As much food as possible is sourced from Earthaven and its surrounding farms and gardens, with some ingredients sourced from local grocery stores. Our meals are created with seasonal, local, fresh, wildcrafted, humanely-raised, and organic ingredients.
***If you have dietary needs beyond the ones listed here, please be prepared to bring supplemental food to support your nourishment and well-being. Our kitchen simply cannot accommodate all diets.
Program Specific Info
Lunches provided. Adventure Camp will be gathering around their own hearth table as a camp, separate from the Experience Week lunch served over yonder. Everyone will be served the same meal.
Lead Instructors
Chloe Vieira
Faculty
Chloe is founder and Creative Director of The Village School, a homeschool enrichment program for 6-12 year-old kids located at Earthaven Ecovillage. Chloe is a passionate student of life and strives to instill in young people that same curiosity and confidence. As a trained circus performer, an integrative eco-social designer, and a parent and Earthaven community member, Chloe brings creativity and fun into the long, hard work of remembering how to belong to one another and the earth.
Chelsea Spitzer Morton
Faculty
Chelsea Spitzer Morton has been joyfully facilitating nature connection experiences for youth and adults for nearly a decade, including at the Village School at Earthaven, where she serves as lead instructor and co-director. She is an educator, an artist, musician and a lifelong student of the interwoven patterns of life.
Registration
Complete the registration form once per participant. It takes 5-10 minutes, and you will complete your enrollment with a credit card authorization.
After your enrollment is processed, you will receive several confirmations…
- An automatic confirmation of receiving your registration form
- A payment confirmation from our card processor
- Confirmation that your registration has been processed
Note: Program participants may not bring pets to Earthaven. If you have a service dog, please contact us to discuss options before registering.
Select the applicable form: