kickapoo valley reserve summer adventure day campskvr.state.wi.us/documents/summer camp descriptions...

AGES 2-3

Forest Friends

Twice a week for two weeks, children and their

parent will use all their senses to explore several

habitats and natural play areas on the Reserve.

A flexible format will allow time for children to

use their imagination, creativity, hand-eye coor-

dination, balance and physical strength to build

confidence through connection with the natural

world. Songs and a healthy snack are included.

Be sure to dress for the weather!

June 11-22, 2018 9:00 am – 10:30 am

Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs session

Fee: $35/child (includes healthy snack)

Limit: 8 minimum/10 maximum children per

session

Registration Deadline: May 19, 2018

Instructor: Julie Hoel is a retired teacher and

certified Wisconsin Master Naturalist. Some of

her favorite childhood experiences were being

in the outdoors at camp. As a parent and grand-

parent, she looks forward to discovering the

magic of the woods with children.

Welcome to another summer of exploration and discovery!

Kickapoo Valley Reserve Summer Adventure Day Camps

AGES 4-5

Kinder Camp

Twice a week for two weeks we’ll explore the

natural world through discovery hikes, nature

crafts and song. Your child will experience

nature with guided hands-on activities designed

to engage their imagination and encourage

their connection with nature.

June 11-22, 2018 9:00 am – 11:30 am

Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs session


Limit: 10 minimum/15 maximum children

per session

Registration Deadline: May 19, 2018

Instructor: Julia Buckingham is a current

preschool and kindergarten Montessori teacher

in Viroqua. She has a background in environ-

mental education. She enjoys teaching others

about the wonderful living and non-living

gems found at KVR.

AGES 6-7

Jeepers Creepers

Children will become nature detectives, looking

for clues, solving mysteries and using their

senses to look, listen, touch, taste and smell.

Our days will include games, projects and an

explorer’s notebook.

June 18-22, 2018

Morning (8:30-11:30 am) or afternoon ses-

sion (12:30-3:30 pm)


Limit: 15 children per session

Registration Deadline: June 2, 2018

Instructor: Mary Szepi has been teaching

young children at Norwalk-Ontario-Wilton

Schools for over 20 years. She headed the En-

vironmental Education program at NOW for

over a decade. Mary enjoys long distance hik-

ing and has trekked the wilderness in several

countries. She has been helping children dis-

cover the simple joys of playing in nature at the

KVR for 9 years. She lives in the woods

(outside Ontario) and spends a lot of time walk-

ing, observing, exploring, learning, canoeing,

kayaking and camping.

New! Home and Away: An explora-

tion of animal habitat and migration

In this camp we will venture more deeply into

the art of creating shelters & going on mini-

expeditions, exploring the natural world with an

eye for what makes a home. Migrating animals

like birds, elk and monarchs as well as shelter

building animals like fox, wasps and beaver have

much to teach us! Learning about ecological re-

lationships is a foundation of understanding the

natural world. With stories, science, song,

games, shelter building activities, and hiking,

students will experience the natural world of the

KVR from an animal's perspective.

June 25-June 29, 2018 9:00 am – 2:30 pm

Fee: $75/child (includes healthy snack; child

must pack own lunch)



Instructor: Vicki Ramsay is a Wisconsin certi-

fied environmental education teacher, Wiscon-

sin Master Naturalist Instructor and the Water

Quality Coordinator for the Valley Stewardship

Network. She teaches Biology, Agriculture,

Chemistry and Life Drawing at Youth Initiative

High School in Viroqua. She loves the adven-

tures and lifelong learning that we all receive

from Nature just by taking time to notice, ex-

plore and spend time in the wild sharing our dis-

coveries.

AGES 8-10

Children ages 8-10 will spend the day exploring, creating and getting wet and

dirty while they discover nature and wilderness at its summer best!

Nature Nuts

Each day of Nature Nuts camp brings explora-

tion, discovery and new skills. Campers will

investigate the realm of plants with identifica-

tion games and crafts, they’ll search for animal

life and learn the art of quiet sitting to see who

comes along. We’ll encounter the wonders of

the water with a day on the pond learning basic

canoe skills and safety and discovering who

lives in this watery world. Traditional crafts

and demonstrations in the ways that ancient

peoples made their fires, shelters and food will

also be part of the adventure. Each day will

include hikes, time for guided play and safe ex-

ploration. We’ll get wet, dirty and gain a new

level of comfort and knowledge about nature.

June 11-15, 2018 9:00 am – 2:30 pm

July 9-13, 2018 9:00 am – 2:30 pm

Note: Each week includes the same program-

ming; please register for only one.

Fee: $75 (includes healthy snack; child must

pack own lunch).



Instructor: Nicholas Gale is a certified wil-

derness guide and has been teaching children at

the Kickapoo Valley Reserve for over 12 years.

His passion is helping children learn nature

awareness skills that help them connect with

the earth.

NEW! Mind Full of Nature

Too much screen time? Our natural world is a rich resource for developing the skills of contemplation and

connection. This camp will be focused on helping 8-10 year olds explore fun, yoga-inspired mindful move-

ment, walking meditations, nature journaling and nature-inspired art. Children will learn calming, grounding

and centering practices that will also be useful tools for anxiety or social and emotional learning. Games

and activities will highlight tools for connecting and communicating with one another about the importance

of the natural world in our lives.

August 6-10, 2018 9:00 am – 2:30 pm

Fee: $75 (includes healthy snack; child must pack own lunch)

Limit: 15 children

Registration Deadline: July 27, 2018

Instructor: Robin Hosemann has over 16 years of experience as a K-12 public school educator. Through-

out her career, Robin has been dedicated to connecting her students with outdoor education opportunities.

Robin recently completed 200 hours of registered yoga teacher training and she works with teachers and

classrooms to promote mindfulness and wellness practices. She is passionate about helping young people

develop mindful ways of moving in natural settings, make careful observations of wild things and learn

about how connection with the outdoors can inspire better care-taking and responsibility for our precious

resources.

AGES 11-14

Hands-on activities, high outdoor adventure and new friends await your child

as they experience the outdoor world at its best

Wilderness Adventure Camp

Whether you are joining Wilderness Adventure for the first time or returning for another year, there are al-

ways new skills to learn and friends to meet! Join us for a combination of high adventure activities and wil-

derness living skills that promote self-confidence while developing a sense of wonder about nature. This

camp will include challenge course teambuilding; active adventure elements such as remote backpacking,

map and compass navigation; and river paddling. It will also allow participants to gain knowledge of plants,

mammals, tracking, birds and wilderness survival skills. Our qualified instructors will guide students into

new and challenging experiences that nurture their connection to the earth and serve them for a lifetime. Past

Nature Nuts campers will have an opportunity to build the wilderness foundation skills they have already

gained. This camp is also a pre-requisite for Wilderness Leadership camp. The optional Thursday night

overnight will give participants the opportunity to expand their wilderness cooking skills, fire building, and

leave-no-trace camping skills; hone their night-time nature awareness; and do some guided evening star gaz-

ing if weather permits. Additional female staff will chaperone the overnight. Choose one session.

New! Where the Wild Things Are

Instructor: Cathy Chybowski is an experienced natural-

ist/life science teacher whose passion is getting kids out-

side. She worked for several years as a DNR Naturalist,

and almost 20 years teaching Ecology, Biology and A.P.

Environmental Science. She now works as a KVR in-

structor where she spends much time outdoors continuing

to be inspired by nature and her students.

Have you ever seen a yellow-bellied sapsucker? Have

you encountered a water scorpion? Have you practiced

fox-walking? Bring your sense of wonder and an adven-

turous spirit to explore the wetlands, prairies and wood-

lands at the KVR. Each participant will take an active

role in discovering and learning how naturalists explore

and learn about nature. Be prepared for hiking, canoeing,

journaling, field studies, storytelling, nature crafts and

games. Interactive games will stress involvement and de-

emphasize competition. Respectful behaviors in nature

will be emphasized. Participants will be introduced to cit-

izen science along with the opportunity to engage in a

citizen science surveys.

July 23-27, 2018 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Fee: $80 (child must pack own lunch)



Session 1: July 16-20, 2018 with optional

overnight July 19 9:00 am – 3:00 pm or

Session 2: August 13-17, 2018 with optional

overnight August 16 9:00am-3:00pm

Fees: $80 Monday-Friday (youth must pack

own lunch)

$30 Optional overnight (fee includes sup-

per and breakfast)



Instructors: Nicholas Gale is a certified wilderness

guide through a year-long primitive living immersion

course. He has been teaching summer camps and

community programs at the Reserve for over 12 years.

Bill Humphrey (Wilderness Adventure both dates and

Leadership) is the owner of Essential Skills Outdoor

School. He is a certified climbing instructor with over

20 years rock climbing and teaching experience. Bill

is a member of American Mountain Guides Associa-

tion and a certified Wilderness First Responder

through Wilderness Medical Associates.

AGES 13-17

Explore the trails, wetlands, woods and river with our experienced backcountry

instructors who help your child foster positive connections with nature

Wilderness Leadership Camp

Come join us on this four-day, three-night adventure for teens only. Campers will deepen their experience in the

wilderness environment and gain hands-on leadership skills. This is a self-contained wilderness trek designed to

develop endurance and self-confidence by pushing personal boundaries in a safe and supportive back-country set-

ting. Experienced wilderness instructors Nicholas Gale and Bill Humphrey will teach subjects such as proper se-

lection and use of outdoor gear, shelter building, wilderness cooking, weather safety and wilderness navigation.

Campers will provide their own backpacks, sleeping bags and personal clothing. Tarps for tents will be provided

as well as food and cooking gear. Detailed gear list provided with registration confirmation. Additional female

staff will be available to chaperone overnights.

Prerequisite: Campers enrolling in this camp must have already taken the KVR Wilderness Adventure day camp

(see above). Consideration will also be given to students with comparable wilderness experience. Call for more

information.

August 8-11, 2018 9am drop off - 3 pm pick up

August 21-24, 2018 9am drop off - 3 pm pick up

Fee: $210 - Includes 3 meals per day



Instructors: Nicholas Gale is a certified wilderness guide through a year-long primitive living immersion

course. He has been teaching summer camps and community programs at the Reserve for over 12 years.

Bill Humphrey (Wilderness Adventure both dates and Leadership) is the owner of Essential Skills Outdoor

School. He is a certified climbing instructor with over 20 years rock climbing and teaching experience. Bill

is a member of American Mountain Guides Association and a certified Wilderness First Responder through

Wilderness Medical Associates.

Summer Camps are sponsored in part by Organic Valley, Friends of the Kickapoo

Valley Reserve and the La Farge and Norwalk-Ontario-Wilton School Districts.

kickapoo valley reserve summer adventure day campskvr.state.wi.us/documents/summer camp descriptions...

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