Firefly Song News Updates

August 7 - All the things

In these final days of camp, we have so very much going on. Swimmers are out swimming their Grand Circuits; we are preparing for the Fair (still making all those Connegberts); a small group of campers and staff went out on a "super hike" a few days ago, with folks from Timberlake; and we had our last Cocoa House performances a few nights ago - and some of the songs and skits brought out all those end of camp feels in me.  Looking forward to seeing many of you at the Fair so very soon.

August 2 - Hold on tight, this is a long one.  My love letter to the 2025 Firefly Song Trips Staff

This morning, we sent out our last group of trips, which includes Big Lodge and some First Lodgers. We sent off 20 staff and 48 campers, across three hiking trips (one with Timberlake), two canoe trips, one rock-climbing trip, and one base camp trip up at Ninevah (also with Timberlake), where they will work on their outdoor living skills. These trips require a huge amount of preparation (logistical, physical, gear, food, behavioral, medical, emotional), and the team that takes on the bulk of this work is my Trips Staff team, a small but mighty crew who all came to work this job this summer because of their own love of trips and their commitment to building capacity in kids for them to have their own powerful wilderness experiences. So today I want to tell you a little bit about what our trips staff do and how very important they are to what happens at Firefly Song

In the lead up to trips, the Trips Staff team engages in a huge amount of work (and they do this four times throughout the session, as we send our campers out in two “trip windows” during each session). While there are a variety of things that happen before summer even starts, and all the Trips Staff go through specific Trips Training during our Staff Training time, one of the first things they do that is obvious to the whole community is describing the trips to campers, so that they can make a list of their choices. Simultaneously, and somewhat behind the scenes, a smaller group of us (a few of the Trips Staff team and the FS Leadership team) are considering how to staff the trips: which people will do hiking trips? who will go canoeing? (each canoe trip needs at least one lifeguard); how to pair staff so that they complement each other, in terms of skills and strengths.

Once we have staffed the trips, we take the kids’ notecards, filled out with their preferences, and decide which kids will go where. All this must happen in a timeline that allows us to make the announcements three to four days before the trips actually depart. We then move into the packing and preparation window, which includes kids finding and packing their personal gear (and when necessary, borrowing gear from F&W). There is also the group gear (e.g., pots and pans, first aid kits, toilet paper, tents, stoves and fuel) – all also managed by the Trip Staff – some of it needing to be cleaned and checked before each trip, some of it needing to be procured from various sources around and about F&W. Contractor bags (which campers use to line their packs, to keep things dry in case of rain) were in short supply two nights ago, and we needed to make a run to the other end of camp to find some in one of our storage areas.

Let’s not forget about food! The Trips Staff go through the info we have about each child, and their dietary and allergy information, and then spend several days packing up the food for each trip. In some cases, needing to pack up the food in a separate place at a separate time if, for example, we are needing to attend to any sort of significant food allergy. Much of this work happens “behind the scenes” – in the mornings and afternoons, or even late into the evening, while campers are engaged in their regular morning and afternoon programming. Interspersed with all this work are those blocks of time when the Trips Staff facilitate kids and staff getting their gear packed up.

I have now watched this Trips Staff team go through this process four times this summer (four plus if we count the First Lodge only trips that we send out while Senior Lodgers are also out), with today being the last round. I am so very in awe of the team that has made this happen, again and again. It might be easy to take it for granted, as much of the work does happen a bit on the sides and behind closed doors. In fact, as we build our new Trips Building this summer, and no longer have the Cracker Barrel, our old trip storage area, the Trips Staff had to come up with a plan for all the gear and where to store it. They took over the Camper Library, up behind the Main Lodge, moved all the gear there, and have been working out of this space all summer, having made it an organized and functional gear area.

I really cannot put into words the amount of admiration and appreciation that I have for these young people, who take this job incredibly seriously and show up to do the work. I am also so lucky to have a huge number of staff working in all areas around camp who are enthusiastic about leading trips alongside the Trips Staff folks. And, of course, there are so many others who make trips happen – the staff who drive the kids out to the starting points for their trips (and who pick them up when they are done!); the nurse team, who pack out all the kids’ meds and help staff know how to administer them on the trail (and they of course prepare all the first aid kits that go out); and our behavioral health team also checks in with the staff from each trip group to inform staff of any “camper concerns” they should be aware of.

But, to Hana, Fia and Alden, who took the lead on all this work this summer, and to Max, Maggi, Kat, Kiera and Millie, who worked alongside them and went out as Trip Leaders on all of these trips, this is my love letter to you and all that you do for the campers and staff here at Firefly Song.

August 1 - Garden Spotlight, and other things, too

From the garden: today we had a Garden Afternoon. This is a time when we gather in our beautiful garden space, up above the road by our barn, and spend time caring for the garden as well as doing other activities. The spot looks out over the lake and at the mountains across the way, and is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon. Campers weeded and harvested (including all the ripe raspberries before I could get there!), played improv games, drop spindled wool, painted with watercolors, made flower crowns, and, as we do every day at this time of year, worked on conneggberts. 

Also happening much of today and yesterday - trips preparation for Big Lodge Trips, leaving tomorrow.  Stay tuned for more on that!

July 30 - quick check in with Creative Arts

So many amazing things happening in our Creative Arts area this summer.  Here are just a few:  candle-making, cardboard and nature looms - campers collect sticks and use yarn and other natural materials (ferns!) to create something, cyanotype prints, collaging, and black out poetry.  And, I would be remiss if I did not mention our biggest second session effort in this area: CONEGGBERTS for the Fair. 

July 26 - end of the first week of camp.

It has been such a great first week of camp. Senior Lodgers have headed out on their trips (hiking, canoeing, climbing, wilderness skills), and some First Lodgers will go out today.  The weather has been back and forth between cooler temps and then some warm warm days and nights.  We had a Waterfront Evening (to celebrate my birthday in part!) and it is so clear to me that this is a camp full of people who love swimming and the water, and lots of kids have set their sights on some distance swims this session.  Tonight we have our first Cocoa House (camper led skits, songs, talents, offerings of all sorts) of the session. Have you seen the pictures of the new mural and the new Cocoa House stage?  check out the camp Instagram for that.

July 22 - Second Full Day of Second Session

Welcome to Session Two.  We are in full swing today, with First and Big Lodgers starting their rotations through our activity areas (and having chosen some excellent group names: The Lively Maggots, The Sparkly Earwigs - is there a theme here?  The Flying Frying Pans. No, we are not throwing kitchenware around...).  Meanwhile Senior Lodgers have started their Apprenticeships.  We have another group doing a mural - did you see the picture of last session's mural on the Firefly Song Instagram?  I am so excited that they are doing another one this time.  As always, our ever more robust Pioneer Program has an enthusiastic crew.  And, there will be campers working on the Trips Building, canoeing at the waterfront, doing Farm to Table work, and tackling food, fire-building and foraging, as part of the Dryads apprenticeship.

July 14th - Grand Circuit Day

I have just rung the 3-bell, signifying 30 minutes till breakfast.  At this time, usually, the lodge is quite quiet, and some First Lodgers will roll in to do table set.  This morning, however, the place is overflowing with campers, energy, and excitement.  About 23 campers are attempting the Grand Circuit, our swim around the full perimeter of the lake (close to 3 miles), and some are even aiming to do it multiple times. They are getting breakfast early and preparing for a day on the water.  Our Waterfront Head, Mary, and her able staff will be supporting them with boats, food and of course lots of encouragement, and this is something campers have been working up to all session.  Goals goals goals, an important part of the camp experience.

July 9 - Special Day!!! (yesterday)

Each session, we have a "special day".  It is a surprise for campers, though they tend to know it will happen at some point.  It is themed, and staff plan in advance, a combination of decorations, activities, food treats, etc.  This year's theme was "The Lorax" and it was a wild success (look for pictures on SmugMug).  While I love both the campers' anticipation and curiosity in the lead up to the day, as well as their joy during the day, what I love even more is seeing my staff embrace the project of making it happen: the development of a storyline, coming up with costumes, character actors, embodying parts of the story, the transformation they create in and around the Main Lodge. In the moment of this day, they are a unique combination of their own inner kid, playful and imaginative, as well as still being the engine behind our campers' experience at Firefly Song.

July 6 - we are all back in camp

Senior Lodge has returned from their trips, as well as half of First Lodge - who spent two nights up at New Pond and Crown Point shelters, in the Ninevah area.  As always, trips give campers a renewed appreciation for the "comforts" of camp, and they inevitably return with some great stories. Senior Lodgers are settling in to their Apprenticeships and I was excited yesterday to see siding going up on the new Trips Building (keep your eyes out for pictures of that on the FS Instagram account).  

July 3rd - First Cabin Cookout of the Session

Last night we had our first Cabin Cookout of the session. Our talented and very creative Head Cook had baked potatoes wrapped in foil, as well as hot dogs, on the menu. The potatoes were pre-baked so we just needed to warm them up in the fire. But here is the special part – after eating their potatoes, campers were instructed to save the foil, and then use that as a vehicle for a delicious banana, graham cracker, chocolate and marshmallow feast – which would get all gooey and delicious after spending some time in the fire. Campers approached the task from different angles (a bit of a Great British Bake Off situation?) and the results seemed successful all around.

June 30th - Senior Lodgers headed out today

They will be gone until Friday – four nights, five days. We are sending out two canoe trips, one to Maine and one to the Adirondacks in New York; two hiking trips, one to northern Vermont and one to New Hampshire; a rock-climbing trip with Timberlake, to the Adirondacks, and a base camping trip to one of our sites up in Ninevah. Campers have spent the last few days getting to know their trip groups and leaders, creating a trip~community contract, learning some of the skills they will need . Yesterday afternoon the lawn was full of gear and all the tents were put up so campers could learn that skill. I am so excited for them to have these experiences out in the wilderness. Meanwhile back at camp, our First and Big Lodgers will carry on with their programming, with camp feeling much smaller and a wee bit quieter with our oldest campers gone.

June 26th - Hello from the tail end of the first full day of camp!

The campers are running all over, playing our first All Camp Game of the session – a fevered engagement, focused on saving the camp from the mercenary hands of the pirates.  We are hoping the sailors prevail and the camp can carry on with its important work and sense of agency!

Today our Senior Lodgers spent time hearing about and signing up for their Apprenticeships and their trips (which leave on Monday!).  First and Big Lodgers were treated to fun skits by all the different Activity Areas they will spend time in this session, and came up with the names for their rotation groups (great examples: The Teal Leaf-Munchers Who Don’t Eat Cows, Awesome Possums, The Cool Capybaras, The Poppyseed Muffins).

My amazing Program Director, who designed the All Camp Game, just walked into my office and said (about how the game is going) “this is the best night of my life”.  I am so lucky to have such a great group of staff to make camp happen.

June 24th - See you tomorrow!

It's been sunny and hot the last few days, and promises to be the same tomorrow.  We are so looking forward to greeting you all sometime between 1 and 4. Staff have been working hard to put the final touches on cabins, ways they will create their cabin communities, planning afternoon activities, and also finding time to swim at our beautiful waterfront, given this heat.  I look forward to a full lodge at our first dinner together tomorrow night.

June 20th - We are getting ready for you!

Welcome to the FS Newsfeed and post #1! We are so looking forward to seeing you in a few days. Staff have been here preparing for your arrival for nearly two weeks. They have been learning skills in our different activity areas (barns and gardens, waterfront, arts, trips, outdoor living skills, work projects, and rocks and ropes) as well as how to work with kids (creating routines, supporting homesick campers, building community). One thing I am particularly excited about is the new Trips Building we are working on. If you are a returning family, get ready to be awe-struck! The whole area around the (former) Cracker Barrel site is completely changed. The landscape looks different and the new building is well underway – waiting for campers to start work on it. For new and returning families, please appreciate the building you will see there – an in progress construction project that was a learning and training site for all of our staff who will be working in our Work Projects (carpentry and construction) areas this summer.