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Flat Rock Playhouse and Green River Preserve Presents: A Summer Theatre Arts Intensive Camp

January 25, 2012 By 1 Comment

Flat Rock Playhouse and Green River Preserve Presents:

A Summer Theatre Arts Intensive Camp

 

Dear GRP Families,

We are extremely excited to share with you Green River Preserve’s NEWEST summer camp program; a Theatre Arts Intensive Camp in partnership with the YouTheatre of Flat Rock Playhouse which is the State Theatre of North Carolina and one of the top theatres nationwide.   The camp will be a coed and residential that runs concurrently with session 5 base camp,  August 5th – 10th.   Open to campers in the rising 6th through 9th grades, it is in keeping with our mission and philosophy to connect bright, curious and creative children with the joy and wonder of nature and the arts.  Attached is a detailed description of the program and a link to both of our websites: www.greenriverpreserve.org/base-camp/theatre-arts-intensive-camp/ and www.YTROCKS.com.

The Theatre Camp has been a work in progress since 2004; often overlapping with our three week session.  The camp began as a small, local endeavor and we realized quickly that many of our GRP campers would enjoy it, too.   When we began making plans for this summer’s theatre camp, we felt the time was right for opening it up to all of our GRP families.

Campers during this session will be guided by both our GRP staff of naturalists and the staff of the YouTheater of Flat Rock Playhouse.

YouTheatre Staff

The talent and expertise of The Playhouse professional staff is incredible.  Rarely would campers have this opportunity to be mentored by such a skilled and talented group of performers and artists.

Nature has been a core foundation for artists, playwrights, actors, musicians and directors throughout history.  Each summer we witness the talents of many of our campers and staff and are in awe of the inspiration they find in being at GRP.   This weeklong program will offer campers the opportunity to strengthen character, and heighten appreciation and awareness of the natural world, its influence in the arts and the ability to be their “Best Me at GRP.”
Please join us in welcoming the YouTheater of the Flat Rock Playhouse to Green River Preserve.  We are looking forward to our partnership with them in this program and hope many of you will consider registering for the session.

Registration for the camp is through the Green River Preserve website: www.greenriverpreserve.org.  If you have any questions about the program, please do not hesitate to email or call (828-698-8828) us at the camp.

 

See you this summer!

Missy and Sandy Schenck

Filed Under: summer, The Gift of Camp Tagged With: ,

How Will I Pay for Camp?

January 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

by Missy Schenck

As a single parent in the 80s sending my four children to summer camp was not a line item in my budget. Working at a summer camp and trading my salary for their camp tuition was! I knew that summer camp was critically important to youth development and I was going to find a way to make it happen for my children. It was time to be creative.

For ten years I went away to summer camp with my children. I began as an arts and crafts coordinator and after one year filled the role of Summer Camp Director. My children lived in camper cabins for ten weeks and I bunked with the other senior staff members. I had one electrical socket in the single light bulb in the ceiling of the room, showered in a community shower house and slept on an iron army bunk. All my meals were cooked for me and my laundry went out once a week with the camp service.

The camp community embraced us and life was beyond perfect. I was totally unplugged and I loved every minute of this sanctuary away from the real world. Most of all I loved seeing what a difference camp made in the lives of young people. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Did you know as GRP camper parents this may be an option for you? Some of our summer staff positions are ones that you as camper parents may be able to fill. Most of our summer camp nurses or doctors are camp parents who come by the camp session and trade their salary for their camper’s tuition. Our “office mom” fills the many gaps in the camp office including sorting camper mail, answering the phone, and hugging homesick campers. Activity coordinators are art teachers, swimming instructors, music teachers, and various other talented people or parents. Mentors, our trained naturalists, may also be parents. This role does have a long learning curve, so the commitment for it is often longer and requires participation in staff training.

Going away to summer camp is not an option for you? Help us recruit campers for summer camp. Become a camp rep for GRP. For each new camper accepted and enrolled at GRP you can earn $100 towards your camper’s tuition. There are many ways you can do this. Keep GRP folders in your car and whenever parents ask about your child’s summer plans, share GRP with them. Host a GRP party at your house, school, or community center. Some of our campers have told us they want to help earn their tuition, too. Let them help you recruit campers.   Campers who help earn their tuition, value their experience.

Summer camp is important in the life of our youth. It’s a wonderful way to help young people open up and go beyond themselves; to be their best me. It is a constant learning experience that is prompted primarily by their curiosity. At Green River Preserve, we believe that bright, curious, and creative children are the future leaders of the world. Be creative: make it happen.

Filed Under: Missy's Notes

Be a Camp Rep!

January 17, 2012 By 2 Comments

Our camp representatives are a vital link among campers, their families and GRP staff. They contact prospective campers, pass on information to interested families and keep an open line of communication for current camp families. As a camper representative, you could earn $100.00 in tuition credit for each referral resulting in an enrolled first-year camper. (Compensation can either be in the form of tuition credit or you can choose to donate the credit to the GRP scholarship fund.) To learn more about becoming a representative, please call Jane Izard at 828-698-8828 or send her an email.

Filed Under: Camp Rep Tagged With:

Year Round Staff Update

December 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Sadly, we are saying good-bye to our dear friend, Linda Lamphier. Linda came to work at GRP in the fall of 2006. In the time she was with us she served as our camp registrar and office administrator. She was always kind and helpful with all of our camper families and we will all miss her at GRP.

Linda’s love of butterflies and the desire to see more at GRP helped us in the development of more butterfly gardens at the camp. She embodied the mission of GRP in all she did and we are all grateful for the time she gave to Green River Preserve.

In honor of Linda, we have created the Butterfly Scholarship for campers. Linda always tried to find creative ways to help campers attend camp. She graciously gave her handmade books/journals and jewelry to the camp store to sell for camper scholarships.

If you would like to make a donation to the Butterfly Scholarship in honor of Linda, please do so by visiting our donation page or mail one to the camp at 301 Green River Road, Cedar Mountain, NC 28718.

Patti Rissman came to Green River in the spring of 2010.  She was hired in a temporary role while our registrar, Linda Lamphier, cared for her terminally ill husband. As time progressed and Linda needed more time at home, we decided to hire Patti in a full time position.

Patti and her husband, Andy, moved to Brevard, NC from Florida several years ago. She spent most of her career working as an office manager and marketing. Her experience is very helpful in many areas of camp. She also worked for a while at Camp Greenville just down the road from us.

Many of you met Patti during the 2011 summer or have had the pleasure of talking with her on the phone. She is now our full time camp registrar and office administrator. Her enthusiasm brightens up our office and we are delighted to have her with us. Please join all of us in welcoming Patti to GRP.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

GRP Welcomes New Administrative Staff

December 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Please join us in welcoming Case Kennedy, our new Summer Camp Director and Molly Wafle, our new Assistant Summer Camp Director and Administrative Assistant, to Green River Preserve. Their experiences and talents bring an expertise to GRP that we are very excited to have in our administrative staff.

Case began her GRP career this past summer as a mentor and quickly found her place in our camp home. Her love of the outdoors coupled with her strengths in team management, motivation, and maturity quickly earned her a leadership role in the summer of 2011.

Case graduated from Colorado State University with a major in natural resources and has spent the last ten years introducing children and adults to the great outdoors. As manager of a ski resort, Case supervised staff recruitment and human resources, marketing, business planning, and cohesive team collaboration.

Her background and experience is well-rounded and covers all the departments needed to be a Summer Camp Director. Through her experiences with young people, her goal for Green River Preserve is to maintain a fantastic camp from the ground up. She strongly feels that it is extremely important to know all of the campers and what makes each of them unique. She sincerely hopes that all GRP campers will leave camp with a love of nature, a sense of community and safe outdoor skills. Please join us in welcoming Case and her large brown dog, Moose.

We are thrilled to welcome back Molly Wafle to Green River Preserve. Molly worked at GRP in 2004 as a mentor in our fall SEE (School of Environmental Education) program following her graduation from Sewanee, The University of theSouth. With a major in natural resources and a focus on geology and forestry, Molly finds herself right at home at the preserve.  We are happy to welcome Molly and her sweet dog, Frances to GRP.

A native of Virginia, Molly is an excellent horseback rider, gardener, and cook. Molly has many years of camp experience as both a camper and a staff member. Some of these roles included running a camp horseback riding program and serving as a camp registrar and office manager. We hope you will join us in welcoming her and her sweet dog, Frances, to the GRP family.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

The Gift of Camp

December 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Toys? Games? Clothes? The latest electronic gadget? Each holiday season, parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles are faced with the hard decision of what gifts to give children. This year, as part of your holiday gift list, consider the Gift of Green River Preserve.

Green River Preserve provides a challenging and nurturing learning experience and inspires a deep appreciation of interconnectedness, time for free play, a nurturing and safe environment, ecological respect and the Joy of Living! A great experience that offers extraordinary learning opportunities and enduring memories! This year, give the gift that lasts a lifetime — give the gift of Green River Preserve! If you would like to help get the camp fever started this holiday season please consider one of our Special Edition Packages.

GRAND SLAM PACKAGE

Golden Ticket to Green River Preserve with your Camper’s Name and Session AND:

1) Crazy Creek’s Newest Edition – the Hex 2.0 in Blue and Lime Green

  • Crazy Creek’s lightest chair
  • Rolls up compactly to only 4″ diameter
  • Their most compact and packable model

2) Green River Preserve’s brand new 9oz Caribiner Mug. Clip onto your backpack to use as a mug or bowl wherever your adventures take you!

3) GRP Special Edition Cyclops Atom LED Headlamp in Silver. This headlamp features ultra-light, weatherproof construction, a bright LED magnifier lens and up to 15 hours of run time!  Perfect for camp out!

4) Don’t forget to record all your Green River Preserve memories in a Green River Preserve Journal.

The Grand Slam Package is $60.00  plus $7.00 shipping.

______________________________________________________________________

POLAR BEAR PACKAGE

Golden Ticket to Green River Preserve with your Camper’s Name and Session AND:

1) Green River Preserve’s brand new 9oz Caribiner Mug. Clip onto your backpack to use as a mug or bowl wherever your adventures take you!

2) GRP Special Edition Cyclops Atom LED Headlamp in Silver or our official GRP black headlamp.

3) Don’t forget to record all your Green River Preserve memories in a Green River Preserve Journal.

The Polar Bear Holiday Package is $40 plus $5.00 shipping.

 

To purchase please contact:

Patti at 828-698-8828 or email patti@greenriverpreserve.org.

Grand Slam Package (click to see larger photo)

Polar Bear Package (click to see larger photo)
Filed Under: The Gift of Camp Tagged With: , ,

Muddy Sneakers Wins Award

December 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Four years ago, a non-profit organization called Muddy Sneakers was both envisioned and launched right here at the Green River Preserve. In August of this year, Muddy Sneakers was presented the “Most Outstanding Environmental Non-Profit of 2010″ award by Governor Beverly Perdue.

Muddy Sneakers is a program for public school 5th graders based on the Green River model of field trips and ‘nature smart” learning. Muddy Sneakers is so popular, children in Brevard sell popcorn so their schools can participate. The program also significantly boosts end-of-grade test results. It’s fun to learn with muddy sneakers–it is an award-winning concept that we enjoy everyday at Green River Preserve.

It is good to know that Green River Preserve continues to inspire people and ideas beyond its boundaries. Learn more at muddysneakers.org.

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New to GRP: Trailblazers Expeditions!

November 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

For the summer of 2012 Green River Preserve is excited to add a new expedition, the Trailblazers Expedition (TBX)!

The goal of TBX is to improve life skills, problem solving, and adaptability. TBX will also give campers a chance to give back to the preserve by making an impact that will be enjoyed by future generations.

The details:
TBX is GRP’s newest and longest expedition designed exclusively for rising seniors in high school, rising college freshmen and gap year students. As a wildlife preserve and conservation property, expeditioners can expect to explore parts of the 3400-acre property many base campers will never see. Expeditioners can also expect to be challenged both physically and mentally, as they embrace leadership learning opportunities while constructing and repairing trails around GRP base camp. We will reap our service rewards and spend the last week of our adventure with a culminating backpacking and/or canoeing trip chosen by the group of expeditioners. This one and only three week expedition is designed to enhance leadership and life skills, outdoor living skills, teamwork, self awareness and understanding through a medium of service and community learning.

Upon arrival at Green River Preserve, we will settle into our base camp, get to know each other, and prepare for an adventure we will never forget! Our expedition will see us take part in a project as we help to construct and reconstruct trails around Green River’s base camp. We will roll up our sleeves and clear trails, help build water bars to prevent erosion, and build footbridges to better the trail system around GRP.

Although we have all gathered to help with this project, there will be time to relax and enjoy the scenery. We will hike to some of our favorite places on the preserve and polar bear in streams and falls. Each day classes will be taught by mentors, focusing on leadership skills and qualities you will carry with you for the rest of your life. Lessons learned from these classes will be immediately applied in the field in our day-to-day trail building activities. As an expeditioner, you will discover setting goals, planning, preparing, efficiency, and teamwork will be our tools for making a successful experience. At GRP, we know these skills not only apply in the field, but to life’s adventure.

The final days of the expedition will be spent leading Group Learning Projects with GRP base campers and exploring the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina. Expeditioners will teach GRP’s three-week campers what trail building and constructions entails and showcase their service project to the camp. Afterwards, we will take off on a week long adventure chosen and lead by the expeditioners themselves. Expeditioners can expect to leave with a toolbox of life skills, a certificate of community service work, and an experience they will never forget!

There is limited space on this expedition, so sign up early!

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2011-2012 Green River Preserve Annual Fund

October 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

During the summer of 2011, close to 500 children spent time at Green River Preserve as a camper at base camp or as an expeditioner in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains or Outer Banks.   These curious and creative young people became “their best me at GRP.”   The positive impact GRP had on them is a gift unlike any other gift.

At Green River Preserve, we believe that curious and creative children are the future leaders of the world.  We believe summer camp is the place to develop these future leaders.  We believe Green River Preserve is the summer camp that does it.

Your gifts to Green River Preserve’s Annual Fund help ensure that GRP will continue to offer a unique summer camp for curious and creative children — our future leaders.  Every gift, big or small, makes a difference and your participation is vital.  This year, we hope you will put Green River Preserve high on your list.   To make a gift, please visit our website: www.greenriverpreserve.org or mail one to:  Green River Preserve, 301 Green River Road, Cedar Mt., N.C. 28718.    THANK YOU!!!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

2011-2012 Green River Preserve Annual Fund

October 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

During the summer of 2011, close to 500 children spent time at Green River Preserve as a camper at base camp or as an expeditioner in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains or Outer Banks.   These curious and creative young people became “their best me at GRP.”   The positive impact GRP had on them is a gift unlike any other gift.

At Green River Preserve, we believe that curious and creative children are the future leaders of the world.  We believe summer camp is the place to develop these future leaders.  We believe Green River Preserve is the summer camp that does it.

Your gifts to Green River Preserve’s Annual Fund help ensure that GRP will continue to offer a unique summer camp for curious and creative children — our future leaders.  Every gift, big or small, makes a difference and your participation is vital.  This year, we hope you will put Green River Preserve high on your list.   To make a gift, please visit our website: www.greenriverpreserve.org or mail one to:  Green River Preserve, 301 Green River Road, Cedar Mt., N.C. 28718.    THANK YOU!!!

Filed Under: Uncategorized
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