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CAMP DETAILS FOR FOREST EXPLORERS CAMP



Thank you for registering your child for our 2023 Forest Explorers Camp.

This page provides important information about preparing your child for camp; we
know it’s long, but please read it thoroughly!



Camp Location:

McKinney Falls State Park at 5808 McKinney Falls Pkwy, Austin 78744 (Not to be
confused with McKinney Roughs Nature Park!)

 

Drop-off and Pick-up Instructions - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.



When you arrive at the gate to the state park on the first day of camp on Monday
morning, please let the McKinney Falls Staff know you are there for an Earth
Native summer camp. 



Sign-In Area for Forest Explorers Camp ONLY:

After entering the park, make your first right. You will almost immediately see
parking spots on your left and bathrooms. This is the sign in area for our older
camps (Nature Quest and Bushcraft Survival Camp), please continue down the road
to the next set of bathrooms. This is where sign-in and sign-out will be for our
Forest Explorers Camp (if you have not added any extended care) and are
dropping-off/picking-up during normal camp hours 9am-2pm. There are parking lots
on either side of the restrooms for your use. Do not park on the grass!



At camp sign in, you will be issued a paper pass that will allow you to enter
and exit the park for camp pick-up and drop-off for the entire week. Please do
not discard this pass as you will need it for entry and exit all week. If
different vehicles/individuals will be doing the pick-up and drop-off please let
the staff member know they can issue you a second pass at that time. Please be
patient when entering the park. Summer is a busy time for our state parks and
there are a lot of vehicles entering the park at the same time in the morning. 



Once you have your pass you can just show it to the Ranger at entry. PLEASE
respect the stop sign at the main gate each time you enter the gate as well as
all posted park speed limits and traffic signs.





IMPORTANT NOTE: Earth Native’s contract with the State Park includes park entry
for Pick-Up and Drop-Off ONLY. If your family visits the park outside of an
official program day, or if a parent/sibling decide to stay in the park before
or after pick-up, you will need to pay regular park entry fees and get a regular
park pass for your vehicle's windshield. Adult fees are $6/per person and
children under 13 years old are FREE. Your Earth Native pick-up and drop-off
pass is valid ONLY for that purpose and does not allow you to park and leave
your vehicle to hike or camp or any other activity. If you park and leave your
vehicle without a regular park pass you will likely get ticketed by the park
police and risk the possibility that your vehicle may be towed.



Please call our main number at 512-299-8870 if you have any questions about the
sign-in location or have trouble finding it. You can also refer to this Google
maps link





Camp Times 9:00am-2:00pm: 
Drop-off: Please arrive between 8:45am and 9:00am on Monday only for
registration and sign-in. (Unless you have signed up for extended hours.)  The
rest of the week, Tuesday-Friday, please plan to drop-off and sign-in between
9:00am and 9:05am.

Note: You may want to come a little early on the first day as you may have to
wait in line for your park pass.



Pick-up: Please arrive to pick-up and sign-out between 1:55pm and 2:00pm all
days. All children not signed up for extended hours must be signed-out by
2:00pm.

 

Please note: If you have another child enrolled in one of our other camps
(Nature Quest or Bushcraft Survival) those camps get out at 3:00pm. You may want
to add after care so you can pick-up at 3pm.



(If you enrolled in the May 30-June 2 camp week, camp is Tuesday-Friday only.
There is no camp on Memorial Day - Monday, May 29.)



Extended Hours: 8:00am – 3:00pm each day  (Please sign-up and pay for this
service in advance.) See below for details.





No Early Arrival/Late Pickup:
Although our staff is on-site both before and after sign-in and sign-out, they
are NOT available to supervise children outside of the arrival and pick-up times
indicated above. This time is used for program planning and debrief, and it is
critical to us being able to provide each individual camper and the group with
the best week possible. We know that this is challenging for working parents and
appreciate your understanding.





Late Pick-up Fees:

Additional fees will be charged to parents who are more than 15 minutes late to
pick-up at a rate of $1 per minute. Parents who are 10-15 minutes late will be
given one verbal warning before being charged. Parents that are more than 15
minutes late will be charged without a warning.





Optional Extended Hours:

Extended camp hours are available 1 hour before and 1 hour after camp for an
additional $20 per camp day. Drop-off will begin at 8am and pick-up is available
until 3pm. Alternatively, you can choose only afternoon extended hours, to pick
up at 3pm each day, for $50/week. If you did not choose and pay for this at
registration, please email us to have this added.

 

If you add any extended hours for your camper, extended hours sign-in and
sign-out will be at a different location. After entering the park, make your
first right. You will almost immediately see parking spots on your left and
bathrooms. Head towards the playground area. (This is also where we sign in our
Nature Quest Camp and Bushcraft Survival Camp.)





Authorized Adults:

During registration we asked for a list of all adults, including parents, who
will be picking your child up from camp. If there are any additions/changes to
this, please log in to your Earth Native account to update this information.
Once logged in, click on "My Account" from the menu bar. You will see
all campers (participants) listed here. If mobile viewing, participants will be
listed in a drop down. You can update any information you completed in the
registration form during enrollment.





Sign-In and Sign-Out:
It is our policy that each camper be signed-in every morning and signed-out
every afternoon! Please make sure that everyone who is authorized to drop-off or
pick-up your child during the week is aware of the need to do this. We will
check identification at pick-up until we know you, and this must match the names
of individuals authorized to take home your child.

We also ask that if there is someone that your child knows well (parent, uncle,
grandparent etc.) who is NOT authorized to pick them up due to custody issue or
restraining order or similar situation that you let us know so we are aware of
the situation.





What Your Child Should Wear:

 * Comfortable clothes that can get very dirty/wet and are appropriate for the
   weather

 * Sturdy, closed-toe shoes that can get wet and very dirty

 * Raingear or poncho if significant rain is in the forecast

 



What to Pack:

Please send the following items with your child in a small/medium backpack that
can fit ALL of their personal items including their lunch and water bottle.
(Please do not send your child to camp with a bag on wheels or a satchel they
have to carry over one shoulder or send your child with a pack that is too small
to fit all of their items in.)

 * Packed lunch

 * Mid-morning snack

 * FULL 27 oz. (or larger) water bottle is REQUIRED
   
   * In the heat it is critical that your child drink enough water. If your
     child does not bring a water bottle they will not be able to attend camp
     until they have one.
   
   * If you ordered an Earth Native water bottle during registration it will be
     given to you at sign-in on the first day of camp and there will be a
     filling station near-by. Please do not send disposable water bottles. 

 * Personal supply of sunscreen
   
   * Please apply your child’s sunscreen before you drop them off. While our
     instructors will do their best to monitor and remind campers about
     re-application, it is very helpful if campers of a reasonable age are able
     to monitor and help themselves.

 * Bug spray!!
   
   * We highly recommend that you put bug spray on your children before camp.
     Chiggers are present at McKinney Falls during the warmer months. Don’t
     forget to put bug spray around their ankles/socks and around their waist
     under their shirt to help prevent chigger bites as well as on top of their
     clothing. Natural bug sprays do not seem to work well on chiggers. Having
     your child take a shower after camp is also a very good idea. Here is a
     link to a helpful article about chiggers.

 * Extra pair of shorts/bottoms and undies

 * Optional - Notebook & pencil 

 

Note: Please make all purchases in advance of camp. Our instructors are not
authorized to take payment at camp.





What NOT to Pack:

 * Electronics/Phones

 * Excessive sugary snacks or “energy drinks”

 * Excess extra clothes

 * Extra items of any sort. We will be covering a fair bit of ground on foot
   each day, and heavy backpacks become a challenge for all. Bring what you need
   and nothing else.





Safety Note:

We take safety very seriously at Earth Native and summer heat is definitely the
number one hazard we face here in Texas. In order to prevent heat related
illness, we will require your children to drink water throughout the day. If
your child does not like to drink water, please consider adding about 1⁄4 or 1⁄2
juice to the water to give it some flavor. Alternately EmergenC or similar drink
packets can help the kids to drink more and replenish their electrolytes. Also,
please consider packing your child some salty snacks to encourage drinking and
to help replenish the salt they are losing through perspiration.



Though we have lots of tricks up our sleeves to get reluctant children to drink
a safe amount of water, on occasion we have a child who is unwilling. If your
child is unwilling to drink a safe amount of water throughout the day we will
call you to help, or perhaps to pick them up if the unwillingness persists.





Weather Policy:

Our camps run rain or shine, however we will delay or cancel a day of camp in
cases of dangerous/severe weather (such as tornado warnings, flash flood
warnings, etc.) If camp is canceled for a day you will be notified via email and
it will be clearly marked on the webpage for your camp. If you have questions
about cancellations please first check our website, if you don’t get the answers
you are seeking then please call the main school number at 512-299-8870.





What to Expect:

Monday Morning

Please arrive at the sign-in location between 8:45am and 9:00am to sign your
child in. An instructor or our Camp Director will greet you at the sign-in
table. Please keep your child with you until after your camper is signed-in! At
that point your child will be invited to join the rest of the group in a game or
explore our hands-on “nature museum”. This is a good time to check-in with the
Camp Directorr or an instructor if you have any questions or concerns.



Daily Schedule

Each morning there will be a group game that campers can join as they arrive,
and a nature-table set up for those who prefer a quieter or more stationary
activity to start off their day. This is followed by one of the staff sharing a
nature story that introduces a general theme or focus for the day. After the
story, campers join their small groups for the majority of the day.



Dirty Clothes

At Earth Native School we encourage campers to really connect with the natural
world! Often that means getting right in...be it mud, charcoal or berry-juice
face paint. Don’t be surprised to see children and adults with dirty faces at
the end of the day. Please send your child to camp in clothes and shoes that can
get dirty and wet. Bringing a change of clothes and/or keeping some large trash
bags in the car during camp week for kids to sit on at the end of the day is a
great way to minimize the impact of dirty campers! We also recommend a
bath/shower for your child each day after camp.



Lastly, please take a moment to read our Student Code of Conduct



If you have any questions, please contact us at (512) 299-8870 or
info@earthnativeschool.com

We look forward to seeing you this summer!




CLICK TO READ FAQ ABOUT OUR CAMPS!

What did Your Child Learn at Summer Camp Today?



Is it “enough” for your child to come home from camp with a sparkle in their eye
and dirt on their knee? We think so, but some parents might wonder, “‘Where is
the curriculum?’ Is my child actually learning anything at this nature camp?”
And well you might wonder, for it is only what we teach that is right in front
of us – how we teach it is what we like to call “invisible”. (It’s not really
invisible, you just have to know what to look for!)



Our curriculum is taught in a variety of ways – through storytelling, games,
hands-on doing, challenges, and the art of questioning. Furthermore, only a
portion of our camp curriculum is set in stone – it is more important to us to
notice who your child is and what in the natural world captures their excitement
and curiosity! Nature provides many more opportunities for learning and
discovery each week than we could ever follow. So, within very broad guidelines
and intentions, we allow nature and the children to be our guide.



If your child says “We had fun! We sneaked and hid and ambushed and wandered
around and got lost,” please understand that this is our pedagogical method at
Earth Native School. Based on how hunters and gatherers taught their children,
camp is designed to be an “invisible school” that flows with the energy cycles
of your children and the opportunities that nature presents. We are confident
you will find that, in one short week, we’ve begun to reach our goal for your
child: to awaken awareness, to provide tools for inquiry; and to create learning
routines for life-long naturalist studies.



So, if you ask your child what they “learned” at camp, you might get a vague
answer, or none at all. Instead, we invite you to ask them questions that will
allow them to show you what they know... here are some suggestions:



- Are there any wild plants that you like to eat? Can you show me? (Instructor
Tip: Be sure to ask them if they know of any similar looking plants that cannot
be eaten! Ask them how to tell the difference, and if YOU don’t know, look them
up in a field guide! We emphasize and role model this important safety technique
when eating wild edible plants and encourage you to do the same!)



- I’ve heard you can build a shelter out of branches and leaves; can you
tell/show me how?

(Instructor Tip: To build a human-size shelter can be a several hour project in
a location where all the natural materials are close at hand. You can build a
doll-size shelter much more quickly, and then test its effectiveness with a
“rain storm” from a water bottle.)


- Is there a way to move silently to get close to animals? (Instructor Tip: Ask
your child if they learned any sneaking games that they’d like to show you.)



- Is this an animal track? How many toes does it have? Which way do you think
the animal was going? Does it have claws? What kind of animal might have made
it? (Instructor Tip: Asking lots of questions before deciding “who” it is can
lead to more learning! Animal track field guides are lots of fun.)




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© Copyright 2017 by Earth Native Wilderness School



512-299-8870

info@earthnativeschool.com

Contact Us

 



Find Us

 

WOODVIEW ENTRANCE

137 Woodview Lane

Bastrop, TX 78602

SHILOH 

ENTRANCE

921 Shiloh Rd

Bastrop, TX 78602

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