Kids Grow Better Outside
Join us for overnight summer camp!
Camp Wildwood is built for campers entering grades 3 to 8.
Campers will swim, fish, make friends, eat s’mores, learn archery, go kayaking, play games, and more.
What do electronic dance music, outlaw country music, and summer camp have in common? They all happen on the same 150 acres we call Wildwood Outdoor Education Center.
In 2019, we embarked on our second year of a contract with a local music festival company, Borda Productions. The company puts on two multi-day music festivals at Wildwood, bringing thousands of visitors to the Wildwood property each year.
The festivals, as you might imagine, are loud and different and, at the beginning of September, sweaty. Festival goers love Wildwood for its natural beauty, great camping areas, and convenient Miami County location.
Six times this summer I woke up early to meet the big yellow bus in local grocery store parking lot to load up campers for their journey to Wildwood.
Parents and their campers turn in their final paperwork with camp staff, load duffel bags and pillows into the rear door, give each other big hugs before they spend a week away from each other.
I love seeing the excitement of kids and parents, the slight smell of diesel, the squeak as the bus comes to a stop–it all reminds me of my week at Wildwood as a sixth grader. The excitement of going somewhere far away, on my own.
On a hot July day at camp this summer, I got to witness trauma-informed care in action. An eight-year-old camper sat on a bench outside the dining hall. He stared at his knees, head in his hands.
Seeing the sad camper, Robyn, Wildwood’s Executive Director, sat next to him.
“Hey, Mason. You look upset. Are you doing okay?”
Another camper ran up to the bench.
“No,” explained the camper, “Mason’s upset because there weren’t any apples left in the snack bowl today.”
“I didn’t get one yesterday either,” Mason chimed in.
“I can fix that!”
Mason didn’t think it would happen–there were only oranges in the snack bowl in the dining hall. But the walk-in refrigerator had plenty of apples.
When Robyn brought back an apple for Mason, his face lit up. He smiled wide and hugged her.
“Thank you!” Mason exclaimed.
“You’re welcome, buddy.”