Hi, I’m Maggie and camp Wyonegonic changed my life. My first year was one of the best. I met so many new friends from all around the world and even close to where I live. The counselors are so nice and they helped me with all my problems.

I had so much fun at all the activities and on all the hikes too. My favorite part about camp is EP (Evening Program). It is a fun thing we do every night after dinner. We would play fun games like capture the flag, building fairy houses, and a lot more. Camp helped me get better at archery and my swim strokes. After dinner and lunch we would get DESSERT! Also, some days we would have special breakfast like donuts.

Your counselors will help you set up your trunk, bags, bed, and everything. During rest hour (which is after lunch) we would write letters, read, make friendship bracelets, and sleep. During rest hours some counselors sleep too, so you have to be quiet. On Sundays whenever you get up, if there is some type of landmark or symbol that is different like a bedsheet on a picnic table outside you could go somewhere special and bring an activity to do if you’re an early riser. As you can see, Wyo (Wyonegonic) changed my life and it will always have a place in my heart.

Maggie (Age 10)

Summer camp gives campers and staff the important opportunity to belong to a community that focuses on inclusion. At Wyonegonic, our mission is to ensure that each individual recognizes and celebrates individual differences. The 2021 camp season theme was We Belong. This was a call to action for every community member and a reminder that we each need to do our part in fostering a greater sense of belonging.

Belonging, connection and understanding are at the core of all aspects of camp life. We come from around the world and represent many different beliefs and experiences. It takes work from our trained staff to personally and professionally lead by example and teach empathy, understanding and patience with their campers. There is no better place for this to happen than in a rustic cabin along the shores of Moose Pond. This also happens organically in activities, evening programs 

Camp is a short seven weeks but the impact of the experience can last a lifetime. Campers are part of something larger than themselves. To move a camp community forward, we all must be contributors. Thoughtful behavior, an inclusive vocabulary, the desire to learn and understand each other’s culture and to respect each person, is essential. At camp, we work towards this daily. We know the outcome will have a tremendous impact on the campers’ development, confidence and how they contribute to the world. Campers take risks in meeting new friends, trying  different activities and using their voices. As this happens, they become more engaged. They experience new senses of independence in who they are and their personal beliefs. This fosters engagement in our community, our camp family. 

We need to continue to foster belonging to make our world a better place. Campers and staff have the skills to do this. They need to continue to practice these skills and challenge others to do so. We Belong needs to be a household refrain and discussed throughout the year. Adults set the example. We challenge each of you to make a difference and be part of this ever-changing and challenging effort. As campers, staff, alums, parents and friends of Wyonegonic ask yourself and your camper what the 2021 theme We Belong means to you and to them. You may find that your camper has thoughts and ideas that have an impact on your daily interactions. Please defer to the article, Reimagining Camp through a Pro-Inclusion Lens by Niambi Jaha-Echols that was recently in Camping Magazine. This may serve as a helpful guide with these conversations. 

We are all fortunate to experience Wyonegonic and carry with us the many lessons learned in just a few short weeks under the pines at camp.

We Belong

Whit Ryan, Director of Staff Recruitment and Leadership Development.

On a recent visit to Wyo I was discussing the White Pine trees with Carol and Susie. The towering pines that line the camp paths and that we look at in grove are all Eastern White Pine. We were talking about the stress put on the White Pines and their double needle loss every year for the last many years due to two or three funguses. This has resulted in a blanket of dead needles coming down in late June. The golden brown color decorates the camp paths nicely but is not good for the trees to go through this process at the wrong time of year and thins out the crown of the trees. To read more about this topic read this article by the forest service: Eastern White Pine Needle Damage

Here are a couple more thoughts about trees.

Most green plants compete with all other green plants to get sunshine. Trees and most all green plants need sunshine to change into sugar through a process called photosynthesis. Trees use the sugar to grow. When a tree drops its seeds or cones in the fall, sometimes a baby tree will sprout often in the shade of its parent tree. The parent tree, being much bigger and taller, shades the little sapling keeping it from getting the sun it needs to make enough sugar to survive. Many new young trees do not survive. Healthy adult trees that have plenty of sun make enough sugar for themselves plus extra sugar which they store down in their roots. The parent trees share their stored sugar with their saplings through an underground fungal network that connects entire stands of trees together. The next time you dig up and take a sapling from the forest, remember that you must give it extra care to take the place of the care given to it by its parent tree.

For many years, we humans have considered ourselves better than many things for many reasons. Who cares if we kill a tree or many trees. After all, trees don’t know anything: they can’t communicate. Right? Wrong. Plant scientists, botanists have discovered that trees do communicate with each other. They tell each other when bad insects are on the way. They discuss whether or not to make a lot of acorns or pine cones. It takes a lot of tree energy to make seeds or cones or acorns. Trees have to have enough stored energy or sugar in their roots to make acorns and pine cones. So, each year the trees communicate among themselves and decide whether to make a lot of seeds or just a few. Sometimes, I wonder if the trees are standing around communicating with each other and wondering when we humans will get smart enough to communicate as well as they, the trees do. What makes us so sure that trees do not communicate? Maybe we just have not learned their language. Maybe, someday in the future, in school, your choices of foreign languages like Spanish, French, etc. will include “Tree.”

On this Earth Day, April 22, 2021, I encourage you to keep educating yourself about topics that interest you, and do what you can to protect and preserve the climate and our natural environment. The trees and we share a common thread – we both are of the earth. Rather than overlooking that premise, what can we, you and I, do to promote our mutual survival?

Ginny Geyer
Wyonegonic Alumnae
Junior Maine Guide Program – Tester
Wyonegonic Outdoor Living Skills Staff Trainer

Wyonegonic is proud to have hosted International staff since the 1980’s through the J1 visa cultural exchange program. We have strived to host participants that represent different countries, languages and cultures. Exchange participants are celebrated with flag ceremonies and we have enjoyed learning about food, customs, sports, music and dance. Our campers and staff have shared in this experience and made friendships that cross oceans and stand the test of time. Beyond the benefits of cultural exchange are the tremendous benefits of supplementing our seasonal work force of US college students and community members from Maine with the high quality, experienced staff from around the world. We count on them as a part of our team in order to offer our quality programs.

The Presidential Proclamation that temporarily suspended J1 visa operations in June 2020 has thankfully expired, but there are lasting effects that put us in a time crunch. We are now hopeful that embassy operations can resume to process the J1 participants in time to get them to camp. The visa slowdowns and travel bans in place in many countries put these vital programs at risk.

Time is of the essence and Wyonegonic is joining our partners in the J1 industry, Bridge USA Programs and the American Camping Association in advocating for the importance of these programs to seasonal businesses and the nation’s economy.

Read below for a testimonial from Rebecca, a two year participant of the J1 visa program who plans to be in Denmark, Maine this summer teaching horseback riding. This is part 2 of 2 in our Wiggie Chair chats series about cultural exchange. In case you missed it, read part 1 of 2 written by long time camper and current AC Ellie’s testimonial as well.

Thanks and kiyi,

Wyonegonic Camps

“I have been incredibly lucky to have been able to take part in a cultural exchange programme through obtaining a J1 visa for two summers. Working and living at a summer camp has allowed me to grow and develop in more ways than I ever thought possible. I was able to be myself and not only develop any weaknesses but begin to appreciate the strengths I have, which is often difficult to do. Being part of an amazing team and being appreciated by others provides vital personal development.

The opportunity to meet other staff and campers from all over the world and learn about their experiences is priceless.

I have developed many aspects such as; confidence, communication and leadership skills, which are all incredibly important for future career opportunities. I think that allowing campers to learn about different cultures and backgrounds provides a much more varied experience by allowing them to experience new ideas. Campers and staff love this opportunity and I think it is vital for everyone’s development.

I think that this experience is something that should continue and be widely encouraged as the benefits to the participant and all of those who come into contact with them are easy to see. It is an incredibly unique experience that cannot be understood until you take part yourself.

I do not think a day has passed since camp that I have not used the phrase, ‘This one time at camp…’ The people I have met, both campers and staff are incredibly important to me and many of which I hope to remain friends with for life. I will always be grateful for this amazing experience and the people I have met. Camp truly has become a second home to me and the people there are like family. I hope to return in the near future.”

Rebecca Davidson
Wyo staff 2018, 2019, 2021

As a camper at Wyonegonic, I have been blessed to have been a member of such a caring, diverse, and fun community. The campers, staff, and directors have always worked to make camp a special place for everyone, and to share their love. Throughout my 10 summers at Wyonegonic, I have made friends from all around the world, ones who I cherish with my whole heart. I have also had the opportunity to learn and live with a variety of staff, ones who also hail from all around the world. These staff have a very important role, as they have been

many of my role models throughout my childhood and young adult life. They have taught me through their own experiences, and opened my eyes to different cultures and perspectives. I cannot articulate how incredible it has been to have international staff at Wyonegonic, as I make my journey into life. They help me gain courage to explore new things, while also giving me the courage to teach others about my own culture and experiences. I am able to look at the world from a new angle, and learning about different countries allowed me to gain a larger perspective of the world we live in. The wisdom these staff have given me is indescribable, and I am eternally grateful for their presence in my life (not to mention their amazing travel tips).

Ellie Cobb: AC 2021, Wyo Camper 2010- 2019

If you have called 207-452-2051 in the past two decades, you have been treated to the voice of a true Mainer. Karen Grey has been the Office Manager for 19 years and she has been much more than just the friendly voice that receives your call. Karen has been a reliable and capable friend with skills that helped her thrive in the job. She is a believer in camp, a helpful hand a laugh when needed and an employee willing to roll up her sleeves and do what is needed. She has been affectionately known as “Ma” to hundreds of summer camp staff that have passed through the office doors over the years.

Karen is a native of Fryeburg Maine; a graduate of Fryeburg Academy; a supporter of the North Fryeburg Community Chapel; an active quilter; a dog lover and Mom of two grown children, Jason and Jessica. Recently she has been the primary caregiver for her husband Larry as he recovers from serious surgery.

The time has come for Larry and Karen to retire, escape Maine winters, and join friends in Florida where they have recently purchased a home. She has trained her replacement Rhi Logan who has stepped into the role of support for the Sudduths and Wyonegonic.

We send Karen off with special hugs and gratitude. She has already offered to help in small ways as we turn the corner into 2021.

Kiyi Karen – thank you for your dedicated years of service. You will be greatly missed.

The Sudduth Family

With Thanksgiving recently passing, I was reminded of a lot of things to be grateful for. One of them being the camp friendships I have been able to strengthen while apart due to COVID. Through my years as a camper, I have been taught about the importance of female friendship and inclusivity. When I first came to camp I was shy and often cried because I wanted to go home. Within the second week I was a completely different person. I was trying new activities and making friends with a smile plastered across my face. In junior, I was strictly an indoors kid, that meant no hiking, canoeing, sailing, or anything that had to do with the outdoors. One day, a CIT encouraged me to try something new, and I fell in love with trips. Wyonegonic has taught me to safely push myself to try new things in an environment that is judgement free.

As I grew older, I reflected on what Wyo has taught me and the person that I have evolved into. Where I was once quiet and reserved, I now am confident and outgoing. My roles as a captain, teammate, friend, and daughter are all a reflection of Wyo’s hard work and love. I am so grateful for all of the counselors and friends that supported and encouraged me to try new things. One of Wyo’s themes that I reflect and reminisce on is “Find the Kind”. The summer of 2019 was one of personal growth and trying new things. I had made friends outside of my age group and spread a positive attitude when engaging in new activities. The abundance of kindness that camp radiates taught me to not only do the same but to be thankful for it and share it.

I feel most in touch with myself at Wyo. Not only is it a beautiful, secluded environment, but we’re free to learn in an electronic-free zone. I consider this to be one of the most underrated benefits. This is where I feel most empowered because of the kindness, love, and care that camp fosters and instills in its young women/campers. Thank you for being such a large contribution to who I am and who I strive to become. In difficult times when it can be hard to remember a period before masks and frequent use of hand sanitizer, I bring myself to my happy place. It serves as a reminder to enjoy the outdoors, find achievements in the little things, and to maintain and grow friendships, but to especially treat others with kindness.

Melina “Govey” McGovern: AC – 2021, Wyo Camper 2012-2019

Look who I hung out with recently…CITs 2003!!

Thanks to Kate Humphrey for organizing–what a great mini-reunion! I have so many memories and so much pride for the women they have become that it’s difficult to describe, but it’s gotten me thinking…

There’s a lot to be grumpy about right now, true. I’m trying to take a moments to reflect and be grateful. One thing I appreciate, now more than ever, are the ties that bind. Wyonegonic has given me so much to be thankful for during truly stressful and challenging moments of my life:

When questioning my career path, I retreated to the office (remember when the office was in the Senior Wiggie?!) to consult my mentor and plan next steps. When strong women lift other women up, good things happen. I’m right where I need and want to be.

When our twins were born, I struggled with the reality of returning to my “work kids” only to leave my own children. Carol and Jill came to our house to snuggle cute babies, and theirs were the first voices who said, “Good for you,”. Until that visit, I had heard sentiments of commiseration and sympathy, but it was the voices of Wyo women who encouraged me to “lean in”. Katie Brown assured me, “You will be a better mother because you are a teacher, and you will be a better teacher because you are now a mother, ” and she was right.

And when feeling totally depleted after a difficult spring of meeting the needs of many as Dean of Students at a middle school here in rural Maine all while supporting my own children through 1st grade, the shores and my friends welcomed me with open arms, canoes and campfires. I had time and space to reflect, rejuvenate and even rejoice. Such pride and contentment I felt while watching my daughter make and sail her very own Candlenight boat.

I first arrived on the shores of Moose Pond 25 years ago and in that time, Wyo has given me experiences like meeting my very first camper at age 9, watching her be a leader in Junior, Inty and Senior camps, guiding 12 incredible and diverse girls through the Moose River Bow, coaching some as they became counselors and watching their adult lives unfold. And that’s just with this one CIT group of “mine”! These are precious threads that weave us together and keep us connected, no matter time nor distance.

I’ve enjoyed years of discovering the beauty that is Wyo, sharing that with my campers, CITs/AC, counselors, friends and family, and now we have a chance to help preserve that experience for others. If you are as thankful as I, please consider making a donation so that future generations will know these same values and connections. Visit the Giving section of Wyonegonic’s website for information on how to contribute.
#thankfulforkiyi #summerpatternsgrow

Lindsay Conny Luetje Wyo 96,98-08

In college a few years ago in my fundamentals of design class we were asked to create a self portrait through written text. My teacher asked that we get creative and think about what it is that really makes you who you are. We had to create this image through drawing or writing words only and these words had to be related to what the image portrayed. I chose to do a scene from the waterfront of camp because camp has helped to shape the person who I am today. A few examples of the words I picked were kiyi, confidence, independent, brave, and strong. I believe that at camp I am free to be 100% myself and I am fully accepted and loved for that. To this day I still have Wyonegonic to thank for helping me become the woman I am today. Wyo helped me to gain leadership experience, helped me try new things, introduced me to people from all over the world, and helped to give me my voice. I bring my Wyonegonic memories and experience with me everyday. I wish everyone was fortunate enough to have an opportunity like Wyonegonic!

Emma Battey Wyo Camper 2009-10; CIT/AC 2011-12; Staff 2014-16

The smell of pines keeps calling me back to camp. Since I was a young girl, my summer camp has been one of the greatest sources of joy in my life. Each summer as a young child, I packed my trunk and headed to the shores of Moose Pond to Wyonegonic Camps. My family are camp people and this is just what we did. However, with each summer, I grew more ingrained in the fabric of this wonderful institution and it grew more ingrained in me.

As a child, camp was a place I went to be with over 100 sisters and counselors who have become many of the most important role models in my life. Camp is my sanctuary, my paradise, and my haven. As young adult, I now understand the pull, as if a kind of gravity, has had on me. Camp has been my rock; the rock that has grounded me and played a major role in who I am today.

At camp, I can be my full, unfiltered self without facing any judgment or criticism. The ability to be myself through the summers has fostered in my personality a place for confidence to grow in all aspects of my life, all year long; winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Camp is more than the sweet smell of the pines, or the creaky cots that I have slept on for countless nights or the campfires that I gathered around with my closest friends. All year long, I hear the campers singing in my sleep. My camp friends are my most genuine and accepting of all my peers. Among them and alongside them, I learned to sail, chop wood, canoe rivers and try activities that I would never have had the opportunity to do. I became an avid outdoorswoman and learned that I can operate independently and make decisions. Living in a rustic cabin taught me to care for others and that my actions make a difference in a community.

Now as a young woman in college, I find the value of my summer camp experience more than ever. Having the ability to feel I can be myself in an environment like college, which is new and intimidating, is genuinely irreplaceable. This I attribute to my summers at camp.

As a college student I have countless opportunities to pursue. Internships, work at home during the summer, and traveling are all enriching options. Despite these, I choose camp. I choose camp because I want to give back and pass the magic on to my campers. I am that person who now empowers young girls and helps them to be their best selves. This is a gift I received from my counselors throughout the course of many summers.

To become a person who is part of the history of an organization and to move a community forward compare to no other. I have important jobs to do and one is to help my campers see the difference they are making in the world. This is done simply and organically, daily at camp.

Many times during my years, especially as a young teen, I leaned on my success at camp at other times of the year. The lessons I learned is what helped me through the challenging social maze of adolescence and instilled in me the confidence to take risks and try new things. I want my campers to be brave and understand they do not need to be perfect. Camp allowed me to grow the confidence to be who I am meant to be. Independent strong women are needed in today’s society, and they are created summer after summer at Wyonegonic.

Every young woman should have the experience of summer camp, just as I did. As a young child, I had no idea how profound this experience would be. I will always call camp my summer home. It is a home that I plan to send my children and grandchildren to and together we will sing the same songs on the shores of Moose Pond that countless women have sung for 118 summers. Camp is a gift. Seeing young girls grow to be confident young women throughout the summer is a privilege I am honored to have. There is no better feeling than being deeply woven in the fabric of what I consider to be one of the most special places on earth!

The smile of a camper when she first canters on a horse, the empowerment seen in a camper’s eyes when she lights a fire with her one match, and the shrieks of exhilaration when a camper is the skipper of her own sailboat are truly irreplaceable. I am forever grateful for my involvement at Wyonegonic Camps, and the camp magic that occurs over the course of the summer.

Maggie Ryan, a longtime camper and counselor.
This article appeared in the Greenwich Sentinel in March 2019

Kiyi!

Jenn in Pooh Corner

Yup, that is I in the picture circa 1975. My name is Jennifer Hollis Perkins and I was so very fortunate to have started my Wyonegonic experience at a very young age. I began in Pooh Corner, moved through each unit as a camper: Junior, Intermediate, and Senior, was accepted and completed both the CIT and AC programs, served as a cabin counselor, the water front director, the Junior Unit Director (UD), the Intermediate UD, and now as Program Director. I have been able to share the Wyo and Winona experiences with 5 of our 6 kids. Their love for the shores is equally as strong.

Perk with members of the 2019 Leadership Team

During the last several months I have had much time to reflect on my experiences at Wyo and what I learned and have taken away from my many years at Wyo. In these crazy times I have found myself extremely thankful that Wyo instilled a strong foundation that has enabled me to resolve anything that comes my way. 

Without even realizing it I was shown and taught kindness, inclusiveness, courage, resiliency, teamwork, empathy, sense of community, how to be a strong leader, how to voice my opinions and feelings, how to fall short and successfully overcome, and how to appreciate the outdoors. One my fondest memories was coming upon George Sudduth on the path who asked me if I had hugged a tree today. Often the answer was no and we would hug a tree together. I still cherish those moments. What a leader and mentor.

The Perkins children

My hope for all of you during these uncertain and scary times is that you draw on your Wyo experience to keep you strong and positive. Look through some old pictures, reach out to an old camp friend and take in all that nature has to offer. Close your eyes and envision the tall pines swaying above you in grove or sing a candlelight song. This too shall pass and we will get to normal or at least a new normal. As I type this, my Winona crew is in the air coming home to Bama. This means our official household countdown till the shores in 2021 begins tomorrow. Best wishes to each of you for continued good health in 2020 and well into 2021!

Kiyi!

Perk 

Wyonegonic 75-81, 83-91, 04-present

July 4th has come and gone. This was always a special day at camp, so I found myself thinking about Wyo and, most importantly, all of you. This certainly is a strange time in the world. When I first heard the news that Wyo would suspend the summer, I kept thinking how could this be? How can I survive a summer without camp, without my friends, without evening circle, or crazy EPs? My thoughts quickly returned to all of you, my campers. Campers need camp. This pandemic is robbing everyone apart of the camp community of an experience that is sacred, needed, beautiful, and transformative. However, as Wyo has taught us, when one door closes, a window opens. We will persevere and get to a point where this scary and uncertain time creates a clear perspective on life and who we are as Wyonegonic women.

Each day I hang onto my Wyo experience and dreams, for memories of the shores and pines provide hope and happiness for me regarding our world. I hang on for me and for all of you. We WILL be back on Moose Pond and we WILL be together again enjoying splashing in the lake, climbing mountains, swinging from the crow’s nest, sitting on the cabin line just listening to the Maine sounds, and being part of our very special community. When I think about these moments I can almost hear your laughter, smell the pines and breath the crisp Maine air. So, as sad as I am and, yes, I have certainly felt “campsick”, I have come to realize that being away from camp is giving me a new perspective. I want you each to experience this as well. This perspective on the meaning of my camp experience has encouraged me to find new ways to lead and look forward to improving myself as a counselor for next summer, which will be the best summer yet.

During this reflective time I have deeply pondered on our camp themes such as, ONE WYO, FIND the KIND and BE BRAVE. Maybe during the camp season, I have been too busy to think of the true meaning behind these words and how they relate to our experience. However, with the obvious reasons the state of the world is scary and difficult right now, I have also been able to realize the meanings of our themes in my life, not just during the summer months.

This summer my wish for each of you is to practice what we practice at camp: inclusivity, bravery, and kindness. I wish for you to take what you have learned at camp and implement these values into your own communities to make them better. I wish that you will remember the wonderful and challenging lessons you have learned at camp, for among these old lessons we have learned at Wyo, we are learning new things everyday as the world navigates uncertainty.

So, my dear campers, I hope the lessons you learn this summer encompass appreciation, patience, and resilience. We will be together again and we will be stronger than ever. You are strong Wyo women whether this was to be your first summer or your 10th summer. We know how to meet adversity and make a challenging situation into a great opportunity.

Knowing that we will be back on Moose Pond next summer, take advantage of this summer, for we will only experience something like this once in a lifetime. Keep spreading the Wyo magic each day, and always remember that you have a counselor that loves you very much, believes in you, misses you and most importantly, cannot wait to be with you in 2021.

Kiyi,

Your Counselor

In April of 1970 the first earth day was celebrated. Initiated by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson 20 million Americans participated. By the end of that year, the first Earth Day had helped lead to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Water Act. Today, almost 50 years later Earth Day is celebrated by one billion people around the globe.

Wyonegonic which sits on the shores of beautiful Moose Pond appreciates the clean water and healthy fish and wildlife habitat that the lake supports. However we do recognize the lakes fragility. For years Wyonegonic has been supporting the Lakes Environmental Association.

The Lakes Environmental Association’s mission is to preserve and restore the high water quality and the traditional character of Maine’s lakes, watersheds and related natural resources. LEA’s was also started in the spring of 1970, to protect the lakes and lands of Western Maine “for your children and your children’s children.” Today, protecting water quality remains LEA’s top priority. Thanks to financial support from area towns, members, foundations, and with help from volunteer monitors and the hard work of summer interns, LEA provides comprehensive water testing for 40 lakes. Because of this long-term program, more is known about LEA’s lakes than any others in the state.

At Wyonegonic we celebrate earth day every day by being responsible stewards of our forest land and our lakeshore property. Beyond our recycling efforts, solar panels, and environmentally friendly waste water system we follow strict guidelines suggested by LEA regarding lake and water protection. Building and construction projects include proper erosion control to eliminate runoff and the adding of harmful nutrients to the lake and streams. Minimal driveways and impervious ground results in stable and less erosion prone banks and shorelines. We do not use pesticides and fertilizer on our grassy Junior play field. Maintaining the vegetation on the lakeshore and having a natural landscape keeps important root systems and natural filters on the shore in place, resulting in cleaner lake water.

Wyonegonic will again donate to the Lakes Environmental Association, our camp will support the long-term survival of Moose Pond and other Maine lakes as we know lakes are critical to the enjoyment of future camper generations. We recognize the value of Earth Day as it spreads a crucial message of worldwide environmental protection awareness, a message that we will engage with and continue to share with our camp community.

David Sudduth

Carey (center) with “The Trippers” as a young Wyo camper.

The first time I camped out, I was nine years old and snuggled into a musty-smelling, dark green tent with five other girls. We were tired from a day spent learning canoe strokes, collecting firewood, and cooking our own food, but despite our fatigue, we couldn’t help giggling and whispering together as we drifted off to sleep. By the end of our cabin overnight on Loon Island, my love of the outdoors had been cemented: the magic of being outside with other girls had taken ahold of me.

Throughout my eleven years at Wyonegonic, backpacking and canoeing trips became a central part of camp. I found that trips took everything I loved about camp and magnified the experience– in particular, the speed, depth, and quality of friendships formed with campers and counselors. Meagan Hawes and Jane Barnard, both there on my first cabin overnight as a junior camper, quickly become my comrades on outdoor adventures. By intermediate camp, our habit of signing up for every single trip had earned us the nickname, “The Trippers” (a nickname that still sticks with us when we gather for reunions with other camp friends).

Carey (top left) as a Wyonegonic Trip Leader

As a Tripper, I went on trip after trip, learning lesson after lesson. On Loon Island, I learned how good it feels to cook your own food and set up your own tent. On the St. Croix River, I learned the heart-swelling joy of being in a beautiful, remote place. On the Saco River, I observed overcrowding and disrespect of a wild space, and felt the first sparks of my environmental conscious ignite. On Mt. Washington, I learned that sometimes the best and hardest thing you can do is to turn around without reaching a summit. In the Mahoosuc Notch, I learned that laughter can get you through any hard situation (and often the best stories arise from “Type II Fun”). In Baxter State Park, I saw in my trip-leaders the type of leader I hoped to become. I emerged from my summers at Wyonegonic not only with a love of outdoor trips, but also with self-confidence, creativity as a problem-solver, an ability to stay calm in challenging situations, and an understanding of how to connect with others.

Carey (rear) in a skimo competition (photo Katie Cassetta).

The Wyonegonic spirit stays alive in my life today as I constantly seek to engage in outdoor experiences with other women. In an effort to help more girls and women to feel at home in the outdoors, this winter I am racing the Grand Traverse— a forty mile, ski mountaineering race in Colorado– as a charity team. My race partner, Sammy Podhurst, and I are raising money for a non-profit called the Wilder Women Project, which seeks to inspire and connect women through adventure, spirituality, and outdoor recreation. Empowering women in the outdoors is an important mission to both Sammy and me. We were recently featured on a recent Topophilia podcast about Wild Work. As female professionals in industries that have traditionally been, and continue to be, male dominated– Sammy as a mountain guide with Aspen Expeditions, and I as an Aspen Mountain Ski Patroller— we will have an opportunity to put our passions into action during the Elk Mountain Grand Traverse, as we take on one of the most grueling ski mountaineering races in the world as a female team. The 40-mile skimo race begins at midnight on March 29th in Crested Butte. Racers– who compete in teams for safety reasons– trek up and over the mountains, finishing at the base of Aspen Mountain 7 to 17 hours later, depending on fitness.

I will call upon my Wyo experiences and memories to get me through when the going gets tough. I’ll think about traversing the Katahdin Knife Edge and channel Smack’s cool-headedness; I’ll remember summiting Mt. Jefferson and know that accomplishments feel better if you overcome a challenge; and, I’ve got a song or two I can sing along the way to remind myself of the intrepid camp spirit. My summers at Wyonegonic gave me a love of the outdoors, and made me attuned to that special magic that comes from an all-female outdoor adventure– that same magic I felt as a little nine-year-old in a smelly, green tent.

Carey Favaloro, Wyonegonic Camper 2000-2006; CIT, AC 2007-2008; Counselor, Trip Leader 2009-2011

Instagram; @goldenbean39.

My twin daughters completed their first season in Junior Camp last summer. Prior to sending them to Wyo, my husband and I felt like we had done our research. We had visited camp the summer before. We had read books like Michael Thompson’s Homesick and Happy and were believers in what camp would do for our girls in terms of independence and building confidence. Knowing what we wanted the girls to get out of camp, it was no surprise how much they had changed when we came to visit mid-session. They were keeping track of their schedule and had already lost and figured out how to find various items. They took us to the Cobb and loved knowing more than we did about how something worked. I knew that Wyo would be instrumental in helping my girls be motivated and present in their day to day lives. Ninety percent of the time I would say we have easy going, happy girls that love to learn and want to be a positive force in the world. Their experiences at Wyo last summer helped solidify and grow these traits just like the brochures and books said it would.

As I said 90% of the time our girls face the day with grace and confidence. However, our daughters also face issues that are hard to write about in glossy brochures. I want to address the other 10% of days when they come home from school not full of smiles and spilling over with stories that reflect their strength and confidence. In our fast-paced world of social media, girls are getting caught up in social hierarchies earlier and earlier. We started seeing an increase in “friend drama” in the first grade. Our daughters came home with so many questions and were confused about how to be a good friend in school. Suddenly the tools we had given them, that friendships happen when you include everyone and be kind, were not always working anymore. Truly our school is a sweet and thoughtful community and 90% of the days our conversations are age appropriate, positive, silly, and fun. However, those other 10% of days are hard. Days when it is clear that “belonging” is really important. Where my girls feel on the outside of the group. They feel guilty when they knew someone else was on the outside and was glad it wasn’t them. This part of raising girls was more complex than I ever imagined it would be when I first held my daughters in my arms 9 years ago. As a parent I was so surprised that I would have to deal with the tricky world of girl relationships much earlier than I thought.

When the school year kicked in this fall I discovered an unexpected gift from Wyo that was not published in any of the literature. Wyo has given my daughters a place to belong even though the canoes are stored for the winter, and the lake is starting to ice over. I didn’t expect camp would help with the 10% of hard days where my well-adjusted positive girls were simply having a rough time and their circle of friends at home didn’t feel safe and supportive. Since leaving Moose Pond in August, Wyo has held them up as tall and sturdy as the pines surrounding the Grove. On hard days, both girls have found comfort by telling me a story about a friend from camp. This reminded them of a larger circle and they were ok. They have a community where they always feel like they belong. They have treasured letters from friends. A poster hangs on their bedroom wall of every face that was part of camp last summer. They see themselves there too; they belong. This scaffold has given them strength and resilience they need to be a good friend and stand tall when they sometimes feel alone. Yes, Wyo was a place of positive growth last summer, but it continues to provide refuge and comfort even though the summer has long passed. That sense of belonging was woven into every song they learned, every night they were sung to sleep by a counselor, every adventure they experienced, and every friend they made.

As parents trying to raise girls who have positive and supportive friendships we are so grateful for the expected and unexpected gifts that Wyo has given to our girls.

Amy Newbold – Wyonegonic parent 2018 and 2019

Book I liked: No More Mean Girls: The Secret to Raising Strong, Confident and Compassionate Girls by Katie Hurley

Be Brave… Send Your Daughter To Summer Camp!

The summer sleep –away camp experience lasts a lifetime. With all the challenges and confusion that the world presents our young people today, it is without a doubt that summers spent at a camp during the formative years of a child’s development are instrumental in shaping character, self-worth and sense of social responsibility. In girls’ camps, particularly, being part of a summer community promotes a strong sense of sisterhood and solid bonds. Given all the challenges our young women face, the summer camp experience for them focuses on teamwork, awareness of others and dedication to the group’s success. It is about being part of something bigger than oneself.

Often today, children are not given the opportunity to succeed outside of rigid school and extra-curricular activity schedules. To give a child choice is monumental when mostly, our schedules tend to predetermine choice. Often we have our children on a treadmill in which time moves at a rapid pace which often does not allow for self-reflection. It requires bravery and trust by parents to choose summer camp for their daughter. At camp, time slows down and joy exists in the here and the now. The day the camper arrives at camp she fully owns her experience. It is not fabricated or manipulated by parents or advisers. Because it is her experience, she is in control. Campers are encouraged to be do-ers and not spectators.

The camp experience allows girls to be themselves. They are removed from the daily competition often found behind the walls of school. Living in rustic communities and being unplugged from a variety of devices give young girls the chance to develop their identities through the successes, the failures and reflection that occur at camp. They independently accomplish small and large tasks every day at camp. A sense of independence slowly develops and with this new sense of independence comes an even stronger sense of empowerment. We want our daughters to grow into strong women. Summer camp has a magical way of giving campers what they need especially during the tender ‘tween-age’ years.

What are some things you can expect from your daughter upon her return from camp?

An Unlimited Library of Camp Songs

A Greater Appreciation of Stewardship for the Outdoors and the Environment

A Need to be Unplugged

A Strong Sense of Connection to Others

A Greater Sense of Empathy Learned Through Living with Others

A Greater Understanding of Self

A Sense of Tradition and Spirit

A Daughter who has Matured and Gained Independence

Of all the activities you might choose for your daughter’s summer, consider the value of a sleep-away summer camp experience. Summer camps have been partnering with parents in educating children for well over 100 years. Girls have been packing their trunks and returning to their camp for decades. Their camps are second homes, their own communities, and very much the souls of the persons our girls become. Camps are places where girls create their best selves.

Be brave and find a camp that allows your daughter to experience her childhood fully and to develop into a confident, independent, problem-solving young woman. She will giggle by the campfire with friends, spend summer days under the sun, and develop lifelong skills in activities and in cabin life. Most importantly, she will come to understand her potential and the difference that she can make in our world.

Whit Ryan, Wyonegonic 1998-2018

Whitney Ryan is Director of Staff Recruitment and Leadership Training at Wyonegonic. She frequently speaks on girls and women’s’ issues and teaches Community Living Skills classes for girls at Rumsey Hall School in Washington, CT. She is a lifelong educator of girls in residential camp environments. – This article was printed in the Greenwich Sentinel News, March 2018.

This Thanksgiving we at Wyonegonic are thankful for our camp community. The Wyonegonic family is broad and includes campers, parents, staff, and alumnae. The following is a sample of recent sentiments provided by Wyonegonic alumnae expressing what they are thankful for. It is fun to see the responses and themes circling through different generations. We are grateful for everyone’s efforts in sharing together and find it inspiring! We will let their words speak for themselves. Kiyi

I’m eternally thankful that Wyonegonic instilled in me the value of nature, friendship, risk taking and most importantly, group singing!

I will always be thankful for the women in my life, young and older, that camp continues to provide me with. From mentors to friends to campers, it is so important to me (and has been incredibly impactful in my life) to have so many strong, positive, and happy women in my life to look up to, share with, and mentor. . .

I am thankful for reconnecting with the Wyonegonic community both on the shores and through social media. My time at Wyonegonic as a camper, CIT, and staff solidified my place in the world as a strong woman surrounded by dynamic and caring friends. My time on Moose Pond cemented my relationship with the beauty of being outdoors and connecting with nature.

I am grateful that I have experienced the magic of Camp that now ripples through my family as well.

I’m thankful for friendships that began over 50 years ago on the shores of Moose Pond and rekindle instantly when we manage to meet up again, despite living on opposite sides of the continent.

I am thankful for the immense privilege of being able to come to camp and the generations of Wyo Women who have been and continue to be my role models.

I’m also thankful for being gifted the skills and knowledge to be to think that “I can” when faced with tough physical and mental challenges.

The friendships and family that Wyo has given me. It has allowed me to change the course of my life and I am now on a path I did not ever envision. . .

I’m thankful for enterprises that instill principles of sustainability. People who deeply appreciate nature and who think to themselves, “less than three saves a tree” and “leave a place cleaner than it was when you arrived.” Wildlife and nature are gifts and I’m thankful for those who preserve.

. . I am also thankful for the wonderful staff who summer after summer passes on the Wyo magic and creates wonderful experiences for the campers.

I am thankful for the wonderful friends that I made during my years at camp. Several of these friendships have not only lasted 30+ years, but they are now inter-generational as our children have formed incredible connections with each other. A camp friend is like no other – it truly is the family that we choose. . .

Thanks to the Wyonegonic campers, alumnae and staff who participated. Kiyi and Happy Thanksgiving

Like many North Toronto C.I. students, I spent my summer working at an overnight camp as a counselor. This year, I left camp not only with special memories and new skills, but with a new perspective on the importance of lessons that children can share. Of course, camp counselling is not all glamorous, and I did have to constantly remind ten-year-olds to pick their wet bathing suits up off the floor and to stop walking around the cabin during rest hour in horseback riding boots (which is in their opinion the most appropriate and quiet footwear option). I could not imagine my summer without the loving hugs from my first session ten-year-old campers and the late night talks about middle school, confidence, and friendship with my second session twelve-year-olds. I have compiled the top three lessons that I took away from this summer, which I think demonstrate the importance and great value we can all gain from working with kids.

Kids remind us to be optimistic. When my cabin was scheduled to depart for a camping trip on the stormiest day of the summer, I was shocked by the girls’ excitement despite the pouring rain. Not one of them complained, and they hopped into their canoes with smiles on their faces. They showed me that the rainy outing was an adventure and definitely one that we would remember for a long time. They laughed throughout dinner about funny songs and even performed a “rap battle” under a tarp in the pouring rain. Even though many of them had frustrating, wet sleeping bag nights, they crawled out of their tents the next morning laughing about their experience. As we canoed back to camp, singing at the top of our lungs, they told me that it was the best cabin overnight trip. I know that many of us (myself included) would have struggled to maintain such a positive and optimistic outlook due to the gloomy weather, but twelve-year-olds made the experience a beautiful memory.

Kids are experts on the importance of having fun. The campers were apologetically themselves and their goofiness shone around camp. Walking into the cabin in the middle of a flashlight dance party or fashion show reminded me that it is important to have a “goofy moment” each day. I have never seen such pure and natural smiles from kids and tweens as I did when they were being goofy. I could tell that many of them felt pressures to be “cool” and mature at home, and it was evident that being in a place that fostered individuality and the preservation of youth was beneficial to their mental health and outlooks as they grew up.

Kids remind us of how beautiful childhood is. I found that camp is one of the few places left where a ten-year-old and even a twelve-year-old are still treated as children. They are encouraged to play, to make up their own games, and to use their imaginations to create their own fun. Of course, many of them mentioned their phones or social dramas at home, but I saw the side of a little girl in every one of them. This is unique today as kids are encouraged to mature at increasingly young ages. It was magical to see ten-year-olds who would normally be playing on tablets at home, thoroughly consumed in writing letters to fairies and patiently waiting for a response.

While summer only lasts for a few months, I hope that the girls will remember the value of viewing everything in an optimistic light, the smiles and confidence that come with showing one’s goofy side, and the joy of creative play through imagination. Now the counselors and campers have gone home to very different communities, families, and lives, but I hope that we will always remember how we felt about ourselves at camp. I hope that institutions such as camps and schools continue to foster the values of optimism, the preservation of youth, and creativity. I hope that as high school students, we can look back on memories from our childhood summers and use them to propel us into the new school year.

Maya Sternthal

Wyo AC 2018, Camper 2011 – 2017

Like this message? Read this blog from Huffington Post. 10 Life Lessons You Can Learn From Children