EAGLE’S NEST CAMP
THE EAGLE
THE OUTDOOR ACADEMY
HANTE ADVENTURES
The Eagle’s Nest Foundation Newsletter FALL 2020
Resilience, Adaptation and Perseverance
IN THIS ISSUE: Staying Strong through 2020 p. 2
DEI Initiative Update p. 4
Inclusive Fire Building Communities 101 p. 5 p. 9
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, PROMOTING THE NATURAL WORLD AND THE BETTERMENT OF HUMAN CHARACTER
Staying Strong Through the 2020 Challenge Foundation Updates from the Executive Director By Noni Waite-Kucera, Executive Director We wrapped up our Annual Trustee Weekend on a bright, chilly Sunday in February after spending two days of discussing, strategizing and planning for Eagle’s Nest. While there was some talk of a viral outbreak in China and potential for spread, we had not factored that into any plans for our school or camp. Three weeks later, it was clear that everything had changed. Our Outdoor Academy students were away on spring break as news began breaking about the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus in our country, and we made the very difficult decision to not bring students back to campus while we pivoted our school, like schools everywhere, to a virtual program. We could not see a way to safely run our school in person with so many unknowns. Within a week, our faculty built a virtual program, and our students were logging in from around the country. It was not easy, and there were hiccups, but our students were remarkably resilient and our faculty learned quickly how to teach remotely. By late March, we cancelled our international Hante trips, knowing there was no chance those would be able to run in June and July. By the end of April, after weeks of worry, meetings, talking with other summer camps, and monitoring the CDC guidance, we made the decision to not run summer Camp and Hante programs in 2020. It was all feeling very bleak, and we put out the call for help. Our extended Eagle’s Nest community rallied behind us. Our 2020 camp families were given the choice of rolling over their enrollment to 2021, donating their tuition, or receiving a refund. The support was incredible. In total, 215 campers rolled over their enrollment to 2021, and donations of tuition amounted to $51,050. Our alumni and friends pledged and donated $112,018, and letters of support came in from generations of families, many asking us to consider running some sort of retreats over the summer.
Embracing the “Pivot”: Family Retreats The Camp administration quickly pivoted, and, in a matter of weeks, built an entire Family Retreat program for the summer. It was a huge success! Over the course of five weeks,
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Family Retreat Creek Hiking
39 family groups and a total of 203 people enjoyed swimming and canoeing in the lake, hiking the trails, tie dying, enjoying Whole Foods Kitchen breakfasts and lunches, and peaceful nights tucked in their cabins. It made our hearts sing to have people on campus, and from what we heard as people were leaving, the retreats were the highlight of their summer. Our goal was to keep our mission alive and active over the summer, and do what we could to generate a little revenue. I am happy to report that both goals were met. As Family Retreats ran, the rest of our team was working tirelessly to chart a course for safely opening OA Fall Semester in person, and shore up the financial picture for our organization. Losing a summer’s revenue was a huge hit for our organization. We applied for, and received federal assistance, tapped into our reserve fund, and worked with our bank to secure a line of credit that will be needed to bridge us until next summer. We have the puzzle pieces in place to keep Eagle’s Nest strong with careful management, and are so thankful for our community who is continuing to support us through what is a challenging time for everyone, everywhere.
The Outdoor Academy: changing educational landscape For the OA administration, the summer was spent attending trainings and webinars held by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), North Carolina Association of Independent Schools (NCAIS), closely tracking all guidance coming from the Centers for Disease Control, consulting with the local Health Department and with a team of medical consultants to build a plan. We opened Semester 51 on August 29th for 30 amazing teens. Within 24 hours of opening, three teams of masked and distanced wilderness
Three generations of the Ross Family enjoying Family Retreats
leaders and students headed to Pisgah Forest for 11 days of backpacking, community building, and giving the space and distance needed to build our school “bubble” for the semester. On September 9th, they returned to campus, and by September 12th we brought the three teams together to a joyous celebration. The “bubble,” was built. As of this writing on September 23rd, the students are in their second week of classes and we are beginning to find our routines come together in our new model for outdoor classroom, dining, community meetings, and almost everything except sleeping in the dorms.
Looking Ahead: Adapting to New Ways of Programming As with September every year, the Camp Team has begun planning in earnest for the upcoming summer. We know summer 2021 will have to look different than how we normally run Camp and Hante programs, and we are committed to finding creative and exciting new ways to operate safely as a summer camp. We are also excited to begin planning for opening Semester 52 this winter and to have OA Semester 50 come together again this coming summer for the wilderness programming that they missed during the spring of 2020. Our Centennial year is 2027. In 2014, when we set priorities that we wished to achieve by the time we turn 100 years old, we certainly did not factor in a pandemic. Thanks to the incredible staff and faculty of our organization, we have been able to pivot and adapt quickly. It will continue to be challenging, I know, and I cannot express enough how grateful I am to you, our community, and to our ever-ready Board of Trustees for helping our mission stay alive and well.
Semester 51 on the trail
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives at ENF Update
Recreating Inclusive Communities at Camp By Paige Lester-Niles, Camp Director
By Molly Herrmann Camp Registrar, Camp Marketing Coordinator, and Chair of DEI Committee
When we formed the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee a year ago, the intention was to have a dedicated committee devoted exclusively to the creation and implementation of Foundation-wide DEI initiatives at Eagle’s Nest Foundation (ENF). As such, this committee would be tasked with the detailed examination of programs and infrastructure at ENF, taking into account past, current, and future considerations. Over the course of the past year, the DEI Committee’s central focus and tasks have taken on a greater urgency as we take the lead on many initiatives to recommend changes that will result in a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse infrastructure and model for programming at ENF. Currently, we have fourteen members in the DEI Committee representing the various branches of the organization. To date, we have recommended and implemented several initiatives. In May of 2020, the DEI Committee submitted to ENF’s Executive Council a proposal for gender inclusion in our programming. In this proposal, we targeted the ways that gender is assigned to individuals without their consent via our programs and procedures, taking into account staff, campers, students, participants, donors, and constituents by recommending alterations to ENF practices to support and advocate for every person. After review by the Executive Council and approval by ENF’s Board of Trustees, we implemented changes to reflect gender inclusion in ENF programs and policies beginning with the Fall 2020 semester at The Outdoor Academy (OA) and the launch of our registration for Summer 2021 Camp and Hante programs. In this proposal, we adopted a DEI lens related specifically to gender inclusion, in an analysis of all of our systems from donor management to a canteen visitation schedule based on assigned gender. After a lengthy analysis and a reliance on scholarly works outlining the adverse emotional and mental impact when assigning gender externally without the individual’s consent, we recommended
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organization-wide changes. Specifically, housing for all of our programs to be based on the gender, with which the individual identifies, and not assigned by ENF policies or procedures. Our administrators will work on a case-by-case basis with individuals and families to support all of our campers, students, staff, and participants. We adopted the use of a Gender Support Plan intended to outline the ways in which we will support individuals at Camp, on a Hante, or at OA. For more information and details about gender inclusion at ENF, please visit our FAQ page on our website. Or, feel free to reach out to us with any questions. In addition, in June 2020, the DEI Committee recommended removing the John Muir quote from the A-field mural on the ENF Pisgah Forest campus. Given the problematic nature of John Muir’s writing with regard to race and the early environmental movement, as well as in an effort to create a more welcoming and inclusive physical space, the Executive Council approved the DEI recommendation, and in July 2020, the quote was removed from the A-field mural. Our Development team is working on a project to welcome recommendations on replacement mural ideas. Also in June 2020, the DEI Committee submitted a proposal to collect voluntarily demographic data from survey participants so that we can track more accurately and gauge more successfully our goals in diversity, equity, and inclusion. This proposal is currently under review. We have several other DEI projects in various stages as well. We are currently working on recommendations to dismantle cultural appropriation, specifically of North American Indigenous cultures and peoples, that run throughout our programming as well as proposing strategies for assessment of future programming that is without cultural appropriation. Additionally, we have turned our attention to the development of training programs for staff related to DEI and cultural appropriation. We are excited to continue our DEI work in order to make all of our programs more equitable and inclusive. Stay tuned for more DEI-related projects and progress!
One of our Core Values at Eagle’s Nest Camp is “Community.” At Camp, we intentionally create groups of belonging – cabin groups, activities, table families, and, for most of our history, groups that, up to this point, have been known as “tribes.” While we see great value in having all of these communities at camp, we recognize the need to comb through our institutional culture for those practices derived from Native American traditions and explore the nature of the education involved as we continue to work to be a more inclusive and just organization. For several years, we have been working on eliminating the use of Native American appropriations in our culture at camp, but we know that we have not done enough. As we plan for the summer of 2021, we intend to remove any disrespectful, harmful, and simplistic uses of Indigenous cultures. These are important and necessary changes. As we look ahead, we feel excited about creating an updated system that is more inclusive and supportive of our community at large and that fosters respect. We have spent time carefully considering our intentions and what we appreciate about these communities and the time that we spend together in them. We want to create a system that honors these intentions, including a time to gather together outside to reflect as an entire camp community, to honor each other for our accomplishments, to play games together, to laugh and be joyful, have connections to members of all ages, and to have a supportive group that we will always belong to. We would love to have your input as we update our system and continue to support our core values, help us achieve our mission, and nurture a community of belonging and respect that we all value so much. We invite and encourage you to share your input in a survey found on our website here. We also invite you to contact us directly to ask questions and share your thoughts. We value opportunities to have meaningful conversations and to connect with our community. We look forward to sharing more about our changes throughout the spring and next summer.
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! e t a D e h t e v Sa
New Spaces for Friendly Faces!
Do you remember your first Giving Day? All the excitement around pulling a name at random, getting to know that person, secretly working to create something special, and proudly giving your handmade gift. Giving Day is all about creating from the heart, building connections, and growing community. Everyone, in some way, who spends time at 43 Hart Road gets to experience the joy that giving and sharing embody.
By Cara Varney, Development Director
Gone are the days of Bilbo’s cabin, making way for the newest addition to 43 Hart Road: the completed Housing and Office Building (HOB)! We are excited to announce the grand opening of this new multi-use building at Eagle’s Nest and The Outdoor Academy. Buzzing with activity, this new hub for OA is occupied and serves as a beautiful, sustainable addition to campus. We’ve been dreaming about this building for years now, and it is finally a reality! The OA team moved into the office spaces early this summer, and we welcomed our first resident for housing during camp’s Family Retreats. Open, multi-use spaces, bright walls, and fresh wood trim make the interior feel modern and functional, while the exterior design seamlessly blends into the existing architecture of campus. It’s hard to believe that just a year ago we were looking at a giant hole in the hillside. Today, you will find OA faculty sitting on one of the many porches for a socially distanced meeting, students of Semester 51 wandering down the raised walkway to collect their mail, or a class held in the Gazebo. As part of a much larger core-site plan, the ENF Board of Trustees recognized the increasing need to provide updated housing for staff and year-round office space for OA faculty, the first step of many in updating our campus. In early 2018, the Board approved the plans to move forward with creating space for such a structure. The plans were set in motion with many moving parts. • The old maintenance area was demolished and moved to a new building on Everett Road. • The laundry room was relocated and enlarged, adding more washers and dryers, folding tables and space. • The former laundry room space was remodeled and is now home to Development and Alumni Relations office space. • White Pine trees were harvested from behind Cabin 6 and milled for use in the new building. • Construction of the Housing and Office Building (HOB) began in August 2019. • Bilbo’s Cabin, which provided housing for many summer staff over the years, was demolished in February 2020. The Bilbo’s site is now a lovely open area, complete with a picnic table perfect for outdoor classes. • Construction of the HOB was completed in April 2020 amid the Coronavirus Pandemic. • OA Faculty and staff moved into the office spaces in May 2020. • In August 2020, Semester 51 welcomed three Resident Wilderness Educators who get to call this lovely space HOME.
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This project has been a labor of love from all those involved. Former Nester Rob Skeen and his team at Bracken Mountain Builders worked tirelessly to ensure the process met the timeline for programmatic purposes. Friends and Donors reached deep to provide over $301,000 in gifts to offset the financial burden of new construction. When asked what living in the space is like, Camp Director Paige LesterNiles exclaimed, “It’s like living in a treehouse!” Naming and Recognition Opportunities are still available! • $5,000: Name on the Building Donor Plaque • Several wings and floors still open for naming • $100,000: to name the ENTIRE building! • $301,000+ in donations to date Contact Cara (cara@enf.org) for more information on naming opportunities, recognition, or to make a donation to the Housing & Office Building or Annual Fund.
Join other alumni, friends and donors this December on Giving Day, December 15th, 2020, by making a donation that will impact the lives of young people who may not otherwise have access to many great outdoor activities. Your gift will help us grow our roots to expand the reach and influence of Eagle’s Nest and The Outdoor Academy. Giving Day is 24 hours of giving, and we encourage you to rally your friends and classmates to join in the fun. Things to look forward to for Giving Day 2020: • Every donation made in November and December is entered into the raffles for special handmade gifts! • Prizes and special offers throughout the day on December 15th only! • Social Media takeovers from your favorite Camp and OA staff! • Making an impact in this community by supporting the Annual Fund at ENF! Do you want to make a big impact, but aren’t able to make a large gift all at once? You can set up a recurring monthly donation! With any recurring donation you set up, the entire amount of your recurring donation counts toward Giving Day. It is a great way to give a smaller amount each month, while making a significant overall impact with your gift. You can recreate this special tradition; share your favorite Giving Day memory and give a gift to someone in our community so they may blossom into their best selves at the Nest.
Sustainers of ENF Resident Lounge and Kitchen
Have you considered adding Eagle’s Nest to your Estate plans? At Eagle’s Nest, our Sustainers of ENF are those who have elected to include Eagle’s Nest Foundation in their estate plans through bequests, gifts of life insurance and retirement plans, and other contributions made through their estate. These honored friends have found inspiration at Eagle’s Nest Camp, Hante Adventures, and The Outdoor Academy. The benefits of planned giving are numerous to both you and future generations of campers, students, and adventurers at Eagle’s Nest and The Outdoor Academy. If you would like to learn more about becoming a Sustainer of ENF, Eagle’s Nest Foundation’s development office is ready to assist with: General information about planned gift vehicles that Eagle’s Nest may accept. Information about fund and endowment options to suit your philanthropic goals. Additional resources to help you make decisions.
Conference room
Contact Information: Cara Varney, Development Director Pisgah Forest Office cara@enf.org • (828) 877-4349
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Fire Building 101
by Paige Lester-Niles, Camp Director
Autumn has arrived! With the temperatures starting to dip, fall is the perfect time to gather around a warm, crackling fire. Unsure of how to build one? Don’t worry! Below are simple steps that’ll have you enjoying a blazing fire in no time. If you don’t find success the first time, keep trying! There are more chilly days ahead, and the thrill of building a fire will definitely warm your heart (and toes).
Eagle’s Nest is excited to announce that we have been working on a Gear Lending Library. The Gear Lending Library provides access to quality outdoor gear and clothing for campers and students to enhance their outdoor experiences and also helps to relieve the financial burden of Camp, Hante, and OA for our families. We are grateful for donations of gently used and/or new items for the Gear Lending Library. If you have questions about what we are looking for, please reach out to Mims Montgomery at mims@enf.org.
• Fleece jackets and pants • 100% waterproof rain jackets and pants
Who can use the Gear Lending Library? Anyone! If a staff member or participant arrives to campus without an essential gear or clothing item, they will be able to borrow that item from Eagle’s Nest. We’ll help sign the item out and ensure its return at the end of the trip.
The OA Semester 51 Families Paid it Forward
Can I donate a new item?
As Semester 51 students were preparing for their upcoming Opening Day on August 29, 2020, families were given the opportunity to order items on their teens’ OA packing list and utilize partnerships ENF/OA have built with outdoor gear companies. When ordering, families had the option to give back to the Gear Lending Library through the three-tiered pricing structure: 1) pay full discounted rate for items purchased, 2) pay discounted rate, plus 20%, or 3) pay full retail price. Any portion over the discounted purchase price was donated to the Foundation in order for ENF/ OA to purchase gear for the Gear Lending Library. The Semester 51 families donated $871 that will be used to purchase inventory to build the Gear Lending Library for students and campers to use for years to come.
Absolutely! We have created a wishlist on REI.com with suggestions of what we’re looking for. Feel free to purchase directly from the wishlist!
What kinds of clothing are you accepting?
What other gear can be donated?
We’re looking for wool, synthetic, and fleece fabrics, as well as waterproof rain gear. This is the technical clothing that we use on our campouts, three day trips, Added Aventures, and extended Hante trips. • Synthetic or wool long underwear • Synthetic Shirts: short and long sleeves • Synthetic or athletic shorts
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REI Wishlist: https://www.rei.com/lists/351792476
Where can I send my used items? We are happy to accept used items in good condition for the Gear Lending Library! You can mail directly to: ENF Gear Lending Library 43 Hart Road Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
• Sleeping bags - no flannel lined please! • Sleeping pads • Backpacking packs (55-75 L) • Day Packs (25 - 45 L) • School Backpacks • Nalgene Water Bottles • Headlamps
Step One: Safety First! Make sure that the conditions are safe for building a fire (it’s not too dry and there aren’t fire warnings). Find an open space that is free from incendiary items (think about low hanging branches overhead or dry grasses). If you have long hair (or long sleeves), pull it up.
Step Four: Build your structure. I like to start fires by making a lean-to. I prop most of my kindling in a bunch up on a log, keeping space underneath for the match. Once the fire begins to burn, I’ll build an A-frame around the lean-to for a typical bonfire structure.
Step Two: Find a spot to build your fire. If you have a backyard, you could consider digging out a permanent fire pit and lining it with rocks to contain the fire. You could also use a simple metal fire bowl or clay chiminea in a yard, patio or on a balcony. If you don’t have that space where you live, maybe there’s a park nearby that has a place for building fires.
Step Five: Light your fire! Light your match and carefully hold it under your kindling until it starts to burn. Carefully begin adding more kindling and blowing gently at the base of the fire. Remember to pull your head back before you stop blowing as the flames will grow. When the flames are growing, begin to slowly add the larger sticks one at a time. Avoid adding wood too quickly so that you don’t smother your fire. Continue to blow on the base of the fire as you add more wood. Eventually you can add the logs around the lean-to in a log cabin formation.
Step Three: Gather your fuel. You’ll need lots of kindling. Kindling is the very thin pieces of wood that will catch fire easily and burn out quickly (which is why you need more of it than you think). The kindling will help you get the bigger pieces to burn. You’ll also need several handfuls of sticks that are about a foot long and are about the same diameter as your finger. Finally, you’ll need a few small logs. Organize your wood into three piles by size, so it’s easy to grab what you need when you light your match.
Step Six: Enjoy your fire! Make s’mores, sing songs, tell stories, and warm your toes! Continue to add wood as needed to keep it burning. When you’re done, be sure to thoroughly extinguish the fire with plenty of water. For a video tutorial, check out our YouTube channel.
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NEST CHATTER
New ENF Trustees: Alex Keyes and Wendy Heilbut
Alex Keyes – Alex grew up outside of Raleigh, NC and now resides in Winston-Salem, NC where he and his wife Grace are raising 2 young outdoor adventurers, Leela & Silas. He earned degrees from Appalachian State University as well as North Carolina State University studying Interdisciplinary Studies and Public Administration respectively. During his undergrad years at ASU he spent 4 formative summers as a camp counselor, outdoor adventure guide and Wilderness First Responder in Western North Carolina. His love and passion for nature and outdoor adventure continues today, he is committed to a life-long pursuit of experiential learning. He enjoys trail running, mountain biking, hiking & paddling and is fortunate to spend a substantial amount of time in the mountains of NC. Professionally he has pursued a career in sales, marketing and talent acquisition and is currently a talent advisor with Volvo Group where he supports the R&D engineering teams. Alex has only recently been acquainted with ENF but has a deep sense of connection with the mission and vision of this vibrant organization.
Wendy Heilbut - Wendy first attended Eagle’s Nest in 1992 on a campership and went on to make her way through the ranks from a PA to a Camp Administrator and everything in-between including leading and participating in Hantes and Added Adventures. Her happy place is, and always will be, 43 Hart Road. She was also a resident and outdoor leader for OA Semester X. Joining the Board in 2020 is the realization of a lifelong dream for Wendy. Her earliest years were spent living in an intentional community in West Virginia and she loves that Eagle’s Nest embodies that same community spirit. Wendy has a BA in Comparative Literature from Indiana University and a JD from American University. Although a country girl at heart, she lives in New York City with her family where she runs a small law firm; she escapes the hub-bub to her garden on the weekends and sends her older child (the little one can’t wait) to Eagle’s Nest Camp for the summers.
Maggie Rogers Bilby (Camp) and Jonathan Bilby: Baby Amelia, February 2020. Adam Pendleton (OA) has upcoming art exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. He is also one of four artists who purchased Nina Simone’s childhood home in Tryon, NC, forever protecting it with a preservation easement. Bella Smiga (Former Staff) and Kris Lathrop: Baby Nolene Leosanni, May 2020.
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Arrington McCoy (OA) married Patrick Hunnicutt on September 6, 2020.
Gabi Levine (Camp & OA) married Patrick Basinger on April 18, 2020.
Posey Lester-Niles (Camp & OA) traveling to Ecuador this fall. Posey & Finn Lester-Niles (Camp & OA) baked and delivered bagels around Winston-Salem to raise money for COVID relief. Wyatt Hendrix (Camp) made and sold bluebird birdhouses to raise money for Eagle’s Nest Camp this summer. Cedar Ann Skeen (Camp & OA) & Lillian Skeen (Camp) started the Maple Street Bagels fundraiser for COVID relief. James Parana (OA) named Maryland State Champ in his wrestling weight class in March 2020. Katharine Wilkinson (OA) – Co-editor of “All We Can Save: Truth, Courage and Solutions for the Climate Crisis,” Published September 2020 (https://www.allwecansave.earth/). Witt Wisebram (OA) broke the record for an unsupported FKT of the Appalachian Trail through the entirety of the Shenandoah National Park: 107.9 miles and 22,000 feet in elevation gain in 29 hours 37 minutes. Zoe Mihalas (OA) received the Trout Unlimited William L. Arbuckle Memorial Scholarship and is attending The University of the South, Sewanee in Fall 2020.
New Faces at the Nest
Callie Sadler
In-Camp Program Manager Callie brings a wealth of outdoor education experiences with her, including working as Program and Camp Director at City Kids in Washington, DC, as a leader at Mountain Trail Outdoor School, and as a counselor and leader for four years at Camp Wayfarer. Callie is a graduate of the University of the South, Sewanee where she studied Environment Studies and Natural Resources. She also has a strong connection to Eagle’s Nest already as an Outdoor Academy alum!
Hannah Charbel Spanish Teacher
Hannah earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Ohio University in Athens, where she majored first in Spanish Education k-12 and then in Cultural/ Critical Studies. After finishing her Masters of Education in 2013, Hannah lived in Spain for a year honing her language skills before returning to teach a variety of levels of Spanish to 8th through 12th grade students in two Ohio public schools over six years. After making the move to North Carolina, Hannah is excited about the opportunities that teaching at OA will afford her to make the language come alive for our students with her fun, interactive approach to learning. Hannah is an avid mountain biker, runner, and rock climber, and she has been enjoying exploring the trails and crags around the area. In addition to teaching Spanish, she will be an advisor and will get involved with outdoor 11 programming later in the semester.
Challenge over
Comfort
EAGLE’S NEST
CAMP
Adventure over
Summer 2021 Session One June 12th - June 25th K - 10th Grade Added Adventure: Paleo: Primitive Living Experiment 6th - 7th Grade
Session Two June 27th - July 16th K - 10th Grade Added Adventure: French Broad Escapades 6th - 7th Grade Session Three July 18th - August 6th K - 10th Grade Added Adventure: Sea Islands 6th - 7th Grade
Routine
Session Three Mini July 18th - July 31st K - 5th Grade Session Four August 8th - August 15th K - 10th Grade
Register Here
@eaglesnestcampnc
HANTE ADVENTURES
2021 Hantes Step Out and Learn Hante Rocks and Rivers June 27th - July 16th 7th - 11th Grade Hante Pacific Northwest July 18th - August 6th 8th - 11th Grade Hante AT Trek Virginia July 18th - August 6th 7th - 11th Grade Register Here
Now enrolling for Spring 2021! Visit theoutdooracademy.org for more information.
@hanteadventures 13