Ten Moments from a Summer Outside
As August begins, I’ve been reflecting on the incredible weeks I spent with so many amazing kids. Since 2022, I’ve been running summer camps for kids at the UVM Catamount Farm. While every year has its own rhythm and magical moments, this summer with Eco Explorers Vermont (EEV) felt different. Maybe it was the returning faces, the new campers who dove in like they’d been coming for years or the golden weather. Whatever it was, EEV 2025 felt full—joyful, grounded, and like a community for the first time.
Here are 10 unforgettable memories from this summer that stood out to me - the kind that will stick with me long after the tent is cleaned out and the last of the zucchini bread has been eaten…
10. Planting a garden.
On a Monday morning, tiny hands dug into the soil to map out a plan for the veggie starts we would bury in the ground. For many campers, it was their first time involved in planting a garden. One camper, stepped up as the leader of the group and delegated out the work to plant her dream bed. The campers took pride in returning to the bed of greens each day to water and weed.
Campers posing for a photo after planting a garden.
9. Hide and seek near the raspberry patch.
During Animal Week, we were learning about how animals move, hide, and survive in the wild. So we turned the raspberry patch into a hiding ground—and suddenly, it became an epic landscape for the ultimate game of hide and seek. Giggles echoed between the bushes as campers darted and ducked like little rabbits or fawns. Seekers stalked like foxes—quiet and more focused than I had ever seen them.
It was a sweet reminder that the simplest games, in the right setting, can spark the most joyful memories.
A favorite hiding spot was up in the tree.
8. How to Catch a Frog
There’s something timeless about a summer afternoon at the frog pond—muddy boots and sudden squeals of joy. One camper mentioned she had never caught a frog before, and the other kids immediately rallied around her. They shared tips, pointed out movement in the brush, and cheered her on.
When she finally caught one, the group burst into celebration like it was a team victory. The frog was released back into the water a few minutes later, but the smile on her face stuck around all day.
Halfway between a tadpole and a frog metamorphosis.
7. The Lemonade Stand
There wasn’t any money involved—just lots of lemon squeezing and sticky fingers. Campers made fresh squeezed lemonade and a big colorful sign displayed for the farmers working the fields all day and had a blast with every step of the process.
6. Befriending Farmer Ryan
Farmer Ryan wasn’t just someone we waved to from a distance—he became part of our camp family. One Friday afternoon, he surprised the kids by sharing some fresh snap peas and the next week, warm, just-picked cherry tomatoes straight from the field. Since he ran the Friday Farm Stand near our tent, he became famous in the tent for sharing treats (AKA vegees!).
Farmer Ryan (UVM farm intern) in the farm stand cart.
5. Finding the Blue-Staining Bolete
I’ll admit—I wasn’t sure if I could make a fungi-themed camp week fun. Wild mushrooms can be tricky to find, and their abundance depends heavily on the weather. Plus, it’s not just about spotting them - you have to be able to do something with the discovery to really hook the kids.
But our week started with an absolute bang. As we turned out of the orchard and onto a shaded path beneath the oaks and pines, I spotted it—and couldn’t help but grin. A stunning blue-staining bolete sat right at the edge of the trail.
Yellow-reddish bolete that stains blue with oxidation (breaking, cutting or bruising).
We gathered around and watched as the yellow porous flesh turned bright blue when I broke it open. The kids thought it was weird and totally captivating. In that moment, I thought: Okay, I can definitely convince the kids that fungi are cool…
4. The Rise of Farm Lore
This year, the farm had more than apple orchards and a carrot patch—it had dark forests, wishing streams and magical portals that transported campers to different realms. At the end of the week, the campers drew a map of the farm. What started as dirt paths and garden beds turned into illustrated adventures full of secret spots and legends only they could explain.
One of the maps of the farm campers drew throughout the week.
3. The First Fox Sighting
Trying to stay on theme for the day, we headed to the elm orchard to do some quiet birdwatching. The kids were restless and not exactly in a nature-studying mood, but I was determined to try, so I told them, “Let’s just quietly observe by yourself for a few minutes.”
Of course, for the first time all summer, there were no birds to be seen. The campers were fidgeting, bored, on the verge of a full rebellion, when suddenly, one of them turned and shouted, “FOX!”
While it wasn’t what I had planned, the quiet observation moments had been worth it. A fox dashed across a gravel path through a field of tall grass carrying a morning snack. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect and we followed the fox tracks around the farm for weeks.
2. Zucchini Bread for the Farmers
At the end of the last week of summer camp, I baked some zucchini bread to share with the campers. We sat together, crumbs in laps, laughing and remembering all the memories of the week.
After tasting it, someone said, “We should give some to the farmers!”
I had originally planned for the kids to have a farm tour - riding on a trailer pulled by one of the farmers. But instead of just sightseeing, the kids asked if the farmer could drive us out to the fields where the crew was working so we could hand-deliver the bread.
So that’s what we did: bouncing along in the wagon, I held onto the pan of zucchini bread, waving and calling out when we finally spotted them weeding the carrot fields.
Friendship, Community, and Love for the Outdoors
“Be serious”
When all is said and done, the real magic of camp isn’t in the crafts or the games - it’s in the friendships that form, the little moments of connection to neighbor and nature.
Whether it was running through the field, laughing during snack under the trees, or looking for frogs in the stream, these moments created something deeper than any planned activity could. Campers learned to work together, look out for each other, and feel a sense of belonging—not just to the group, but to the land itself.
That is what I hope they carry with them.
