MARCH 24, 2006
I
ran into an old friend, Peter Bergstrom, who is director of a camp in the mountains near San Diego California this is not just any old camp, because Peter and his staff have transformed the camp into a model for environmental sustainability.
Camp Stevens is in an old town named Julien. California wildfires have threatened the town and the camp on many occasions, but it has remained virtually unscathed. Camps are special for a wide variety of young people and adults, but when the camp policy is to make it work in relationship to the environment then something special happens to the visitor. All camps are not created equal.
The camp is powered by solar power. Photovoltaic cells are on the roof and one day they hope to be totally off the electric grid. There is an asphalt parking lot which is being ripped up and a permeable one is being installed. Rainwater will be caught or diverted for irrigation of the organic garden. Low flow toilets and low flush showers are the norm, hopefully, hot water showers are still available, and long lasting light bulbs have been installed.
The camp is always on its way to becoming something else. They are faithful to the process of living in harmony with nature and the teaching is both in word, and by observation. When a young person actually digs in the dirt and plants a tomato plant and then gets to eat from the garden words are not necessary to educate. Experiencing a sustainable camping environment, hiking in the woods and learning about the native flora and fauna, and then returning home with a new perspective on our natural world gives me hope. Camp Stevens is a jewel in the crown of the Episcopal Church.
Inner city YMCA camps, sailing camps on Cape Cod, Lake Michigan or in the San Juan Islands, fresh air camps, Jimmy Fund camps, and day camps throughout the United States have a wonderful opportunity to empower a whole generation of young people with a commitment to the natural world. When you send off your Johnny or Susie this summer for a week, month, or the entire summer, ask of the camp director his policy on making the camp be more sustainable.
When you sign up your child for camp make sure that the camp has a recycling policy, an environmental awareness, and an ethic that promotes what they are in the business of teaching an appreciation of the outdoors.
--Peter