Pinecones Summer Day Camp
Pinecones Summer Day Camp
This week of activities at Point Defiance Park provides children ages 7-11 with daily time outside and learning opportunities focused around natural sciences. Students will spend five days exploring the plants, animals, and geology of the coastline and forest, while learning skills such as map reading and shelter building, and learning through hands-on activities and crafts such as scavenger hunts, shell and rock collecting, and art projects.
Our camp leaders have experience working with elementary school children, children with special needs, and in guiding students through child directed learning. This camp teaches nature skills and supports academic progress over the summer through games and engaging activities. The flexibility of the outdoor setting and the low leader-to-student ratio (1:3 on average) allows us to give each child individualized attention and support.
Learning Goals
- Hiking and camping skills
- Coast and forest ecosystems
- Plant and wildlife identification
- Route finding
- Wilderness skills
- Cultural history
Logistics
- Meet Location: Point Defiance Park, Fort Nisqually
- Meet Time: 9 AM
- Pick-up Location: Point Defiance Park, Fort Nisqually
- Pick-up Time: 3 PM
“My daughter looked forward to going to Pinecone Camp every day! She would talk about trails and nature spots she wanted to take us to. She would come home covered in dirt head to toe and smiling ear to ear. Can’t wait for more programs with Sahale Outdoors!”
2023 Pinecones Camp parent
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Highlights
Learn hands on natural science with time to play and explore in an outdoor environment.
Difficulty Level
Easy to Intermediate: Short hikes and activities geared towards children’s interests and ability level.
Length
Each camp is from 9-3, five days in a row.
2023 Schedule:
June 24-28: 9-3 each day
July 8-12: 9-3 each day
July 15-19: 9-3 each day
July 22-26: 9-3 each day
July 29-August 2: 9-3 each day
August 12-16: 9-3 each day
August 19-23: 9-3 each day
Price: $100 per day, or $450 per week
25% of the total trip cost is due at sign-up, with the remainder due two weeks before the trip date. You are welcome to pay in installments, contact trips@sahaleoutdoors.org to set up a payment plan.
Our mission is to make outdoor recreation accessible to all. If you cannot afford the total trip cost, send us a brief message to request a sliding scale pricing form.
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Indigenous Land
Puyallup
“It [Lushootseed] is from the beginning strength of the people, and it is from what the Creator put down upon this land for people…. The earth speaks. The animals speak. Everything has a voice.”
Vi Hilbert, Grandmother Video Project
The Puyallup tribe in their own language call themselves a name that means “people from the bend at the bottom of the river.” They are one of twelve Lushootseed speaking tribes in the Puget Sound region. The language of Lushootseed has vast diversity and multiple dialects, with each group having their own way of speaking. All dialects were to be honored and respected, reflecting the values of Lushootseed culture such as ‘Be kind, be helpful, be sharing.’
The Lushootseed speaking peoples called the mountain that dominated their horizon Tacoma or Tahoma, a word that may have meant “the mother of all waters.” The Puyallup tribe is calling on the state of Washington to rename the mountain from its current official name of “Rainier.”
Today, the Puyallup Tribe is a recognizable force in the fight for tribal rights, and were a significant player in the Boldt Decision of 1974, establishing the rights of Native Americans in Washington State to fish using traditional methods.
~ This information was found on PuyallupTribe.com