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What to expect when you’re expecting…a Runoia experience!

Posted on by Colleen O'Malley

While our camper attrition is low, we are lucky enough to be able to welcome new families each year in limited spaces. With each sad goodbye to a graduating camper comes a space that opens in our youngest age groups – a subconscious gift from one Runoia gal to another. And those graduating campers are so often welcomed back as CITs, then JCs, and eventually fully-fledged counselors as we watch them grow up in front of our eyes. Just this summer, four of five CITs of summer 2021 joined us as JCs – and we certainly hope to see them return as counselors, just as three of our four 2020 CITs did this year, too.

It’s crazy to think that for many such campers, their Runoia experience began years prior as they settled into a junior end cabin for the first time. Research, camp tours, and plenty of conversations often precede the life-changing decision to walk through the Runoia gates for the first summer of many, and it can be weird to not know what to expect! So, for our new parents, guardians, campers, and family members, let’s get a lay of the land so we know what to expect when you’re expecting a Runoia experience.

The months leading to camp

It can be a long haul between signing up and the big day – especially for families who have built excitement by touring, Zooming with us, and signing up early. If you’ve signed up by early or mid fall, it can be a quiet few months through the holidays, but we are always here as questions come up along the way. In the spring, you can expect communications from us to become more frequent as we fill you in on everything we can think of: food details, options for trips, tricks for packing, information on shipping, help with transportation, any special protocols for the summer, and more!

Preparing for camp

Preparing for camp really comes down to the big three: forms, packing, and transportation. All of your forms and helpful information regarding prep for camp, packing luggage, and transportation will be easily accessible on your Camp in Touch dashboard. Here’s a quick rundown of some key take-aways about preparation for camp:

  • Forms are mandatory for attendance at Runoia! Forms include a signed medical form, activity release, health history, and more. It’s not unlike forms for sports and school, and you will get plenty of help and reminders from us.
  • We will give you a detailed rundown of packing, but we prefer two big pieces of luggage over many smaller items. Popular choices are hard-sided trunks and large duffels!
  • Campers are welcome to have luggage shipped to camp, especially if they are flying! Bedding is available for rent to cut down on the packing volume.
  • Campers can come by car, plane, or our camp bus – which stops in NYC and Massachusetts.

 

During camp

Suddenly the big day is here, you’ve completed the right forms, packed the right things, and set off with the address in your GPS! The rest is cake, right? Well, it can certainly be hard for parents, guardians, and other family members to say their goodbyes for over three weeks. We keep it old-school and truly ‘campy’ for our communication – letters are our love language. From home, families can utilize our Bunk Notes systems to get digital letters to their camper(s) quickly, and campers write letters in return. Another great option is to send a letter ahead of time so that it’s ready for your camper on the first full day. Phone calls aren’t a typical Runoia thing – they are reserved for international campers and birthdays calls! While the communication change can be a big adjustment, we work hard to have qualified and well-trained staff members to support your camper(s), and a great system of communication with families. As a new family, you can expect:

  • Trained live-in counselors in the cabin to ensure the physical, mental, and emotional safety of your camper(s).
  • Connection with your camper(s)’ HOC (Head of Cabin) – a senior staff member who knows kids and Runoia well – who will update you on your camper(s)’ activities, friends made, and growth at camp!
  • Detailed communication with Colleen, who acts as our liaison for new families. New families will have a phone call to talk about their camper(s)’ adjustment to camp and their experience.
  • A little bit of homesickness from you camper – which is totally normal and usually short-lived. You’ll soon be receiving letters all about the greatest parts of camp!

After camp

Post-camp can look and feel different for every camper – the experience is unique. Some campers may hop in the car talking a mile a minute, seemingly unable to get all of their amazing stories out fast enough! Others may be experiencing feelings of sadness due to camp ending. Others may be quiet and not quite ready to share. There is no “normal” when it comes to post-camp emotions. Look out in 2023 for a detailed blog on what to expect post-camp and how to help your camper(s) process their feelings!

No matter where you are in your Runoia journey or camp decision process, we hope to see you in 2023!

Oh, here enrollment comes – with fife and drum

Posted on by Colleen O'Malley

Oh, here enrollment comes – with fife and drum! Can you believe it?

We are rounding the corner into the last week of September, and today marks the very first day of fall. Though Runoia closed its gates more than a month ago now, today marks a more official goodbye to summer. In Colorado, we are planning ‘leaf peeping’ trips in accordance with peak foliage around the state. This is one of my favorite parts of the year, and yet I can’t help but feel a little ache for the summer days anyway.

The good news: the camp flow never really stops, and we’ve been gearing up for summer 2023 for longer than you can imagine already! September has been a busy month of early registration for our returning families and Alex and I have been watching excitedly as our next summer cabin lists quickly take shape with familiar names.

 

So, let’s talk enrollment: how it works, when it happens each year, how new families can claim a space, and why HLC (Harmony Land Camp) is the BEST time to get your child’s Camp Runoia experience started.

Enrollment comes around quickly after summer’s end, with early enrollment for new families opening at the end of August. This may seem crazy – with camp ending mere weeks prior, but knowing what our camp community will look like each summer far in advance helps us plan the best for each unique year! Early enrollment means:

  • Families with camper(s) who attended the previous summer have the right to first refusal of that space for the full month of September. Returning families will claim that space by applying on our Camp in Touch system and sending their deposit.
  • Provided there is space available, siblings of returning campers may also be enrolled during early enrollment.
  • Spaces are reserved only within the same session(s) your camper(s) attended the previous summer.

New families are always excitedly welcomed – there is so much joy in adding a new name to our cabin lists knowing that someone is about to have their very first Runoia summer! Here’s what to know about enrollment as a new family:

  • The earlier the better – families who get connected early, meet us over Zoom or phone, or come for a tour are more likely to be first in line for available spaces that open on October 1st.
  • Interested families should reach out to Colleen or Alex to set up a meet-and-greet Zoom or phone call to get to know camp, ask questions, and be penciled in for space or be placed on our waitlist.
  • Taking a look at our dates and rates to get a good sense of what session works best for your family helps you be prepared to enroll!

Now – a not-so-secret insider piece of information: starting with our Harmony Land Camp program is the best way to enroll, introduce your child to Runoia and the camp experience, and secure your space for future summers. Here’s why:

  • Since our HLC sessions are our ‘starter camp’ groups, they are the youngest group in camp. Most campers move up the following summer into a junior end cabin, leaving spaces available in all of our HLC options! Since our cabin attrition is so low, this is the easiest group to snag a spot.
  • Once you’ve secured your spot, your family will have access to early enrollment each following year for as long as they attend. The hard part is over, and enrollment is a breeze!
  • HLC can help your child transition into a new experience and feel more prepared for and positive about enrollment and camp in the future!

Enrollment can be daunting, but we’re here to help! See you October 1st for OPEN ENROLLMENT!

Alex Steps Into Director of Camp Runoia; Pam Becomes Director Emerita

Posted on by Pam Cobb

We are thrilled to share that Alex Jackson, who has been with Camp Runoia since 1995 and co-Director for over a decade, has stepped into the position of the Director while Pam transitions to Director Emerita. As part of this transition, Mark and Pam will step back from the day-to-day operations of camp later this fall. With Alex’s 28 seasons of experience at Camp Runoia and her role as a leader within the Maine camp community, including as a member of the Maine Summer Camps Board of Directors, she will keep Runoia’s tradition of excellence going forward. Under Alex’s continued leadership, camp retains the same culture and energy, which has helped Runoia campers build lifelong skills and friendships for over a century.

We share news of our retirement with joy knowing Alex and the team around her will continue Camp Runoia’s strong legacy. Our confidence in Alex is unwavering. She is a seasoned leader and a loyal, dedicated camp professional. We have partnered with Canyonlands Camps to make this transition possible. Founded by a visionary wife-husband team, Canyonlands Camps believes in getting youth into the Great Outdoors to build confidence, community and lifelong skills. These values resonate deeply with us and with the Camp Runoia community. 

What’s next for us? We will continue to enjoy our home on Great Pond, and look forward to being Camp Runoia grandparents, sharing the Runoia experience as Molly, Sawyer, and Frannie continue to grow and thrive at camp amongst all the other campers we adore! Our daughter, Jai Cobb Kells, will contribute to the camp experience in her role as Assistant Director in the summer. Pam will continue her work with the mission-driven Camp Runoia Alumnae Organization (CRAO), championing Camperships and the Diversity Advisory Committee. Additionally, Pam will bring her experience and expertise as a founding advisor to Canyonlands Camps. She will also continue to stay connected to the Maine camp community, including as a board member of the Maine Youth Camping Association and as a member of Maine Summer Camps, Maine Camp Experience, and a long-standing camp director’s round table group. Mark will remain involved in local lake and land conservation efforts to protect and preserve the resources of Great Pond and the Belgrade Lakes Watershed. He plans to stay engaged with the Town of Belgrade community activities, and will provide ongoing consultation to Camp Runoia.

We have loved every minute of dedicating our life work to the camp “movement” and will continue to support the camp experience in the years to come. 

With warmth and love in our hearts, 

Pam and Mark



Back to School – Take me Back to Canoes and Paddles

Posted on by Colleen O'Malley

It hasn’t yet been a month since Runoia waved “see you later” to its last camper of the summer, and we already are dreaming of ” take me back to canoes and paddles.” I know this because I myself am drifting toward daydreams of Great Pond, and because we’ve had dozens of campers already sign up for camp 2023!

But rather than back to canoes and paddles, our campers and so many of our staff are back to their books. With Labor Day now past, the last of our campers will be making their way back to school in the next few days while others are already in the groove.

Luckily, so many of our campers and staff also read their way through countless books this summer, and kept their brains active by problem-solving, building social and hard skills, and working up a strong work ethic that will carry them through the next ten months. You might be surprised to realize just how often school skills show up at camp – memorizing lines, measuring for cuts, learning songs. Camp skills are life skills are school skills!

With so many of our campers and staff college-bound, their camp skills will be handy from first search to graduation day. From college essays, choosing a school, or preparing for your first year, camp prepares us for it all. Olivia said it perfectly in 2018: “My experiences at Runoia have come to life so often during my past three years at Colby. I make every effort to engage in outdoor activities, to form deep friendships, and to have confidence in my classes the same way I grew confidence solo skippering for the first time.”

Even for our friends who are not returning to school but may be going back to work or job hunting, camp skills translate uniquely on a resume and in interviews. Campers who move up through our leadership structure to complete our CIT program, a junior-counselor year, and eventually become a counselor will emerge with resume-worthy skills, connections, and countless examples of experiences of hard-work, communication, and collaboration.

Wherever post-camp life takes you this year and beyond, we are confident that your camp skills will help you make it where you want to go!

“Home at Last” – a written piece on ‘why Maine?’ by M.J. Mott-Auns

Posted on by Colleen O'Malley

On the last night of our celebration at this summer’s reunion, as we were hugged on the waterfront by trees and warmed by the campfire, alumna M.J. Mott-Auns (1954-1964, 1984-1995) shared a written piece in response to the ever-asked question: “why did you move to Maine?”

This piece sparked many collective dreamy sighs, laughs, and a few tears amongst the crowd – while you won’t experience the joy of hearing M.J. read it aloud, she has shared it with us to read to ourselves:

 

When we first moved to Maine, the most often asked question was “Why did you move here?” If directed to my husband Vilis, he would simply point to me. I then had to find an answer that made sense and didn’t involve too much explanation. But answering that question never seemed easy to me. My journey to living in Maine began many years ago.

I was an only child raised by a single parent and I was lonely.  My father died when I was four and my mother had to step in and run the family insurance business.  As you might imagine this created some parenting dilemmas as I was way too young to be left to my own devices.  It happened that when I was 7 my mother heard about a wonderful camp in Maine where I would be with children my own age and older and be well cared for. So it was that I found myself, along with my friend Romney driving with our parents into New York city on a June afternoon so that the two of us could be put on the camp train and sent to Maine for two months. I remember feeling scared and nervous, but not wanting to let Romney see that side of me.  She was both more confident and sophisticated than I was.

We arrived in the city and found our way into the Statler Hilton Hotel where we would have dinner before boarding the camp train.  We were dressed in nice dresses and our brand-new camp blazers.  As we were sitting down, my mother said

 “See those girls sitting at that table over there?  I’ll bet they are headed to camp too. Wouldn’t it be fun if they are going to Runoia?”

All during dinner I wondered about those two girls and whether they would be on the same train with Romney and me. I also noticed that one was crying all through the meal. I was happy that although I was sad to be leaving my mom, at least I wasn’t crying like a baby. I ate as slowly as possible to prolong the trip into the station, but eventually it was time.

When we got into Grand Central Station, I looked around and all I could see were signs with different camp names. I couldn’t imagine how we would find the right one, but we did. There were lots of girls waiting already and most of them seemed very excited, a good sign I thought.  Then I saw those two girls from dinner approaching.  Sure enough they were going to my camp too and it was their first year as well.  One was still crying. Little did I know that she would be one of my bridesmaids many years later.

Goodbyes were said and some tears shed, but we got on the train and soon enough were pulling out of the station. The whole train, it turned out, was devoted to transporting children to camp in Maine. Runoia filled up one car. We slept in bunks and spent much of the night peering out of the curtains to see the older girls talking and singing camp songs at the end of our car. Meanwhile I was making friends of my own and comforting the crying girl who would become one of my best friends.

The next morning, we arrived at a little station in Belgrade, Maine and were met by the camp director who was named Johnny, the Arts and Crafts counselor Shelley, and a few other counselors.  We were shown which cars to get in and were driven to camp in Belgrade Lakes. I was in the car driven by Johnny. She was a little scary to me, but I did notice that most of the other girls were laughing and joking with her and I began to relax. When we turned onto Point Road Johnny told us that there were a few steep hills to climb and that the car we were in needed some help to climb them. She told us that we should all raise our feet off the floor of the car when she gave the signal and that would help the car make it up the hill. We did as we were told, and eventually all the new girls realized this was a joke that Johnny always played on new campers. When we arrived, we were told how to find our cabins and off we went.  I remember smelling the pine and the old wood of some of the buildings and thinking it smelled like perfume. There was a lake down a hill, tennis courts, a tree house, and way too much to take in all at once.  I knew I would love this place from that moment on.  I felt as though I had found a second home. Romney and I were both in 4th Shack which made me happy.

I attended Camp Runoia for ten summers as both a camper and a counselor, and those years were formative for me.  I learned about being a child among children which was sometimes difficult for me as an only child.  On the flip side, I learned the joys of sisterhood and embraced those fully. Sports became central to my life and have brought me great joy. Being a counselor gave me skills I used all my working life as a teacher. All of this helped me to become the person I am today. My camp friends and I marvel to this day that we were able to have this incredible experience.  I see several of my camp friends to this day, people I have known and loved for over 60 years. 

I returned to camp when I had children of my own to be an Assistant to Betty Cobb.  My daughter attended and my son went to another camp on the lake. Vilis enjoyed being part of it all, happily grilling at camp cookouts and attending campfires. Even our Yellow Lab Jamie was a part of Runoia although he usually stayed on his own property except when it was cookout night and there were all sorts of treats for him to clean up after the campers left for evening program.

I am still involved with Runoia as a member of the Alumnae Board that exists to raise scholarship money for girls who could otherwise not afford to come to this wonderful place. As I return each summer for our board meeting, I still get butterflies when I drive through the camp gates.

And so, when I am asked “Why Maine?”

I almost always answer,

“Because of camp.”

To Change: The 2022 Log Dedication

Posted on by Colleen O'Malley

If I were to hold a self-authored book in my hand titled ‘lessons learned in recent years,’ the first page would read: “change, while uncomfortable, and at times even scary, is inevitable, necessary, and important.” Just below this line would read a dedication which credits this realization largely in part to my experiences at Runoia and my witnessing its resilience.

I hold immense gratitude for Runoia’s eagerness to change in ways that show care for our community and open our gates to more friends and family each year. Runoia is able to hold fast to its most vital traditions and pieces of history when we are flexible and bold enough to transform around them.

We owe our continuation, and the perpetuation of our traditions and history, to the courage of ourselves and of generations before us to change. It is due to this courage that we may keep what matters most: the same small bell that has called our attention for over eighty years; our voices that carry through Runoia trees with melodies passed through lifetimes; our boathouse which stands with painted names from the 1920’s through 2022; a culture of summer siblings and lifelong family. 

The winds of Camp Runoia have taught me that change is good. The winds play no favorites – filling our sails one moment, then shifting to calm our waters for skiers the next. Among the winds, we honor all of the transformative shifts of Runoia:

 

Everything ‘lost’ each summer which has ever made room for something ‘found’;

The rain which rolls in just as we could use respite from the sun; 

New lyrics which empower us rather than place us in boxes;

New campers and counselors who arrive at our gates; 

 

People coming as strangers and leaving as siblings;

The ‘Bees and Eees’; 

The changes made each summer, 116 times over, which have made Runoia a permanent fixture in our summers and souls.

 

I hereby dedicate the 2022 log to the changes, both monumental and slight, of the past 116 summers of Runoia, and to its agents of change – our campers, staff, and alumni. May we continue to adjust our sails together to point toward the future. Tonight we celebrate changes which have made Runoia what it is, and who it is, and have led to this very moment exactly as it is now – Runoia and I would not have it any other way.

Time flies when you are having a blast!

Posted on by Alex

Oh my goodness it doesn’t seem but just 2 minutes since we were donning red,white and blue for the 4th of July! The week blasted by with every second filled to the brim.  It’s hard to find a starting place and an end! The long summer days and fantastic Maine weather have allowed us to make the most of everything offered to us and have so much fun!

We welcomed our HLC A campers on July 5th. They might be small but they certainly are mighty and leapt into camp life mostly in a bathing suit! Getting them out of the lake is a challenge for sure. They have tried activities, hiked mountains, been to the beach and did we mention showed up at every rec swim possible?  Harmony Land Camp is a great way to have a short ‘try it’ experience and we know that this crowd is definitely ready for main camp next summer.

Pretty much everyone has been out to the Maine coast, Popham Beach for seniors and Pemaquid for juniors. It’s great to get out of camp and enjoy a picnic and a fun day doing something different. A long standing Runoia tradition that everyone really looks forward to.

Our Ocho Katahdin hikers had the best trip ever and apparently beat all times for getting up and down the mountain in a little over 7 hours!  The full season girls are begging to go again next session. Providing challenging experiences with supportive adults to guide you is what camp is all about. The SV girls are out now and hoping to make it to the summit tomorrow, weather permitting. Having older campers as role models and seeing the accomplishments of others makes our summer family feel like a place you can safely call home.

Although it has been a bit of a windy week sailors have been out on ‘the blue waves’, campers are passing levels in waterski and windsurfing and our JMG candidates were honing their canoe skills. We are lucky to have Runoia alums Ginny Geyer and Meg (Tabell) Kasprak coming in a couple of days a week helping them.

Activity time has been super busy with lots of projects being turned out in the arts department. We have been trialing a new leather craft program which has been a big hit. Baskets, batik, photos, lino prints and a million more bracelets will be heading home if we can pack them! Not forgetting target sports, horse back riding, play practice and all of the things in between, we are exhausted when we fall into bed at night.

EP’s have varied a lot this week, from a chill all-camp movie night watching and singing along to Encanto, the much anticipated Variety Show, birthday tables and the laundry bag game. We fit in a Sunday campfire which was a bit of a rush as we were all enjoying our Sunday sundaes on the kickball field. Our oldest Senior campers celebrated their years at Runoia with their graduation dinner in a fancied up boathouse. They are busy painting their plaques that will be put up before they depart and be a lasting memory of their time on Great Pond.

Still more….

We played our first big round of games and picked team captains for the Bees and Elephants this past Sunday. This group of campers have taken on the transition of team names and colors with gusto! Team captains are Sayles, Vee, Sofi and Clare! There are amazing new cheers, and they have used the old ones with some rewriting. Bs and Es or Ellies were running wild on the fields and courts for kickball, softball, soccer, volleyball and tennis. Swim races and the horse show are coming up later in the week. The Es are poised to make a monumental comeback after a few years of losses.

As we head into our last tag up block we are making the most of all of the opportunities that camp has given us and will be sad to be packing trunks and duffels on Friday. How has it gone by so fast? how many days until next summer?

See you soon,

Aionur

Camp Runoia’s 116th season get’s going!

Posted on by Alex

The best day of the year so far was June 24th. Opening day of Camp Runoia’s 116th season. It was a fine Maine day and the energy that poured into camp was absolutely amazing. From airports to highways, our campers navigated to camp filled with enthusiasm, excitement and for a few a little trepidation. Cabins quickly filled up, bags were unpacked and name games started. 

Old friends shared hugs and new friends were quickly made. By supper time the volume was high, the laughs were many and everyone was excited to see what the next few days would bring.

The first full day of camp always starts with a morning of orientation to get everyone up to speed with all of the guidelines and systems. Staff shared information about activities and campers practiced safety protocols and took swim tests.  The afternoon we were quickly into activities with shack groups and every area of camp was filled with fun. Volleyball is once again super popular with large groups of all ages and abilities playing together on the court.

We started strong with covid protocols in attempts to reduce risk and disruption for the community. We are doing some masking when we are mixing indoors and have been tagged up with our shack group for the first block. Everyone is engaged and busy all day long and we are finding that it is already much quieter earlier at night especially in Junior end. Long days outdoors being active and without tech feels so good. 

It is impressive how quickly everyone had adapted to the camp routine, understands the schedule and is ready to spend their day adventuring all over camp. The bell gets us up in the morning and keeps us rolling on time all day long. From the lake to the barn there is action and learning going on everywhere. It is impossible to count the number of friendship bracelets already made and the books being read. Unstructured free time often sees the gaga pit, courts and fields full of happy campers hanging out and playing together. Counselors are keeping a close eye on things and supporting those that need a little extra to navigate their way around. 

The kitchen crew has been cooking up a storm and we are being kept very well fed. Three meals and three snacks a day keeps us energized. So far there have been great options including produce from our own camp garden. The farm class harvested kale and cooked up some kale chips to try. We have sheep at camp for the first time this year. They are providing plenty of entertainment as are the chickens. We are trying hard to reduce food waste and compost what we can.

Our night time evening programs(EP’s) have been a blast, we started with an old camp favorite, ‘capture the flag’ did some sporty rotations and had our first campfire of the season last night. It was so great to all be together at the lake sharing about our ‘Cultural Diversity’, singing songs and enjoying the loons and the sunset.

 

Connections Build Community

Posted on by Pam Cobb

As we gear up for our 116th consecutive camp season connections in our community are paramount – more than ever.

I recently reviewed our staff/counselor list of names and my excitement for camp grew. In just over one month, young leaders from all over the United States and from around the world will gather with us to connect, learn from each other, define core values, practice teaching skills, and most of all build a healthy community welcoming children to join in and stretch and grow through the camp experience.

One name on the list jumped out at me. Liz and I met because she thanked me for supporting her college. As a student working with Sterling College advancement, she reached out with a personalized thank you note to me. She told me about a field study trip she was taking with her class to the SW of the United States. She is from Brooklyn, NY and was excited and a little nervous for her adventure – completely normal. I looked her up and reached out to her. Someone with her courage and determination was someone I was interested in finding out more about!  Fast forward through the connection, she applied to camp and Alex Jackson, our co-director interviewed and hired her as a counselor who will help lead trips, work on our ropes course and connect with youth in an outdoor, unplugged setting.

Camp is all about connections. Our alumnae come back to camp to work and send their children to camp. Our staff reach out to friends to have them work at camp. Our families, alumnae and staff meet people who seem like a great fit and invite them to come to camp to work. Our assistant directors, Jen and Colleen, reconnect with camp friends and reach out to college friends and people in specific jobs, be it nursing or crafts, riding or rowing, and help them find their way to our community. Together we join at camp to build our summer community of leaders. We are all very excited and maybe a little nervous – completely normal.

Jen recently added a fun pre-camp idea for our counselors. Alex has our returning campers write a new camper before camp starts. Sometimes they become pen pals and it’s a lovely, old-fashioned way to make a connection before you come to camp.  Jen extended this same idea to counselors. This year, she has connected returning counselors with new counselors by letter writing.  At Camp Runoia, we are part of something bigger than ourselves. Whether we are campers or counselors, it’s the connections that make the difference.

Sometimes it all starts with a simple and personalized thank you letter or a new pen pal connection.

Earth Day: the Runoia Way

Posted on by Colleen O'Malley

As Earth day approaches – you may be wondering: how do we love the earth here at Runoia? To that I say: let me show you and we can count the ways – the Runoia way!

Learning to grow our own food…

and loving and caring for animals!

Learning outdoor skills and Leave No Trace in camp craft…

for the chance to practice those skills on trips to enjoy the natural beauty of Maine!

Learning to create with natural materials…

and watching sunrises and sunsets over Great Pond!

Moving our bodies outside…

and connecting with one-another, unplugged, each day!

We are so grateful for the earth that provides the water of Great Pond for us to swim, boat, and play in, for the tree that houses our favorite hangout spot, for the rocks and peaks that we climb together, for the herbs and veggies that grow in our soil, for the materials we make art with, for the sand we’ve spent hours singing our songs on, for the grass we do our cartwheels on, for each other. Join us in celebrating our earth and all of its splendors this spring!

Grant that we have safe and fun days, and that we respect each other, ourselves, and our planet.

XOXO,

Runoia