There comes a time in everyone’s life when they have to grow up and make the important choice to go to summer camp—so they can be a kid.
I’m enjoying that time of my life. I’ve been working at Camp WILD! at the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum for my third season. I began as the ed coordinator and this year I became a volunteer. I love the kids so much, I love Camp WILD, and I do love summer campy crafts.
In my first go-round planning camp for the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum, my heart went back to my kid days of summer camp in Northern Minnesota. Name tags, painted rocks, whistling through a blade of grass, and wishing on milk weed pod fairies… It’s been the joy of my life to re-create that mix of nature and magic for a new crop of kids. Building our Camp culture meant imagining myths and creating traditions.
Camp Wild, under the direction of Maggie Dow, is booming this summer, with every session this year bigger than last year. One could say she is enjoying a baptism by creek-stomping!
In August look for the launch of Something WILD!
Camp Something WILD! all day—9AM–4pm, Monday through Friday, August 11–15.
I believe there are still open spots. Register by visiting The Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum site:
I will be doing the crafts during this week and the kids can count on doing a variety of inside and outside traditional and heritage crafts.

