Vashon Wilderness Program

VWP Summer gratitude, reflections, dreams and celebrations!🌿
🌞Summer camp and program spots available!
✨Welcome new board members!
💐Celebrate Mentor Jane Valencia!

Read all about it & more in our latest newsletter

https://mailchi.mp/bc9a2f4b8070/vwp_summer_reflections_dreams_20260624

🌿 Friends! do you know a family who might love Vashon Wilderness Program?

Enrollment is open for our 2026–27 programs, and we have spots available in several offerings for children, teens, and families!

If you know families who value nature connection, outdoor adventure, child-led learning, community, and meaningful time outside, we'd be grateful if you'd share VWP with them. Word-of-mouth referrals are one of the most important ways new families find our programs.

Current openings include:
🍃 Wind Gatherers (ages 4–6)
🔥 Fire Tenders (ages 7–12)
🌲 Wild Wanderers & Wild Wanderers Teen (homeschool programs)
🦌 Forest Trackers (weekend program)
👣 Earth Walkers (teens)
🌎 Rewilding Families (monthly family adventures)

Thank you for helping us grow a thriving community of children and families connected to nature.

Learn more and register at: https://vashonwilderness.org/programs

Looking for some last-minute summer fun?

We still have a few spots available in our summer camps! From arts and crafts, mammals and wildlife exploration, and survival skills to fly fishing adventures, there's something for every young explorer.

Join us outdoors for hands-on learning, new friendships, and unforgettable summer memories!

Check out our remaining camp openings and register before they're gone!
https://vashonwilderness.org/2026-camps

Thank you to all the families who joined us for our End of Year Potluck Celebration! We enjoyed a lively game of Rock Tag, a delicious table filled with sweets (and one very appreciated kale salad!), and the joy of gathering together as a community.

We were honored to celebrate our retiring mentor, dear Jane Valencia and to thank her for her years of dedication and care. We also learned the Blue Heron Canoe Song, shared by Erin Durrett—a special Canoe Welcome song in both Lushootseed and English, created by Mike Evans, skipper and father of the Blue Heron Canoe of the Snohomish people. Gifted to the people of Vashon in 2008, the song was created specifically to honor and welcome Canoe families to the island.

Thank you, VWP community, for sharing in a wonderful year of being in community. We are grateful for each of you and look forward to what the coming year will bring!

Two chances to connect with Vashon Wilderness Program this coming weekend!

🌲 Saturday: Key Peninsula Homeschool Fair
🌊 Sunday: Low Tide Celebration at Point Robinson

Stop by to say hello, join in singing the Blue Heron Canoe Song, learn about our nature-based programs & summer camps, and discover how outdoor learning helps children build confidence, curiosity, and connection.

We'd love to meet you!
https://vashonwilderness.org/

🌿 Our ReWilding Families is a once a month chance to slow down, explore, play, and connect with nature together as a family with your very own magical VWP Mentor. Join Vashon Wilderness Program for outdoor adventures that nurture curiosity, confidence, and community.

☀️ And if your kids are ready for even more wilderness adventures, a few Summer Camp spots are still available!

Learn more at https://vashonwilderness.org

🌿 **VWP in the Press!** 🌿

Curious about the people, practices, and philosophy behind Vashon Wilderness Program? Over the past few months, we've been featured in several articles exploring nature connection, outdoor education, gratitude, place-based learning, and the power of childhood spent outdoors.

📖 *Humble Nettle* by VWP Mentor Anthony Latora
https://vashonloop.com/wordpress/index.php/2026/05/08/humble-nettle/

📖 *Into Place* by VWP Mentor Anthony Latora
https://vashonloop.com/wordpress/index.php/2026/04/07/into-place/

📖 *What Children Discover When They Spend Time Outdoors*
https://www.vashonbeachcomber.com/2026/03/18/what-children-discover-when-they-spend-time-outdoors/

📖 *Meet Nadja Vol Ochs, Vashon Wilderness Program's New Executive Director*
Part 1: https://vashonloop.com/wordpress/index.php/2026/03/10/meet-nadja-vol-ochs-vashon-wilderness-programs-new-executive-director-pt-1/

Part 2: https://vashonloop.com/wordpress/index.php/2026/05/08/meet-nadja-vol-ochs-vashon-wilderness-programs-new-executive-director-part-2/

📖 *Core Routines and Sit Spot (and Gratitude, Too)*
https://vashonloop.com/wordpress/index.php/2026/05/08/core-routines-and-sit-spot-and-gratitude-too/

Read on, ask us questions, and continue the conversations. We thank our community for supporting nature connection, outdoor learning, and the next generation of environmental stewards. 🌲💚

✨🫧🌲The morning after a gentle rain at the recent Fire Tenders Overnight, one child woke and began blowing bubbles into the fresh air. The bubbles settled among the wet grass, catching shafts of sunlight filtering through the trees. For a few quiet moments, each bubble became a tiny world, holding reflections of laughter, wonder, and the kind of magic that visits VWP overnights.

These are the moments we cherish, when children have the time and space to slow down, connect with play, nature, and discover wonder in the simplest things.

Enrollment is now open for upcoming VWP youth programs and overnight adventures. Come join us for more moments of curiosity, connection, and a little everyday magic. ✨🫧🌲

Check out our programs here: https://vashonwilderness.org/programs

Our Friday Fire Tender crew put their skills to the test last week with a hands-on fire water balloon pop challenge! 🔥 🎈The kids practiced their fire starter tender techniques, experimenting with different natural materials and learning what makes a strong, sustainable tall flame.

There was plenty of problem-solving, singing, teamwork, patience, and excitement as sparks caught and tiny flames grew. Watching their confidence build with each attempt was such a joy. These young Fire Tenders are learning not just how to make fire, but how to work carefully, respectfully, safely, and skillfully with each other and the natural world. 🌲✨

Registration open now for Fire Tenders
Fridays
10:30am – 3:30pm
Throughout the school year
7-12 yrs

Register here: https://vashonwilderness.org/7-12yrs