Nature's Effect on Our Brains and Well-being
Why are we drawn to nature? What makes the great outdoors so great?
The Paddle Post
The 2nd Annual Youth Woodsmen Competition Begins
The 2nd Annual Youth Woodsmen Competition kicked off today and hearts were racin’, muscles were pumpin’, and legs were stretchin’. The Woodsmen is a competition that dates back to the early 1950’s, when President John F. Kennedy said that “physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” President Kennedy’s famous words resonated with the whole nation, and as a result many of today’s mainstay fitness competitions emerged from this Golden Era of physical fitness. The Youth Woodsmen is a fitness competition between the...
Wise Words From Our Past
In the 1980’s Camp Voyageur’s founder and director Charlie Erdmann wrote an article in the local Ely Echo. We believe his words are as relevant now as they were back then, and would like to share them with you. Here is the word-for-word article:
In-Depth Gear Guide
Alright parents, yes only parents; unfortunately even if you tell your children to read this they probably won’t, this will be an in-depth look at different types of gear your child will need for camp, and will likely use outside of camp. I still recommend you go over camp’s checklist, linked here. However, if you’re looking for specific recommendations, or need help choosing between different brands, then you’re in the right place! These recommendations are based on my six years as a camper and three as a counselor, so I've been around the Boundary Waters block. My experience has...
2017 Paddle Post
Have you read the latest Camp Voyageur Paddle Post? Be sure to catch up with the latest summer happenings with the 2017 digital edition. As always, we've collected stories from both our campers and counselors. I bet there's a few in here you haven't heard of yet! Click here to check it out!
"7 Ways to Maximize Misery" (WARNING: Sarcasm)
Uhhh, so what is this about? I’ll stop with the click-baiting. The purpose of this post is to share a video which I feel speaks to some tendencies in not just teens, but in many of my own peers, that can become reinforced as habits that ultimately undermine our own happiness. It follows closely the work of psychologist Randy J. Paterson, who wrote the book “How to be miserable: 40 strategies you already use”. By necessity, summer camps intervene Many of the points addressed in the video are simply impossible at camp. You live and eat with your peers everyday,...
The New Case for a Tech-Free Summer Camp Experience
Given the historic precedence of computers and the internet and how integrated technology has become in our children’s modern education, spending a month or two away from screens is a much bigger commitment than it used to be. In fact, if I had to describe the largest cultural shift in the last decade, it would have to be that what we consider “normal” amounts of exposure to screens and computers has perhaps tripled in length. But taking this even further, I’d argue that for our kids, the internet is much more than just a tool. It is increasingly becoming a...
The Trail of Life - Revisited
An Exclusive Interview with Filmmaker John Behnke [as told to John Burgman] Anyone who has attended Camp Voyageur knows that embracing the past—and understanding history—is an important aspect of the summer experience. It’s why we still sleep in the same rustic cabins as campers did in the 1950s; it’s why we hit the trail with a purposefully low-tech approach; and it’s why there’s still a chair at the Fire Circle that is reserved every Wednesday and Sunday evening at dinnertime for Charlie Erdmann—camp’s founder. At camp, we appreciate the past, and we like to keep old memories and stories alive...
Youth Woodsmen Mid-Season Update
The Youth Woodsmen Competition kicked off a few weeks ago and it’s time for a mid-season update! The Woodsmen measures campers’ fitness levels when they arrive at camp and at the end of camp. Fitness tests included curl-ups, shuttle run, v-sit reach, half-mile run, pull-ups, and push-ups. The results of the first session are remarkable! Over a span of only 24 days, campers improved significantly in nearly every statistical category. Campers’ half-mile run times improved, on average, by over 20 seconds. One camper even improved his half-mile run time by 1 min 35 seconds! By the end of the session,...
Buttermilk Pancakes
Ingredients: 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon sugar 2 cups buttermilk 2 eggs Directions: Combine all ingredients. Mix until fully incorporated, but not too thin. Ladle batter onto greased griddle on medium high heat. Flip when air bubbles appear on top. Serve when both sides are light brown. Add chocolate chips or blueberries to the batter to mix it up a bit! Be sure to top with your favorite maple syrup, butter, fruit, or all of the above! Serves 4