Camp Sealth News

NW Trek Community Service Day

2012-02-08T11:10:00.000-08:00

When our staff and NCCC Silver 1 crew heard our friends at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park had had some of their exhibits damaged by the winter storm, we pulled on our work boots and headed out for a community service clean-up day. The weather was great and spirits were high, and in four hours, four very full dump trucks of downed trees and brush were hauled away from the Black Bear Enclosure.

We were happy for the opportunity to get to know Silver 1 better while providing a helping hand to a local organization in need. NW Trek has another volunteer day scheduled this Saturday, February 11^th, and plans to reopen all exhibits by February 17^th. To learn more or help out, check out www.nwtrek.org.

Winter Storm Brings Camp Staff Together

2012-01-19T15:31:00.000-08:00

Snowmen in the Orchard

The year-round staff at Camp Sealth have been making the most of stormy conditions over the past two days. Wednesday brought 5 inches of snow to main camp and 8 inches of snow to upper camp (Dupar and Wrangler). Thursday brought freezing rain, ice, slush and more snow on top of what we already had. Driving up the camp road was virtually impossible, so the 11 camp staff and visitors plus 8 Americorps NCCC members have been stranded at camp since Tuesday night.

To celebrate Wednesday's snow day, staff made snowmen in the Orchard, took pictures of the snowfall, went sledding and tubing on the famous Camp Sealth hills and wrapped up the day with a movie & popcorn in Rounds Hall.

As of Thursday afternoon, the freezing rain has turned into snow once again, and looks like it might be accumulating. Ice from this morning has started to bring down trees and large branches throughout the property. NCCC has been hard at work clearing snow and ice from porches and walkways in main camp. Much more storm clean-up will happen after the snow melts. And although we've been fortunate to not lose power (yet), we expect that it could happen today with the weight of ice and snow on tree branches.

Although it's cold outside, we are staying cozy and warm with the cocoa machine, meals in Rounds Hall, and a great group of people to spend time with!

More pictures of snow at camp can be found on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/campsealth.

Grant Provides New Renewable Energy Curriculum

2012-01-13T11:00:00.000-08:00

Camp Sealth has exciting news for those interested in Environmental Education and renewable energy. We recently received a grant through Puget Sound Engergy to install a turbine and solar panel, as well as expand curriculum used with Environmental Education groups during the spring and fall. We have new units for classes that will directly use our space to teach about several different types of sustainable energy. The new material will start being used within the next couple of months and throughout the spring.

The turbine and solar panel will be up and ready around April of this year and will be used to power the marine touch tanks on the Boata Dock. This will allow students to see an actual example of real-life renewable energy use and apply what they learn about harvesting energy. We also have received supplies for hands on activities that will inspire creativity and imagination along with their scientific basis. Students will be able to build their own solar powered cars or boats to race in camp, construct a turbine to move water and other great activities. From these, students will be able to understand energy ranging from solar and wind power to biomass and tidal energy! They can participate in hands on activities to further their understanding about the use, harvesting and practicality of these forms of energy.

Sealth is thrilled to implement this new aspect of our program as early as next week with a local Vashon Island school, and then in full swing this spring with the schools coming to camp. We will make sure to get some pictures up in the next couple of weeks!

Weekend Horse Workshops come to a close..

2011-11-08T10:41:00.000-08:00

As they say, time flies when you’re having fun, and itcertainly has flown here at Camp Sealth! With the end of October, our weekendhorse programs have also come to an end for the year. This past Wednesday, our6 resident horses were packed up and headed back to join the rest of the herdin Eastern Washington for the winter.

The horse workshops this year were a wonderful addition toCamp Sealth’s fall programming. Over 70 different kids, including 2 Camp Firegroups, were able to attend our 15 regular horse workshop days this season. Ofthose that attended, over 50% were able to join us more than once toparticipate in all lessons, crafts, games, and chores we offered.

With the overwhelming success of our new program, we areexcited to plan for the return of horse workshop days at Camp Sealth beginningagain in mid March 2012. With the program’s continuation, we are also hoping to expandthe program with a couple more horses, more game offerings, and group-centeredactivities! Priority registration for groups will be open beginning in January 2012. And in February 2012,all remaining weekend days will be reserved for our regular Horse Workshopprogram and individuals who would like to sign up for those. For more specific information on the group offerings,or if interested in the program for this upcoming spring, make sure to visit:
www.campsealth.org/horseworkshops

Year-Round Horse Workshops

2011-09-21T11:05:00.001-07:00

Summer has officially drawn to a close - the campers are gone, most of the staff are gone, and we have settled into the fall season. As we move into the fall and winter, Camp Sealth is excited to announce our newest program involving year-round horseback riding!

On Saturdays and Sundays during September and October, Camp Sealth is offering full day Western riding workshops. The day runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and includes a group riding lesson plus an interactive ground lesson, and helping with barn chores like grooming, saddling and feeding. The cost is $50 per person and transportation from the ferries is provided.

The program is open to beginner and intermediate riders in grades 3 and up. Advanced riders in grades 8+ can register as Junior Riding Staff to get more individualized attention, plus help teach younger riders.

There are 8 slots available for each workshop day; although a couple of dates have already filled, there are still plenty of open spaces. If the program is successful through October, we plan to offer these workshops again in the spring.

More details and registration is on our website: www.campsealth.org/horseworkshops. You can also view short bios of the 6 horses who are currently residing at camp.

We kicked off the first weekend September 17 and 18 with 9 participants. Everyone who attended had a great time, and most have already signed up for more!

Session 8

2011-08-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe it, but Session 8 is already here! Don't worry -- we're still having just as much fun as we were Session 1. Some favorite camp activities we've enjoyed this week include beach walks, arts and crafts, archery, and more. One thing we're really excited about this week is an Oregon Trail-themed All-Camp Event. Each cabin needs to make a wagon, and tomorrow they'll adventure all around upper camp in search of a homestead in Willammette valley! Not only are we having fun, but we're learning Northwest history too!

Session 7 overnights!

2011-08-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

Though there are many perks to living on an island, there's one thing we could do without: Burn Ban. It came late this summer, due to the particularly rainy weather we've had, but nevertheless Burn Ban has arrived. Even though we can no longer start fires at many of the campsites, campers have been making do marvelously. Some cabins cook their meals in main camp before hiking up the hill after dinner to sleep under the stars. Other cabins use propane stoves or have a simple meal like bagels and cream cheese. Still others prefer to go the gourmet way, cooking dishes as complex as lasagna at a fire circle in camp. Above, several Blueberry Hill campers enjoy their delicious meal, cooked by themselves with the help of their counselors, on their overnight campout. Sounds fun to me!

Challenge course and theme meals

2011-08-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of this week's campers having a great time on the challenge course. Cabin groups usually have two hours per week to use our low-ropes course for team building activities, facilitated by our dedicated challenge specialists. Working together to overcome obstacles, cabins often become closer and share bonding moments from their challenge course time.

In addition to challenge course, this week campers have had a great variety of things to do, including several theme meals: "Space Vampires," hosted by Nocturnal Camp, and today's "Beach," hosted by Horizon (our high school unit). Campers love getting into the costume closet and dressing up!

Camp Session 6

2011-08-06T16:53:00.000-07:00

Our session 6 campers have been having a great week so far. Campers have been riding horses, singing songs, playing all-camp games, and (as seen above) even fishing off the docks! The weather is perfect on Vashon Island -- not a rain drop in sight all week! Fortunately, we aren't on burn ban either, so campers are cooking over an open fire on their overnight campouts. Tasty pie-iron pizzas and gooey s'mores are camper favorites.

Colour Wars

2011-07-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

Double session campers in Village and Horizon had the opportunity to partake in Colour Wars yesterday! A highly anticipated camp event, Colour Wars is a team competition involving challenges of epic proportions. Campers are divided randomly amongst five colours -- this year, purple, green, orange, red, and blue -- and compete for the grand prize! They are judged foremost on camp spirit and sportsmanship, then by their scores in the respective challenges. This year we had a great contest, with lots of fun for everyone. The scores were close, but the winner? Team Orange!

Session 5!

2011-07-28T17:17:00.000-07:00

Session 5 is short but sweet! Campers are only here for four days, so they're packing as much fun as possible into every single day. Morning of day 2 dawned, as usual, with PJ breakfast. Everyone loved eating French toast in their pajamas on the first morning of camp! Yesterday evening we had a jungle-themed all camp event, where a good time was had by all. Now, on day 3, we are enjoying the beautiful sun on the shores of Camp Sealth and preparing for tonight’s celebratory Candlelight Dinner and Council Fire.

Tippy-canoe!

2011-07-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

Just a little taste of what campers experience this and every week: the Tippy-canoe drill! As a part of certifying campers to participate in waterfront activities, they have to complete a simple swim test and the Tippy-canoe. Campers ride out about 20 feet in a canoe, capsize it themselves, then flip it right-side up and paddle back to shore. This demonstrates that they know what to do in case of an actual flip while canoeing or funyaking! Of course, our Camp Sealth lifeguards are there the whole time to make sure everyone is safe and secure. Once campers pass the swim check and Tippy-canoe, they are free to participate in waterfront activities. The photo above shows some cheerful session 4 campers tipping their canoe into the chilly Puget Sound!

Session 4 is here!

2011-07-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

Excited campers exited DaBoata to singing and dancing counselors as Session 4 began at Camp Sealth. We're at full capacity this week -- there are over 250 kids here on the shores of Vashon Island, enjoying the gorgeous weather and camp environment. Today on the agenda: Fairy Tale theme lunch, archery, arts and crafts, and Picnic Dinner. Sounds like a blast!

Final full day of Session 3

2011-07-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday now, which means that tomorrow our beloved Session 3 campers will be heading home on DaBoata and DaBussa. It's been a fun-filled week with lots of all-camp events -- notably a life-sized board game extravaganza, a talent show, and a Counselor-In-Training-produced Gold Rush game! We're exhausted here at camp ... in a good way of course. There are smiles on the faces of each and every camper.

heme Lunches, photo shoots, and all-camp events -- oh my!

2011-07-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

From funyaking to friendship bracelets, all-camp talent shows to a Greek mythology-themed lunch, Session 3 is shaping up. Today we have a life-sized board games event in the afternoon, followed by more overnight campouts this evening. Kids are having a great time thus far!

Session 3 is flying by!

2011-07-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe it, but Session 3 is already halfway over! Here at camp, we haven't had a still moment all week -- not even enough to make a quick update here on eCamp.

Sealth is busy this week despite the slightly gloomy weather. Campers have been enjoying overnight cookouts, where they cook their own campfire food with the help of counselors. Harry Potter-themed day camp has broadened the entire community's magical sense -- we've all been waving our wands and shouting out spells! Nocturnal camp is here this week as well, staying up late and going to bed as the sun rises. In addition, cabins have been joining together for enormous games of capture the flag and prisonball. And the brand-new Gaga pit is high on everyone's list of things to do.

We're having a great session so far!

Great fun at camp!

2011-07-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

We're having a blast here at camp! Campers have enjoyed cooking pie-iron pizzas and s'mores on their overnight campouts, a Fourth of July talent show, and all sorts of fun camp activities. The Gaga Pit is a hit for kids who like to play sports, and I've seen more friendship-bracelets-in-progress than I can count! Safe to say the kids are having a great time and will be sad to leave when DaBoata comes tomorrow.

Session 2: We're here!

2011-07-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

Seen in the photo here, campers exited DaBoata yesterday to almost 100 cheering staff. Things are busy here at camp -- Teen Leadership is dominating camp right now, with 30 interns and 13 Counselors-In-Training. Also of interest are Archery Camp in Village, and our first sessions of Horse Camp and Outback/Tripping for the summer. Things are great here at camp -- the days are heating up, but we're trying to stay cool!

Session 1: Swim Checks and Wail Lunch

2011-06-28T09:38:00.000-07:00

Check out this great photo of campers and staff dressed for the traditional Wail Lunch this afternoon. On the last full day of each session, one unit hosts a themed luncheon that's always a rousing good time -- complete with cheers, songs, and dancing. Today's Wail Lunch was "Ninja vs. Pirates" themed ... obviously these campers took a little leeway with the theme! A good time was had by all.

The Puget Sound is chilly this time of year, but campers braved the freezing waters for swim checks. Everyone who passed gets an "I survived swim checks!" patch and waterfront privileges. Brrrr!

Session 1: days one and two

2011-06-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

Great news from Camp Sealth! We're two days into our first session and loving every minute of it.

There are almost 100 children here, in first through eighth grades. So far, kids have enjoyed games in the Orchard, shooting arrows at archery, and various crafts including tie-dye and candle-making.

Here is a picture of some intrepid campers enjoying the First Night Fun skit on -- you guessed it! -- the first night. Check back throughout the session for more great photos and stories of our adventures!

Program Team Training

2011-06-15T12:02:00.000-07:00

We're getting in the swing of things here at camp. Program Team, which is comprised of summer staff in leadership and supervisory positions, arrived at camp on Friday for training. We spent several days learning about logistics, practicing leadership techniques, and bonding as a team. Here are a few photos of our activities on the challenge course!

Today, June 15, the rest of our very large staff arrives! It's starting to feel like campers are just around the corner! Look for more updates on staff training soon.

Gaga is here!

2011-06-08T14:55:00.000-07:00

No, not Lady Gaga!

Visitors to camp have been greeted by this sign recently:

Which has now been transformed into our very own Gaga pit!

Thanks to a lot of hard work by a lot of amazing people, Camp Sealth has a functioning Gaga pit for the upcoming summer season. If you're like most people, you're probably thinking, "What is a Gaga pit, exactly?" Most of us here at camp don't know the answer to that yet -- we haven't had a chance to play -- but there are several staff members well acquainted with the game. More prevalent on the East coast, Gaga is an adaptation of dodgeball played inside octagonal walls (hence, the pit!). Here is a link to its Wikipedia page if you are interested reading more details.

Turbo, one of our Assistant Camp Directors, brought the idea for the Gaga Pit with him from Philadelphia this spring. Having worked at camps where Gaga was all the rage, he decided to build a playing field here in the hopes that Sealth campers would also enjoy the game.

With the hard work of Turbo, our early spring NCCC team (Gold One), as well as our facilities managers, Pipeline and Egon, the Gaga pit is complete and ready for play! Not a moment too soon, either -- staff training starts on Friday, and campers will be here soon. Here is a shot of one of the foundation posts of the Gaga pit: in tribute to NCCC's hard work. Thanks to everyone who helped get this project off the ground!

Program Preview: Getting Excited for Summer!

2011-05-11T16:45:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, summer is just around the corner -- it's almost time to come to camp! We're running around like crazy trying to get everything ready for campers. There are a lot of exciting things in store for campers this summer. S0me are new, some are old, but all are awesome! Read on for a few things you can get excited about.

The Camp Store is returning for the first time in many years. You can find more information on this blog as well as on the web site. We'll be offering great products kids can take home to remember their time at camp, including stuffed animals, water bottles, coffee mugs and more. There will also be camp essentials like postcards ans sunscreen. It's all financed by a camper account, so no cash changes hands.
It's never been a more exciting time to be a teen at Camp Sealth! We have a lot of great programs going on this year. Our Teen Leader ship program is growing, with record numbers of High School Interns volunteering this year. We still have a few spots left for CIT's! Click on the link above to find out more.
Our Outback/Tripping Program, intended for middle and high schoolers, is headed to the mountains! With brand new trips headed out to the Cascades and the Olympics this summer, there are more options than ever before. We have an awesome crew of counselors, including Flash, who will be the Coordinator this year. Get ready for some adventure!
Another exciting camp for teens is Construction Camp, offered August 10 - 22. If you're the kind of kid who's been taking things apart and putting them back together as long as you've been walking, this camp is for you. We'll work on improving structures at camp and learning the foundations of construction (no pun intended!).
Windsurf and Sail camp is back with a vengeance! This year we have a staff member entirely dedicated to windsurf and sail instruction, and we think it will be the best year yet. If you're excited to get creative with your water sports, this is the camp for you.

And don't forget your favorite counselors from years past! Some of your most awesome staff members will be back for a second, fifth, or even eighth year. Below are a few we thought campers would be excited to see.

McGyver is returning as the Waterfront Coordinator/Kiwanis Unit Leader. Kiwanis camps and waterfront activities will be great this summer under her leadership!
Big Bird will be back again as a Unit Leader for Village. Look forward to dance parties, story telling, and rapping (pictured below)!
Ra will be a Teen Leadership counselor this year. She's looking forward to trying something new and getting to know the CITs and Interns.Crash is a Waterfront Specialist this summer, so watch for him guarding lives at the waterfront!
With all this going on at Camp Sealth, you can't blame us for being excited. Summer is coming so soon -- the first session starts on June 26! -- but there's still time to register! Click here to find all the information you'll need about resident camp. We can't wait to see you at Sealth this summer. For any questions or clarification, email campstaff[at]campfire-usa[dot]org.

Meet Your Year-Round Staff: Carrie Kishline

2011-04-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

What’s your name? Really?
Where are you from? I grew up in Kent, WA and have lived here on Vashon for the past 7 years.
What’s your job at Camp Sealth? Senior Program Manager (I supervise Resident and Day Camp)
Did you go to camp as a kid? Did you like it? I started going to camp (here at Sealth) when I was 10, and have only missed one summer so far! I loved camp every year growing up – I went home singing all the songs, and couldn’t wait to go back the next year. Camp made me who I am today – it sounds really corny, but it’s true. This is my 20^th summer at Sealth, and I’m just as excited to part of the camp magic as I was at age ten.
What did you think you were going to be when you grew up? When I was in junior high, I thought I wanted to go into forensic science, because I was obsessed with the X-Files. After that, I wanted to teach high school or college level math. I didn’t know that you could make a career of working at camp!
What’s your favorite camp food? Breaded & baked chicken breasts, roasted red potatoes and cheesecake
What’s the best thing that has ever happened to you at camp? I discovered the things that I am good at, and that I can make a living doing those things. Working every day to help build a new future of caring, responsible adults makes me pretty happy.
If you could be bunkmates with any person, living or dead, who would it be? Honestly, I would choose my favorite camp counselor, Alto. She was my counselor for two years, then my supervisor one year when I was on staff, and we have stayed in touch since then. She is spunky, hilarious, has an incredible singing voice, and loves camp as much as I do!
What’s one thing Camp Sealth has that other camps don’t have? A beautiful history of talented, passionate people that helped build and sustain the camp and the program over so many years.
If you were an animal, what animal would you be? Why? I have always thought that cats have a pretty easy life for the most part – eat, sleep, purr, chase things around the house – so I would probably want to be a cat.
Tell us a funny camp story. My last year as a camper, we took a canoe trip to a piece of property 6 miles north of Sealth, called Shangri-La. The trip there was fine, although it took forever. The campsite itself was pretty unimpressive – it was built on a hill and full of mud, so it wasn’t that inspiring. The problem was on the way back – the current was so strong that we were barely making any headway. Our counselors had a brilliant idea – we rafted together the six canoes, side by side, and held them together. Two people used their paddles as rudders in the back of our “raft”, and two other people stood up in the front holding a gigantic plastic sheet as a sail. We sailed all the way back to camp. Years later, I was talking about this story with Dana, who was also a camper in that cabin. Her view of the whole thing was a little different – she thought it was overall a pretty miserable experience, but it was one of the highlights of all my years at camp.
What does camp mean to you? Camp is one of the only places that develops all of those life skills that you can’t learn in school or at home. People who grew up going to camp are more compassionate, better leaders, and take an active interest in bettering their community. It’s also a place where people can be themselves and where they are accepted for who they are.

Return of the Camp Store!

2011-04-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

Great news -- after several years’ vacation, the Camp Store is returning to Sealth this summer! The store will be located in lower WoHeLo, and campers will have access with their cabin group at some point during their session. Any purchases will be charged to parent-approved accounts – parents can add money to their child’s account before camp, at check-in or even during the session.

If you’re like us, you can never get enough Camp Sealth apparel to show off how much you love camp. Now’s your chance! There will be T-shirts, water bottles, hats, and the like emblazoned with the Sealth logo. In case you had a packing mishap, we’ll also have a few basic convenience items like toothpaste, soap, batteries, and more. As in past years, all campers receive one free Camp Sealth T-shirt included with the cost of registration – you’ll pick that up on your trip to the store while you’re at camp.

If there’s a product you’re dying to see at the store this summer, let us know on facebook! Sometime in June, we’ll post photos and prices online. Until then, we’re happy to take any suggestions you have. We’re also open to designs – email your great logo idea for the next Camp Sealth T-shirt or hoodie to campstaff@campfire-usa.org.

Program Preview: Paddleboards!

2011-03-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend Camp Sealth received a very generous present!

Our friends at Hang Zen donated two paddleboards for use at the waterfront. They may look like surfboards, but don't expect to catch huge waves in the Sound! In fact, the calm seas are to your advantage. Stand upright on the board and propel yourself forward with the paddle (this can require the balance of a yoga master).

Martin, our Environmental Education Program Coordinator, took one of the paddleboards out for a test run today. Fortunately, the wind let up for a while and prevented him from taking a bath in the Sound. As long as he keeps practicing his balance, Martin should be a paddleboard pro by the time summer rolls around.

We're grateful to receive this gift from Hang Zen. We're also looking forward to seeing campers' expressions when trying out a paddleboard for the first time! This new kind of boat may take some getting used to, even for seasoned campers, but we expect campers to be eager to try out the paddleboards. Drop by this summer, and you might spot some Kiwanis campers paddling out to sea!

Open House coming soon!

2011-03-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for something to do now that the weather gets nicer, you're in luck! On Saturday, April 9, Camp Sealth is having its first Open House and Family Play Day of the year from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Please come join us for this free event, perfect for the whole family.

Take a tour, meet the staff, try out summer camp activities. If you've always wanted to try boating, fishing, or archery, this is your chance! Other available activities include arts & crafts and touch tanks, for kids who want to get in touch with their creative side or meet some of our local sea life. Enjoy a picnic lunch for the whole family after your hike through the woods or beachfront stroll.

No reservations are necessary, and everyone is welcome (pets not included). We're excited to show you around our beautiful home!

Quick details:
Open House and Play Day
at Camp Sealth, on Vashon Island
Saturday, April 9, 2011
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Free, no reservations, please leave pets at home!

Dad/Kid Weekend

2011-03-17T16:47:00.000-07:00

As a year-round staff member at Camp Sealth, we often get the well-meaning question, "But what do you do when there's no kids at camp?" There are a lot of ways to answer this, but the most obvious one is that there are kids at camp year-round!

A few weekends ago, we had Camp Fire groups from all around the Puget Sound area come to camp with their dads in tow. Over 200 dads and kids joined us at Camp Sealth for outdoor activities, arts and crafts, archery, and other fun.

Fortunately, the weather cooperated, and each and every dad and kid had a great time. They were able to spend time on our 300+ acres of forest and shoreline, exploring the outdoors and learning about our environment. They were also able to spend some time getting wild and crazy indoors!:

All photos used here can be found in the SBC Campfire Flickr Stream. Thanks to the photographers for generously allowing us to use the photos!

Sand Lance Training

2011-03-16T16:50:00.000-07:00

Today at Camp Sealth, our friends at the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife came down teach our staff about Sand Lances, a type of fish native to the Puget Sound. We learned about how to protect and preserve this fascinating species. They love to spawn on our beaches due to the coarse sand environment. Interestingly enough, they...... are one of the only fish that spawn in the winter! We are careful to keep off the beach during the off-season to protect these fish from danger.

Pictured from left to right: Camp Director Rick Taylor, Environmental Education Program Manager Martin Bremer, Environmental Education Program Assistant Andy Oh, Facility Manager Steve Lomax, Facility Assistant Eric Miller, and our coach Dayv from Washington Fish & Wildlife. Not pictured is Camp Fire Puget Sound CEO Bridgett Chandler, who took the photo. Thanks to everyone for a great training!

Dayv Lowry, Ph.D., is a jack of many trades. His official title is Marine Ecologist - Forage Fish Scientist of the Habitat Program, Science Division, of the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. We were happy to have him join us at camp.

Welcome to Gold One!

2011-03-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to welcome another NCCC team to Camp Sealth for the next several months! Below is a portrait of Gold One, made up of eight outstanding individuals from all corners of the country. Hailing from Georgia, California, and everywhere in between, this is a diverse group of people who are sure to bring something new to Camp Sealth.

There are several tasks Gold One will be working on throughout their time here. As always, the trails at Camp Sealth need work -- it is a never-ending job to clear and maintain the miles of trail we use throughout the summer. With the recent wind- and rain-storms in the Pacific Northwest, there are a lot of downed trees and scattered brush that needs to be cleared before kids start coming to camp.

And kids will be here soon -- which has to do with the other half of Gold One's work here at Camp. During the spring, we run an Environmental Education program. Groups of schoolchildren from all over Western Washington come to camp to learn about the environment. Gold One, after extensive training, will be part of this program, teaching local kids about how to preserve the forests, wetlands, and marine areas all found at Camp Sealth. Gold One will be teaching everything from astronomy to sustainability, all while spending time on the gorgeous property of Camp Sealth. We're very excited to spend time with Gold One and get to know them better over these next few months! Check back for more updates on their goings-on.

To read more about Camp Sealth's Environmental Ed program, go here.
Photos borrowed from Gold One's introductory brochure. Want a copy or want to know more about Gold One? Send us an email: campstaff@campfire-usa.org.

Why should you "Like" us on Facebook?

2011-03-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

You're living in the information age: you've probably heard of Facebook. Whether you're just now jumping on the bandwagon, or you've been online since Facebook required a .edu email address, this ubiquitous blue logo is a big part of our lives now.

Why does it matter to you? Businesses and public figures of all sorts are starting their own Facebook pages -- everyone from Target to Taylor Swift, summer camps to songwriters, Fortune 500 companies and non-profits, everyone has a their own Facebook page. Here are the top three reasons you should head to Facebook and click "Like" on us right now!

One-Stop Shop
Everything featured on our blog is also linked on our Facebook page. You won't miss a single post if you click over to our Facebook, and you only need to visit one web site to hear all the news from Camp Sealth.

More Info
Facebook's user-friendly format and easy uploading capabilities means one thing for you: more content. A blog post might take an hour or two to put together, but it's much quicker to update Facebook -- just a snapshot and a caption. This means you get to hear more from Camp Sealth. You see more pictures, read more news, get more insight into what goes on at Camp. How could that be bad?

Contests!
We have a number of exciting news about the upcoming summer, and we'll be breaking most of it on the blog and on the Facebook page. However, there are contests and prize-winning opportunities that will be held only on Facebook. Do you want input on what this year's T-shirts will look like? Do you want to win one of last year's? Do you have a great camp-related limerick running around in your brain? The action will all be on Facebook, and you don't want to miss it.

Find us on Facebook! And if you prefer tweets to status updates, go ahead and follow us on Twitter!

Meet Your Year-Round Staff: Martin Bremer

2011-03-08T13:49:00.000-08:00

What’s your name? Martin Bremer aka Papa Steve

Where are you from? Chicago and to a lesser extent, Boston

What’s your job at Camp Sealth? I run the Environmental Education Program – Basically, I’m a teacher with an awesome classroom!

Did you go to camp as a kid? Did you like it? I mainly went camping. I went to a few boy scout camps, but was primarily interested in being outside and less about merit badges.

What did you think you were going to be when you grew up? A Dinosaur!

What’s your favorite camp food? I love to cook over a fire, and I really enjoy most foods… banana boats are always a great dessert.

What’s the best thing that has ever happened to you at camp? I get to teach in the woods!

If you could be bunkmates with any person, living or dead, who would it be? John Dewey, Albert Einstein, Tim O’Brien, Norman McLean, Steve Lomax

Why do you enjoy working at camp? I get to teach in the woods!

What’s one thing Camp Sealth has that other camps don’t have? Me

If you were an animal, what animal would you be? Why? A Narwhal because they are so awesome! Maybe an octopus, a moose or a wolf.

Tell us a funny camp story. I don’t understand this request; camp has never told me a story… Camp is more of the strong silent type. I’ve never, in fact, heard a word from camp. Yet camp always is there when I leave the office and always is there when I get to work yet never so much as a “Hey, how’s your day going?” or “Can I get you a cup of coffee?” This also means that I have never heard one negative word out of camp. My guess is that it has a lot to do with the fact that camp doesn’t have a “mouth” or “vocal chords” which most doctors agree are required for “speaking.” Nor does camp have “hands” for sign language. Perhaps camp tries to use the trees for FSL (forest sign language). I am, unfortunately, not versed in this archaic language; I should consult with Rick aka Treebeard on this matter.

What does camp mean to you? It means I get to work with Steve Lomax.

Editor's note: judging by his "funny" camp story and the above photo, Martin should have been a comedian for a living. Right? Wrong.

More Winter Weather

2011-02-24T10:22:00.000-08:00

It appears that the winter weather that has plagued the rest of the country for the past few weeks has arrived at Camp Sealth! Above is a view of main camp covered in last night's snow. More is falling as we speak!

The road down into camp is slick but drivable. Our Americorps team left this morning, and other camp vehicles have been driving in and out without problems. This is good news, since we have Adult Weekend coming up tomorrow.

The Puget Sound looks gray and cold in this weather ... the campers who complain about the cold water temperature in mid-summer might want to retract those statements now!

Uncle Wig's mailbox is frozen ... he won't be getting messages any time soon.

And there won't be any Council Fires in Green Circle for the time being! The weather outside may be frightful, but we're staying cozy here at camp. If you live in the Seattle area, enjoy the snow today!

Another NCCC Crew Hits the Road

2011-02-22T09:32:00.000-08:00

These last several weeks at Camp Sealth, we have been lucky enough to host an Americorps team. With all the damage done by winter storms this year, we were sorely in need of some help getting the trails cleaned up around camp. With the help of staff members Steve, Chad, Eric, and Martin, our latest team worked hard for three weeks getting us back in shape for the spring.

Early in their tenure at camp, the Blue One team (or "Bluno," a designation you might recall from a team we had around this time last year) pulled our docks out of the water to give them a good scrubbing down. A full year of seaweed, algae, barnacles, and other such delicacies clung to the bottoms, but Bluno made short work of it. The docks are now clean and fresh, awaiting another summer of campers to inhabit them.

Pictured above are several NCCC, or National Civilian Community Corps members, along with Camp Sealth staff Eric. NCCC is a branch of Americorps that puts together teams of 8-12 enthusiastic workers who volunteer their time for a 10-month stretch. Usually terms last 6-8 weeks, but Bluno's schedule had them here for only three! In that time, however, they got quite a bit of work done. Above, they are helping to clear up Blueberry Hill, which has been struggling with invasive plant species as of late. Thanks to their help, BBH and the plateau above Birdcage are freed of troublesome plant life. In addition to the work pictured above, the team widened and cleared miles of trail around camp. The Heaven trail, parts of South Rim, and much of Milky Way trail are now without the downed trees and undergrowth obstructing their paths. Hikers, runners, and riders will look forward to clear trails this summer!

Of course, all work and no play makes NCCC a dull team! Here we have several team members joking around while emptying a wheelbarrow full of sticks, branches and weeds. The leftover undergrowth and invasive plants were piled up near Milky Way as the team continued their efforts, with the idea that the natural waste would be burned. In a celebration on Friday, everyone in camp got together for the burn pile. The NCCC members enjoyed roasting hot dogs and marshmallows after their hard work, and were joined by the appreciative camp staff.

Finally, enjoy this picture of team leader Lauren getting ready to get to work! The smiling face and great attitude shown here were characteristics shared by all of Bluno. We all had fun working and playing with this most recent NCCC team, and we wish them well along their way. Thanks to Chris, Tiffany, Eric, Sam, Lauren, Katherine, Noor, Alex, Erin, Kristen, and Danielle. Good luck and happy trails!

Winter Storm Destruction

2010-12-17T11:53:00.000-08:00

It's a fact - when you live in the Pacific Northwest, winter storms are a part of life. This year, the November and December weather has been particularly brutal, especially on Vashon Island.

The Thanksgiving Week snowstorm brought only a couple of inches of snow, but that was shortly followed by sub-freezing temperatures and a windstorm with wind speeds around 70 mph. Trees were toppled all around Vashon Island, and power to the entire island was cut for almost a day and a half. In the next couple of weeks, more storms would follow with high wind, lightning and torrential rain.

Not only did Camp Sealth see extensive damage, our sister camp in Port Orchard, Camp Niwana, was hit equally hard.

At Camp Sealth, the damage included:

10+ trees and large limbs came down across the camp road and Knoll House road
Several more trees down over trails
Damage to two sections of bulkhead in front of Village
17-foot rescue boat "Jack" found battered and washed up on the beach
Two sections of floating dock broke apart
Newly donated 25-foot Catalina sailboat sunk in 20 feet of water
Hopsing cabin in Wrangler suffered extensive water damage from a broken sprinkler pipe - the cabin is likely a total loss and will have to be rebuilt

At Niwana, losses included:

Many electrical lines around camp came down
The cooks cabin next to the dining hall demolished by a tree
Staff cabin has a hole in the roof from a tree
One other cabin and the bridge in Happy Hollow are damaged

Most of the immediate clean-up has been taken care of (trees cleared from the roads and power restored), and insurance will cover much of the cost of repair/replacement of the camps' facilities. But much more work will need to be done before camp is ready for the 2011 spring and summer seasons. A Service Weekend has been scheduled for January 29-30 at Camp Sealth. Volunteers are needed to help clear trails, pick up debris from the road and around cabins, etc. Housing & meals are provided at no cost for service weekend volunteers.

To register for the Service Weekend, contact Nick Cirignano at 206 463 3174 or nickc@campfire-usa.org. Although most camp staff are gone for the holidays, we'll be back shortly after Christmas.

New Website Launched

2010-11-15T15:41:00.000-08:00

Camp Sealth has finally entered the digital era, and upgraded to a new website! Check it out for yourself at http://www.campsealth.org/ (should be easy to remember). The new site features easy-to-find information links to the blog and current news stories, all the forms you might need to register for camp or apply for a job, and tons of pictures. Enjoy!

New Bouldering Wall Completed

2010-10-18T15:36:00.000-07:00

Camp Sealth now has it's own bouldering wall! Built on a 25-foot tall concrete water tank, the bouldering wall reaches about 8 feet high and almost completely encircles the tank. The water tank bouldering wall is conveniently located right across from the existing low ropes challenge course.

The bouldering wall was built by Megan Crandell (a.k.a. "MegaTron"), as part of an internship to complete her degree in Outdoor and Environmental Recreation. It was first used this past summer for groups of all ages to learn basic climbing and cooperation skills.

In the future, we hope to expand the bouldering wall into a full climbing tower, if a source of funding becomes available.

Tack Shed Remodeled by YVC Summer of Service Kids

2010-10-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

For those campers and staff who have been involved with the horse program in the last 20 years, it was pretty evident that the tack shed, which was built in 1992 along with the rest of the Wrangler unit, was just not big enough. Not big enough to store even the saddles, let alone grain, medication, saddle bags, grooming supplies, and everything else that goes with caring for 27 horses.

This summer, the camp maintenance staff and four determined youth in Camp Fire's Youth Volunteer Corps Summer of Service program, worked every day for two weeks to complete the long-awaited renovation of the Wrangler tack shed. The kids learned basic carpentry skills and earned 100 hours of service through the SOS camp. The end result is a beautiful and functional horse supply room downstairs, plus an upper deck with new seasonal housing for the horse program leadership staff.

A great big thanks to everyone who made this construction program a success:

Chad & Steve (camp maintenance staff)
Liora, Sam, Sophie and Ciaran (YVC youth)
Thistle and Mo (camp counselors)
Marjean & Kelly (YVC staff)
Youth Volunteer Corps of America, who provided funding through the Corporation for National Community Service grant

Camp Sealth plans to offer this opportunity again in 2011 for high-school aged youth. Kids can attend camp at a reduced rate ($600) for two weeks in exchange for service work during the camp session.

Summer 2010 at Camp Sealth

2010-08-13T11:55:00.000-07:00

Session 7 is shortly coming to a close, then one more week before Summer 2010 is over. It's been a great ride so far, and we're still excited for one more week of kids.

By the time Da Boata heads back to Shilshole at the end of Session 8, over 1,600 kids and 100 staff and volunteers will have been a part of the 90-year tradition of camping at Camp Sealth. The highlights of Summer 2010 include:

Session 4/5 Color Wars with Village and Horizon
Our new bouldering wall
Renewed Tripping Program included two successful trips: Backpacking the Peninsula and Cascades in Action
81 campers with diabetes and 25 campers with gluten intolerance
30 campers from Taiwan
An outstanding musical performance during Session 3 by the Camp Sealth Musical cabin group
Six sessions of windsurfing, sailing, canoeing and kayaking in Kiwanis
25 high school interns, 2 Riding-Staff-In-Training and 19 Counselors-in-Training

A huge thank-you goes out to the camp staff who gave up their summer to make camp possible for all of our kids. The staff, who have been here since mid-June, gone through 10+ days of training and worked hard all summer long, are an incredible group of young adults dedicated to making a difference in kids' lives.

Thank you also to our partners and collaborators, volunteers and Camp Sealth supporters. We truly could not have camp without all of you!

Here's to another 100 years of Camp Fire USA, and many more years of summers at Camp Sealth!

NCCC Team Silver Two takes on Camp Sealth

2010-03-26T12:15:00.000-07:00

NCCC Team Silver Two poses for a picture during their two weeks of work at Camp Sealth's sister camp, Camp Niwana.

Camp Sealth is the second project round for the ten members of Silver Two. Previously they have had a split project with both the Utah Food Bank and the Sacramento Zoo.

Team members are certified as Type 2 Wildland Firefighters and Class A Tree Fallers (they are one of four such teams from the Pacific Region); they make up the first fuel reduction team (FRT) that Camp Sealth has ever hosted. In turn, this is the first fuel reduction project for the team. Silver Two's primary focus is creating defensible space (fire buffer) around camp facilities; they are also building trails and working in reforestation in Kitsap County.

Corps Members have already restored 30 acres of habitat, laid down a trail, planted 5,000 trees (in three days), and cleared about 15 tons of underbrush, trees and invasive species from around camp buildings. In addition, they have transformed 3,000 lbs of driftwood into 2 cords of firewood to last Camp Sealth through the entirety of the next recreational season. They have sent out 7,100 lbs of driftwood that had washed ashore back to sea. The team is currently working on widening the camp's service road and scraping & painting Holiday House in Village.

Here is a little bit more about each of the team members:

Never before working at Camp Sealth have they...
Paul Klockars - Team Leader (Chicago, IL): canoed on the Puget Sound

Anthony Amadio (Reading, PA): hummed the tune to Mario while cleaning a chainsaw

Maggie Fisk (Gallipolis, OH): wore the same dirty clothes to work every day

Finley Janes (Boston, MA): seen a bald eagle in the wild, or seen one fight with an otter

Ben Mastrangelo (Boston, MA): used a bow saw

Warith Muhammad (Philadelphia, PA): seen 6 crazy teammates do a polar bear plunge into the Puget Sound
Mike Muir (Alexandria, VA): gone up the Space Needle

Joey O'Brien (Tulsa, OK): drank out of a filthy water bottle with dirt caked around the mouth, and not caring at all

Christina Vuong (New York, NY): gleefully waged a vendetta against salmonberry and blackberry

Ronald Wheaton (Grand Rapids, MI): been on an island

AmeriCorps NCCC is a part of AmeriCorps, a network of national service programs created to improve the environment, enhance education, increase public safety and assist with disaster relief and other unment human needs. The Pacific Region campus, located in Sacramento, California, serves Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and the territories of Guam and Samoa, as well as the Gulf Coast Region. The Pacific Region campus is one of five campuses in the United States; the others are located in Perry Point, MD, Denver, CO, Vinton, IA and Vicksburg, MS.

NCCC members, ages 18-24, must complete at least 1,700 hours of community service during the 10-month long program. In exchange for their service, they receive $5,350 to help pay for college or school loans. Other benefits include leadership development, team building skills, increased self-confidence, and the satisfaction of knowing that they have made a real difference in communities across the country. AmeriCorps is administered by the corporation for National Civilian and Community Service. For information about NCCC and other AmeriCorps programs, visit the website at http://www.americorps.gov/.

-Written by Christina Vuong

New Home for the Totem Pole!

2010-03-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

After 5 years of waiting, the Camp Sealth totem pole has finally found it's new home - on the front of WoHeLo! The totem pole was removed from its previous location in front of the dining hall when Rounds was under construction in 2005. Since then, it has lived in the Orchard, until a new home could be found.

The totem pole is no longer structurally sound enough to stand upright on it's own, so it needed a place where it could be supported by a building. The 40-foot tall pole is so heavy that it takes at least 10 strong adults to move it even a few feet. With the help of a construction company who had equipment here to replace electrical poles, we were able to move it to this new location in the front of WoHeLo, where everyone who comes into camp will be able to see it.

Welcome, NCCC Team Silver Two!

2010-03-04T15:41:00.000-08:00

Camp Sealth has been fortunate this year to work with two energetic and capable teams from the Americorps NCCC campus in Sacramento. After Team Bluno left at the end of January, two weeks later we welcomed the arrival of Silver Two.

Silver Two will be here until the end of March - they are working both at Camp Sealth and Camp Niwana. Their projects include:

Brush and debris clearing at Camp Niwana
Fire reduction and brush clearance around all buildings in camp
Trailwork and clearing on several trails around camp

January & February Projects

2010-03-04T15:25:00.000-08:00

Americorps NCCC Team Bluno left Camp Sealth at the end of January to head back to Sacramento and start a new project. These pictures show the rest of the projects they worked on during their spike at Sealth.

This is a shelter from one of the two new campsites - NCCC built this shelter with help from the maintenance staff. The campsite is located near the former "Primitive" campsite, not far from Uncle Wig's cabin. The second campsite is very close by, and looks over the bluff towards the Olympics. Both campsites will need to be named before we use them this summer.

The picture on the right is the newly reconstructed boardwalk through the wetlands - it replaces the old wood walkway that comes out behind the Milky Way cabins. No more muddy feet on the way to Lower Archery!

Although we don't have pictures to post, the other projects that have been done over the winter (by NCCC and other service groups) include:

New screens on all the Bluberry Hill cabins
Trailwork on YVC and Sylvan trails

Construction Project Updates

2010-01-13T11:04:00.000-08:00

The camp staff and NCCC team Bluno have been extremely busy this winter, completing construction and service projects that are making camp even better. Renovation of the Milky Way Freddy is nearly complete (picture above). The interior is all updated - new shower and toilet stall partitions, fresh paint, new waterproof wall coverings in the shower, an epoxy coating on the floor and new paint on the walls. Still left to do: shower & toilet stall partitions, new storage shelves and trim work.

NCCC spent much of their first month here working on the waterfront. The photo above shows the sections of the swim dock that were removed from the water, then the undersides were scraped and cleaned. In the next two weeks, these sections will be put back in the water. The floating docks must be removed and cleaned every 2-3 years to keep the growth (mussels, kelp, anemones, sea stars, etc.) from permanently damaging the docks.

If you've spent a lot of time at the waterfront, you know that storage for canoes & rowboats can be a nightmare! NCCC and the maintenance staff rebuilt the canoe racks - they now stack 3 canoes high instead of two, leaving more room for storage for the rowboats, sailboats and windsurf boards.

In the next couple of weeks, we'll be posting pictures of other projects that are currently in the works:

New screens on all of the Blueberry Hill cabins (and hopefully soon, the Horizon cabins as well)
Rebuilt boardwalk on the Milky Way trail to lower archery
Two NEW overnight campsites

Teen Leadership Retreat

2010-01-13T10:56:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, Camp Sealth hosted the second annual Teen Leadership Retreat. Fifteen teens who participated in the CIT, RSIT and High School Internship programs in 2009 spent the weekend reconnecting with friends, doing service work and skills workshops, and playing outside. The retreat was planned in large part by Chickpea, who was the Teen Leadership Coordinator in 2009 and is returning again in 2010.

Farewell, Bread!

2009-12-10T11:37:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow (Friday, December 10) is Bret Olson's last day working for Camp Sealth. After his holiday travels, Bret will be leaving western Washington for Holden Village, a Lutheran retreat center in a remote area of the Cascade Mountains near Lake Chelan. For the next year, Bret will be working as the "Garbologist" for Holden Village.

Bret has been on staff at Camp Sealth for three years - he originally started working here through the Washington Conservation Corps with Americorps as the assistant for Environmental Education. During his first year, he made great contributions to the EE program, including construction of an organic garden and revitalization of our composting worm bin.

Bret has also held several other positions at camp, including Program Assistant, EE Instructor, and summer ACD. For the past year, Bret has coordinated and hosted all outside group rentals, and community service groups as the Group Host and Community Service Program Manager. User group rentals increased in 2009, and camp made $7,000 more in rentals this year than we did last year.

Many thanks to Bret for all of his hard work and dedication to Camp Sealth over the past three years. We wish him lots of luck in this new venture!

New Construction on Milky Way Freddy & YVC Trail

2009-12-03T14:21:00.000-08:00

Renovation on the Milky Way Freddy is certainly long overdue, but within the next month or so, it will look like new! These toilets are patiently waiting outside in the cold for the interior to be completed, then they will be reinstalled. Our own maintenance staff, Steve and Chad, have done most of the work themselves, with a little assistance from a subcontractor to re-do the shower floors, and some demo work from our NCCC crew, Bluno. Here's a look at the inside:

Here's what's been done so far: Total demolition of the interior (except the sinks and counter), structural work on one of the walls, the walls have been repainted, new plumbing for the toilets, and new floors in the showers. Still to do: new walls and paint in the showers, new partitions for the toilet stalls, and reinstall the toilets. NCCC will be helping complete this project in the next two weeks. We hope to have renovation completed by December 30.

NCCC has also done a lot of work on the trail system, including Blueberry Trail and YVC. The pictures above are on two sections of YVC. The first pic is from the uppermost switchback, where much of the trail had become eroded was a bit sketchy. New steps were added and the bank reinforced. The other picture is just above the Hilltop cabins, where a giant madrona tree had come down over the trail - this section has been reinforced, and a simple rope handrail built.

Next week, we'll have pictures and info about more cool projects going on around camp: new canoe racks, all the sections of dock removed and cleaned, and new screens on the BBH cabins!

Camp Sealth Welcomes AmeriCorps NCCC Team Bluno

2009-11-19T12:48:00.001-08:00

We're very excited this week to welcome the Blue One team from the Sacramento campus of AmeriCorps NCCC. Blue One, or "Bluno", arrived Tuesday evening with 10 Corps Members and their team leader Jim.

AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) is a team-based community service program. Corps Members serve for 10 months, traveling to different sites around the U.S. to provide direct service to non-profit organizations, schools and government and tribal agencies. The AmeriCorps website http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/nccc.asp has more information about NCCC.

Bluno will be living at Camp Sealth until the end of January (except for a holiday break at the end of December), working on improving camp through a number of different projects:

-Several trails, including YVC/Hilltop, Sylvan, Kiwanis and Bluberry Trails, will get reinforcement on switchbacks, new/replaced stairs and boardwalk, waterbars, drainage ditches, and widening at some points.
-Construction of two new campsites, including a log shelter at one of the sites, and building permanent fire pits at some existing campsites.
-Take out all sections of floating docks, scrape and clean the undersides.
-Tear out old canoe storage racks and build new ones.

The Team:
The 11 members of Bluno are from around the United States. They've been training in Sacramento for the past several weeks, and Camp Sealth is their first major project. They are:

Team Leader: Jim, Germantown, WI
Corps Member: Charlotte, Philadelphia, PA
Corps Member: Kim D., Phoenix, AZ
Corps Member: Erinne, S. Bend, IN
Corps Member: Kim H., Fairfield, CT
Corps Member: Lacey, Rochester, NY
Corps Member: Ethan, Boston & Chicago
Corps Member: Maggie, Tallahassee, FL
Corps Member: Noemi, Port St. Lucie, FL
Corps Member: Steve, Duluth, MN
Corps Member: Samuel, Florence, SC

We're very excited to be working with this team - they have a lot of energy and are ready to get to work! Welcome, Bluno!

Meet the Staff

2009-11-13T16:44:00.000-08:00

Meet the Camp Sealth Staff:

These are the nine of us (plus one) who are privileged to work at Camp Sealth all year long. Most of us live on site and are pretty fortunate to call it "home" as well as work. This picture is from Halloween 2009, in downtown Vashon. Here's a little more about each of us:

Rick Taylor - Director of Camping

Rick is a recent convert to Camp Sealth and Camp Fire USA. He has a long career in camping across the country, and started as the director at Sealth in February 2008. Camp Name: "Treebeard".

Steve Lomax - Facilities Manager
Steve joined the year-round crew in December 2007 after a career with an ambulance company in Seattle. Camp Name: "Egon"

Chad Lawson - Onsite Facilities Manager

Chad has worked at Camp Sealth since 2005. Hobbies include boating, scuba diving, snowboarding, golf, woodworking, and watching sports - especially Nebraska Huskers football. Camp Name: "Pipeline"

Carrie Kishline - Senior Program Manager

Carrie is a Camp Sealth lifer - she's been a camper and staff here since 1990, and joined the year-round staff in 2004. Carrie enjoys knitting, crafts, cooking and logic puzzles, and has degrees in math and religion from PLU. Camp Name: "Carebear"

Laura Force - Assistant Camp Director

Laura recently joined the Camp Sealth staff in January 2009 after several years of working at Girl Scout camps in Washington, Alaska and Virginia. Her hobbies include making popcorn, watching movies, reading and crochet. Camp Name: "PopCorn"

Mary Roden - Food Service Manager

Mary has been a part of the Camp Sealth family for 14 years, although she has been on the year-round staff for just three years. Hobbies include fly fishing, camping, gardening and studying ancient culture & architecture. She brings many years of experience in the food service industry. Camp Name: "Ratatouille"

Martin Bremer - Environmental Education Program Manager
Martin joined the year-round staff in the fall of 2008. He has studied education and physics, and enjoys sailing, kayaking and scuba diving. Camp Name: "Papa Steve"

Nick Cirignano - Office Manager/Group Host and Rental Manager
Nick has worked for Camp Sealth full time since February 2008, wearing a variety of hats around camp - if you need to know how to do something at camp, ask Nick. In January, Nick will take over as the Group Host and Rental Manager. One of Nick's main hobbies: "Finding out random things about Alan Thicke." Camp Name: "Caesar Augustus Fresh III"

Bret Olson - Group Host and Rental Manager

Bret has been on the year-round staff since the fall of 2006, also in a variety of positions. His hobbies include listening to music, playing music, reading and throwing things at Martin. Bret will leaving Sealth in December for a new job at Holden Village. His favorite thing about working at Sealth is "seeing the gleam in a child's eye when they encounter something in nature for the first time." Camp Name: "Bread"

Camp Sealth Launches News Blog

2009-11-13T13:33:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Camp Sealth news blog! If you're a parent, camper, staff member, alumnus, or just a fan of Camp Sealth, we'll keep you updated on what's happening year-round.

News: At least once a week, we'll post a blog about the latest news from camp. We'll tell you about new programs that we're introducing, construction or improvement projects, changes in the year-round staff, or anything else that you might be interested to know.

Photos: This might take some time, but we'll start getting pictures loaded on this site so you can feel connected with camp, and show friends and family who have never been here what camp looks like.

Meet the Staff: There are always 8 to 10 staff that work at Sealth year-round, so check out the "Meet the Staff" blog to learn more about us. The 100+ staff that work here in the summer are another story - there's too many of them to post! But we will start featuring a monthly bio on some of our favorite seasonal staff, including what they're up to the rest of the year.

Polls: We're always interested in what you think! You can help by letting us know what you want: your favorite menu items, camp songs, t-shirt designs, activities or anything else we can come up with.

Let us know what you think! We will constantly be adding to this blog and improving it. Send us an e-mail and give us your opinion, or if you have any ideas for news stories.