What is a typical daily schedule?
9:15 - morning circle - introduce the day's activities
9:30 - nature walk to special location in the neighborhood
10:00 - morning snack
10:15 - morning projects - specimen collection/experiments/learning ID/etc.
12:30 - picnic lunch
1:00 - walk back to Chicory/TR Gallo Park
1:30 - nature journaling/deep dives
2:30 - afternoon snack circle - what did we discovery today?
3:00 - pickup
What happens if the weather is terrible?
Campers should expect to be out and about in a wide variety of weather conditions, but in the case of hard rain, thunderstorms, extreme wind or heat, alternate curricula will be provided in the community space at Chicory Naturalist. Elements of nature will be brought in to meet us where we are!
Who teaches camp?
Our lead educator for the 2023 camp season is Fiona Keating, an ecologist with a passion for connecting people with nature. She is dedicated to creating a fun and engaging outdoor learning experience for children of all ages. With a background in ecological research and years of experience teaching classes for children (PreK - 6th grade) on ecology, vertebrate biology, botany and related topics, Fiona brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the camp. She is committed to fostering an appreciation for the natural world among young people.
Supporting our lead educator each week will be a full-time dedicated camp assistant with childcare experience and first aid and CPR training, plus the rest of the Chicory team.
What does my camper need to bring?
(We recommend Oaki puddle suits for weather-proof outwear!)
We encourage families to use what they have, however these items are all available for purchase at Chicory Naturalist, and campers receive a 30% discount towards the purchase of their materials. For campers who receive a full or partial scholarship, most materials can be borrowed, just give us a heads-up.
How do you handle food?
Campers are responsible for bringing their own lunches, afternoon snacks, and water bottles from home, and must be able to carry their lunch/water bottle in their own backpacks. A simple morning snack will be provided by camp. Camp Chicory is NUT FREE.
If your camper will be celebrating a birthday with us, please let us know so we can plan to help celebrate!
What are your health and safety protocols?
Families will receive forms upon registration to let us know about any health or special concerns you'd like us to be aware of, including allergies, accessibility needs, and/or diagnoses.
Camp staff are First Aid & CPR certified and have received background checks.
Chicory follows current COVID guidelines as outlined by the Ulster County Department of Health.
Chicory follows NY State rules that state camp must maintain immunization records for all campers which includes dates for all immunizations against diphtheria, haemophilus influenza type b, hepatitis b, measles, mumps, rubella, poliomyelitis, tetanus and varicella (chickenpox) The record must be kept on file for every camper and updated annually.
What is your refund policy?
For cancellations occurring fewer than 30 days prior to camp start date, a refund will ONLY be issued if we are able to fill your child(ren)'s space(s). The refund issued will be minus any payment processing fees and a 15% administrative processing fee.
Cancellations before 30 days will receive a full refund minus the processing fees.
We’ll do everything we can to prepare for the possibility of staff absence, but in the event we cannot adequately staff due to illness or emergency, no refunds will be offered.
Our refund policies reflect an investment in our staff and mission. We are committed to offering fair compensation to our educators and admin, including their planning hours. Between logistics, marketing, curriculum creation, and materials gathering, hundreds of work hours will already be logged before the first day of camp. Your financial commitments are what makes our community commitments possible, and we deeply appreciate your support.
More questions? Please reach out and we'll do our best to answer! Once registration is paid, families will receive a intake forms via email. Two weeks prior to camp we will send a welcome packet with detailed information on pick up/drop off protocols, the week's activities, and more.