By Sue Leskiw
This summer, North Group sponsored three campers -- an 11-year-old girl from Eureka, an 11-year-old boy from Fortuna, and a 12-year-old boy from Loleta -- to attend a week-long session at Lost Coast Camp near Petrolia.
This is the third year that campers sponsored through donations to the Lucille Vinyard/Susie van Kirk Environmental Education Fund have gone to overnight camp at this venue in the Mattole Valley. The facility’s mission is to “provide youth with a dynamic summer camp experience, which promotes building self-esteem and positive friendships, individual expression, and fostering an appreciation for the natural world.”
In exchange for their tuition, the campers agreed to submit an essay to North Group about their experience. Below are excerpts:
Camper 1: “I loved camp. I made new friends, got to see, and had lots of fun. My favorite part about the cows was the cow bones. I got to paint them and at school I get teased about what I wrote on them. I had sooooo much fun going swimming, pranking the boys, and hanging out with all my friends.”
Camper 2: “I made friends, went on a hayride, saw a puppet show, went to Farmer John’s house, did archery, did the Water Olympics, went canoeing, and did lots of art projects. Some art projects were face painting, friendship bracelets, and card making. We flipped over twice in the plastic canoe but not in the metal one. We rode down the current in the metal one. Farmer John pulled the hay wagon with his tractor. We drove past blackberry bushes and grabbed berries. I made a lot of new friends and am thankful I got to go to Lost Coast Camp.”
Camper 3: “I had a blast at Lost Coast Camp. Everyone was so kind and welcoming and my cabin mates were extremely helpful, teaching me how to sing the songs that we sung every day and how to clean the kitchen. I loved going swimming in the river every day, going to Strawberry Rock, having a campout at the river, watching a movie, and staying the night in the barn. We looked for cool rocks underwater and had a contest to find the coolest one. It was beautiful watching the sunset from Strawberry Rock and picking delicious blackberries. We got to eat hot dogs and Rice Krispy treats. The barn, which was really old, was nice and cozy. Camp was a one-of-a-kind experience. I’m thankful that I got the opportunity to experience it all.”