INFORMATION FOR ACCEPTED APPLICANTS
MEDICAL
FORM
All Campers must supply a Medical Form:
Please return this form within 4 weeks of the start of camper’s
session to ensure that information is as up to date as possible.
INFORMATION FOR ACCEPTED CAMPERS
2008
(The following information is from the Information for Accepted Campers
PDF file.)
Full payment of tuition and fees is due by 1 June 2008 to secure
your place in your session.
Please note that if you have received a scholarship from a garden
club or other organization, it is your responsibility to notify the
club of your acceptance and to ensure that payment is made on time.
The Nature Camp medical form must filled out and signed by a physician
and returned within four weeks of the start of your session. Failure
to submit this form in advance of your arrival at Nature Camp will
result in a delay in check-in.
Please note that the back page of this form also serves as our means
for collecting emergency contact information, which is required by
Nature Camp’s crisis management policy. Copies of the form and
this letter will also be available on the Nature Camp website www.naturecamp.net).
Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Nature
Camp recommends that all campers receive the tetravalent meningococcal
conjugated vaccine (MCV4).
We also ask that parents or guardians of new campers sign and return
a photo release form, which is also available on the website. This
form grants permission to use a camper’s photograph or other
media for display on the Nature Camp website or inclusion in Nature
Camp publications. Nature Camp respects the wishes of anyone who prefers
not to grant such permission.
Check-in and Departure
Please arrive at Nature Camp between 2:30 PM and 4:00 PM on the first
day (Sunday) of your session. We will not check any campers in until
2:30 PM. Your session will end on Saturday, thirteen days later; you
should be picked up between 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM. We have no provisions
for supervising campers beyond 11:00 AM that morning. Parents / Guardians:
Upon arriving at Nature Camp on check-in day, please come to the Office
and pick up a number. We will check in campers in the order of arrival.
Please do not leave your campers until they have checked in at the
office, in the event that we need to obtain additional information
from you. If you bring a dog or other pet on check-in/departure days,
please keep it on a leash at all times.
What to Bring
A bunkbed and mattress are provided. You need to bring a mattress
cover, sheets and a blanket, or sleeping bag as desired. Please also
bring toiletry articles, towels, a flashlight, and clothes sufficient
for a two-week stay; no laundry facilities are available. Clothing
should include a bathing suit, poncho or rain jacket, at least two
pairs of jeans or other long pants and sturdy hiking shoes/boots.
“Surf shoes” or other shoes for wear in creeks and streams
are required. (We don’t allow barefoot wading or swimming in
creeks!) All footwear must be completely closed at the toes and heel;
Crocs, as well as sandals and other open-toed shoes, are not allowed,
except for the final evening’s Closing Ceremony. Sunscreen with
an SPF of at least 15 is required for all campers swimming in the
pool. Nights can be quite cool,
especially early in the summer, so a sweatshirt or jacket is recommended.
At least one set of dress clothing for Closing Ceremony and chapel
services is suggested. Storage space is limited; a large footlocker
or trunk is usually the most convenient way to organize your belongings.
Other items you may wish to bring include binoculars, camera, water
bottle, day pack, field guides, insect repellent, musical instruments
or other items for talent night, and a notebook, paper and pens or
pencils for reports.
Please note that although camp staff will make every effort to assist
campers in maintaining their belongings, they are not responsible
for personal items left or lost at camp. Do not bring expensive or
irreplaceable items, and be certain that all items are clearly marked
with the camper’s name.
Nature Camp maintains a small store (canteen) where campers may purchase
some personal items, camp T-shirts, stationary and notebook supplies,
candy, ice cream and drinks. Money (cash or check) brought to camp
will be deposited with the Canteen Operator, and items purchased are
charged against your account. At the end of the session, any remaining
funds are returned; overdrafts are not permitted.
What Not to Bring
Do not bring any electronic/electrical devices, including radios,
CD/tape/MP3 players, iPods, video games, laptop computers, or cell
phones. Do not bring knives of any type or size.
Mail
Mail should have the camper’s name clearly written above the
address:
Nature Camp, 316 Nature Camp Trail, Vesuvius, VA 24483
Care packages are always popular, but please note that food items
received by campers are stored by the staff in a central location
and cannot be kept longer than three days. This policy is necessary
to avoid attracting mice and ants, and it reflects our very limited
storage space. We also restrict access to care packages during the
time periods immediately preceding meals. In accord with our conservation
focus, we strongly discourage the use of non-recyclable packaging
and request that packages and packaging materials be kept to a minimum.
Telephone
Nature Camp maintains a single voice telephone line (540-377-2491)
for general business use. Except for emergencies, campers can neither
receive nor make calls. We ask that you respect this policy.
Visitors
With the exception of direct family members, no visitors for campers
are allowed. Please feel welcome to call (or ask during check-in)
for the best times to visit, although there is no official visitation
day. All visitors must check in at the Office upon arrival and obtain
a nametag for the purpose of identification. If a camper needs to
leave Nature Camp for any reason during the session, including family
emergencies, please notify us as far in advance as possible to arrange
for special pick-up/drop-off procedures.
Directions
Nature Camp is easily reached from Interstate 81. From Exit 205 (Raphine),
midway between Staunton and Lexington, take Rt. 606 east to Steele’s
Tavern (1.5 miles to the first stop sign at US 11). Turn left on US
Highway 11 and then immediately right on VA Highway 56 east. Drive
1.6 miles into Vesuvius, past the first sign for Rt. 608 on the left,
and then bear south (right according to the sign, but essentially
straight ahead) on Rt. 608. (DO NOT CROSS THE RAILROAD TRACKS AT THIS
TIME.) In 1.9 miles, you will cross the railroad tracks; continue
on 0.7 miles and take the first gravel road to the left, marked as
Nature Camp Trail. When the road forks at the sign for Nature Camp,
turn right
and drive into Camp. Please note that the road crosses a narrow, stone
bridge; vehicles with trailers are not recommended. The parking area
is on the left just beyond the swimming pool; please follow signs
directing traffic. Maps and directions are also available on the Nature
Camp website (www.naturecamp.net/genDirections.html).
Nature Camp reserves the right to send home any camper whose behavior
interferes with the safety and well-being ofother campers and staff
members.
I look forward to seeing you this summer.
Philip P. Coulling, Executive Director
835 Sugar Creek Rd. (540) 460-7897
Lexington, VA 24450 director@naturecamp.net
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