January 12, 2024
Nature Camp continues to strongly recommend that families fully vaccinate their campers and keep recommended vaccines up to date. The camper health history form (which will be available in late April) will include a place to document vaccination history (or lack thereof).
In addition, Nature Camp will continue to follow guidance and recommendations from the Virginia Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), and the Alliance for Camp Health.
April 25, 2023
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- Nature Camp strongly recommends that families fully vaccinate their campers and keep recommended vaccines up to date. Documentation of vaccination (or lack thereof) on each camper’s health history form.
- Campers will NOT be required to take a COVID-19 test before or on the day of arrival at camp. We do encourage families to test campers on their own and to report test results to Nature Camp. Any camper presenting with a positive result will be required to isolate at home for at least five days, following protocols recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- As needed and warranted, Nature Camp will implement diagnostic testing for any participant who exhibits or develops symptoms of COVID-19 or who is known to have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. If a camper tests positive, then that camper’s family will be asked to pick them up as soon as possible, as Nature Camp has no capacity to keep campers in isolation for an extended period of time.
- Upon arrival, all campers will be asked to report any recent illness; recent exposure to COVID-19; or symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, including fever, sore throat, new dry cough, new onset of severe headache, or diarrhea, vomiting, or stomachache. Anyone presenting with such symptoms may be asked to take a COVID test kit and to remain in their vehicle until a negative result is obtained.
- All campers are encouraged to bring at least two facemasks (N95 [recommended] or KN95) to camp, as there may be occasions and circumstances in which mask wearing indoors is warranted. Although the need for routine masking is not anticipated, facemasks can be an important tool in reducing the likelihood and rate of transmission of many airborne viruses, and Nature Camp reserves the right to require masking as recommended by Health Center staff or if symptoms of infectious illness arise.
These requirements and recommendations are subject to change based on guidance from the Virginia Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), as well as COVID-19 Community Levels in Virginia as defined by the CDC
April 20, 2022
Following state and federal guidelines and recommendations, Nature Camp will implement a multi-layered set of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in 2022 designed to protect the health and well-being of campers, staff, and their families. Please note the following requirements and recommendations for vaccination, testing, and other strategies to minimize and mitigate the risk of COVID-19 this summer.
Vaccination
Nature Camp will not require campers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, but we strongly encourage families to fully vaccinate their campers and keep recommended vaccines up to date. Health history forms will be mailed to all registered campers; documentation of COVID vaccines (or lack thereof) should be noted on this form.
COVID Testing
All participants will be required to take a COVID-19 test (rapid antigen) on the day of arrival at camp and to present evidence (photograph or the test itself) of a negative result upon check-in. (Alternatively, a negative PCR test result obtained no more than 72 hours before the start of a session may be substituted for a rapid antigen test.) Anyone who does not self-administer a test before arriving at camp will be given a test kit and asked to remain in their vehicle until a negative result is obtained. Every household in the US is eligible to receive two sets of four free at-home COVID tests in the mail. (I ordered our second set of tests last Tuesday, and they arrived the following day.)
Anyone presenting with a positive result will be asked to leave camp and will not be permitted to return for at least five days. (A person must be asymptomatic and furnish a negative test result in order to return.) A full refund of all fees paid to date will be offered to anyone who is unable to attend camp because of a positive COVID-19 test result.
Nature Camp would greatly appreciate the donation of any extra (unexpired) COVID tests. Test kits may be dropped off on the first and last days of camp sessions.
Cohorts, Quarantining, and Isolation
Unlike last year, Nature Camp will not be grouping campers and staff into cohorts this summer; instead, all participants in a session will functionally comprise a single, large cohort, and therefore everyone will be considered a potential close contact of everyone else. In addition, only limited space will be available for quarantine or isolation at camp this summer. In the event that a camper or staff member (or guest who has been in close contact with campers or staff) tests positive for COVID-19, anyone who is is up to date on vaccines (or who has had a confirmed positive case within the past 90 days) would not need to quarantine unless they develop symptoms of COVID-19 or test positive. The family of any camper who is not up to date on COVID vaccines, however, would be asked to pick up their camper immediately, as the CDC recommends a five-day quarantine period for those exposed to COVID-19 and who are not up to date on vaccines.
Facemasks
All campers should bring at least two facemasks (N95 [recommended] or KN95) to camp, as there may be occasions and circumstances in which mask wearing indoors is warranted. In addition, on the first and last days of each session, all members of the party dropping off or picking up a camper (other than the campers themselves) will be asked to wear a facemask when indoors or when they are in close contact with someone not in their party.
Check-in
The implementation of staggered, scheduled times for arrival on the first day of each session last summer worked well and reduced long waiting times, and we plan to keep that system this summer. One difference, however, will be that all members of a camper’s party will be allowed outside of their vehicles this year. Approximately 10 days before your camper’s session begins, you should receive an email with details about the check-in procedure and instructions for signing up for a time slot for arrival. There will be four, 30-minutes blocks of time with approximately 20 slots each for check-in on the first day of each session, beginning at 2:00 PM EDT.
Upon arrival, all campers will be asked to report any recent illness or any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, including fever; sore throat; new dry cough; new onset of severe headache; and diarrhea, vomiting, or stomachache. Anyone presenting with such symptoms will be given a COVID test kit and asked to remain in their vehicle until a negative result is obtained.
These COVID protocols and procedures are subject to further refinement and revision as new information is obtained or additional guidance issued, and we will share updates as warranted this spring. Nature Camp will also continue to monitor recommendations from the Virginia Department of Health, the American Camp Association, the Alliance for Camp Health, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nature Camp is committed to safeguarding the well-being and welfare of all our participants, especially during this pandemic. We look forward to seeing your camper this summer and to providing them with an enriching, unforgettable, and safe camp experience.
December 16, 2021
For summer 2022 Nature Camp reserves the right to require all participants to show proof of vaccination against coronavirus and/or to present the result of a negative COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours before arrival. Additional safety protocols and the use of non-pharmaceutical interventions (such as physical distancing and the use of face masks indoors) may still be necessary or warranted next summer; COVID-19 policies and procedures for 2022 will be based, as they were this past summer, on the best available evidence and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the Virginia Department of Health, the American Camp Association, the Association of Camp Nursing, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
April 12, 2021
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and the Virginia Department of Health have issued Forward Virginia guidelines and requirements under Executive Order 72 for operation of overnight summer camps in 2021. These requirements are available here (those pertaining to summer camps begin on page 33) and on a special summer camp page on the Department of Health’s website. Below are details about how these guidelines and requirements will be implemented at Nature Camp this summer. Our COVID protocols and procedures are subject to further refinement and revision as new information is obtained or additional guidance issued, and we will share updates as warranted this spring. Nature Camp will also continue to monitor recommendations from the American Camp Association, the Association of Camp Nursing, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
COVID Testing
All campers and staff will be required to submit a negative molecular (PCR) test for coronavirus the week before coming to camp. In addition, Nature Camp may conduct rapid antigen testing of campers upon arrival. Nature Camp will take care of the logistics and cost of testing, and we will let all camp families know well in advance what you will need to do and when you will need to do it.
Campers who do not (or whose families do not) consent to testing or who present with a positive test result will not be permitted to attend camp. (Any sample that yields a positive result will subsequently be retested to confirm that it is not a false positive.) In either event, families will be offered a full refund of any fees paid to date.
Cohorts
Prior to the release of reopening guidelines for camps in Virginia, Nature Camp had decided to limit capacity in each session to no more than 50 campers. This number happens to be twice the maximum allowable number of campers in a cohort, which is treated as a family unit for the duration of each session. The use of cohorts helps to limit the spread of any illness (including COVID-19); facilitates contract tracing and isolation in the event of a positive or suspected positive case or coronavirus; and provides the campers with more freedom and opportunities for close interaction with one another. All campers and staff who live together will be in the same cohort, but each cohort does not have to be limited only to those campers who share living space.
Each session will comprise two coed cohorts, each containing campers from one wing of the Girls’ Bunkhouse and one wing of the Boys’ Bunkhouse. Campers will do most activities within their cohort, including eating meals, attending class, engaging in recreational activities, and sitting together for evening programs. Within a cohort, campers do not necessarily need to maintain minimum social distancing or wear masks. When in the presence or potential presence of members of the other cohort, however, all participants will be expected to wear masks and to maintain at least six feet of physical distance.
Facemasks
Participants will be expected to carry facemasks with them at all times; cloth masks with at least two layers are strongly recommended. As a general rule, everyone should wear a mask when entering or leaving a building and when walking around camp. When in the presence only of other campers within one’s own cohort, campers may be permitted to remove masks at the discretion and direction of the staff. All campers should bring a sufficient number of facemasks with them to last an entire 10-day session (ideally at least one per day); laundering of masks will be available only under extreme circumstances.
Daily Wellness Checks and COVID Response Plan
Upon each camper’s arrival at camp and on each morning of a session, staff will conduct wellness checks for each camper. These screenings will include checks for fever; sore throat; new cough; shortness of breath; diarrhea, vomiting, and stomachache; and onset of headache. Any camper who presents with symptoms of COVID-19 will be immediately isolated, and diagnostic testing and contact tracing will be initiated as warranted. If there is a suspected case of COVID-19, families of all campers within the participant’s cohort will be notified; if there is a confirmed case of COVID-19, families of all campers will be notified, and the family of the participant who tests positive will be asked to pick up their camper as soon as possible.
Hand Hygiene
This spring Nature Camp will be installing new soap dispensers in the bathhouses (“T-houses”) and sand sanitizer dispensers on porches and in buildings throughout camp. In addition, signage will remind campers of the importance of proper hand hygiene and coughing and sneezing etiquette. Before all meals, staff will escort campers by cohort to the T-houses to supervise hand washing.
Check-in
Nature Camp will implement a streamlined check-in procedure this summer. Each arriving vehicle will be met by a staff member, who will conduct a brief health screening, take any medications and funds for a camper’s canteen account, and gather any additional information that is needed. There will be an opportunity to discuss needs and issues with camp’s health center personnel and dietary restrictions with kitchen staff. Only campers will be permitted to leave a vehicle. Unlike in years past, no numbers will be available in advance, and there will no advantage to arriving early. In addition, Nature Camp will likely try to arrange for staggered arrival times to expedite traffic flow and expedite the check-in process. More information will be forthcoming, and we plan to produce a short video later this spring to illustrate just what the check-in procedure will look like.
Miscellaneous
Health history forms will be mailed to all registered campers later in April. This year’s form will include a place to indicate if a camper has received one or both doses of a COVID vaccine.
We will schedule at least one webinar in May to explain our COVID procedures and protocols in more detail and provide an opportunity for parents and guardians to ask questions. Please stay tuned for an announcement of the date and time. In the meantime please do not hesitate to reach out to director Philip Coulling (director@naturecamp.net; 540-460-7897) with any questions or concerns.
Nature Camp is committed to safeguarding the well-being and welfare of all our participants, especially during this pandemic. We look forward to reopening our doors and to providing an enriching, unforgettable, and safe camp experience for every camper this summer.
January 11, 2021
Nature Camp remains cautiously optimistic that we will be able to resume on-site sessions for the summer of 2021. Although Phase 3 guidelines for Virginia’s Plan for Reopening have not yet been amended to permit overnight summer camps to operate this year, we have been informed that we can begin planning for safe reopening this summer.
That said, it is almost certain that the COVID-19 pandemic will still be ongoing for most if not all of 2021, even if widespread vaccination occurs. Therefore, Nature Camp will be implementing a number of changes to our standard procedures, protocols, and schedules in an effort to safeguard the health and well-being of all participants.
- Sessions will be capped at a maximum capacity of 50 campers each (approximately 23 boys and 27 girls) in order to reduce density in the bunkhouses and allow for safe, physical distancing between campers.
- Sessions will be shortened from 14 days to 10 days to permit more sessions to be scheduled during the summer and thus increase the number of campers who can attend camp.
- Campers and staff will be required to wear masks when indoors (except when eating, sleeping, and bathing) and when sufficient physical distancing cannot be maintained outdoors.
- All participants will perform daily wellness checks to minimize the risk of transmission of any communicable illness and so that any unwell persons may be quickly identified and isolated from the rest of the camp population.
- All participants will be expected to wash their hands frequently and regularly throughout the day or to apply hand sanitizer when washing is not feasible; additional soap and sanitizer dispensers will be installed throughout the camp grounds.
- Visitors will not permitted during camp sessions.
These procedures are subject to revision and expansion, and additional measures will likely be adopted based on guidance and recommendations from the Virginia Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This page will be updated regularly throughout the winter and spring to reflect any such changes. We will also share important details about these protocols and any necessary modifications to our standard operating procedures via e-mail, in print communications, and on our social media pages.
The website also includes a page of Frequently Asked COVID Questions that addresses questions and concerns about the unusual circumstances of 2021 and Nature Camp’s response to them.
Please direct any questions to Executive Director Philip Coulling (director@naturecamp.net or 540-460-7897). Thank you for your patience and understanding as we all navigate these difficult and uncertain times.
Although Nature Camp is an educational camp that seeks to promote greater appreciation for the natural world and a lifelong love of learning, our foremost responsibility will always be the safety and welfare of our participants, and we are humbled and grateful for the trust you have placed in us to take care of your campers. Nature Camp will not operate unless we can be confident that we can maintain a safe and healthy environment for our campers, staff, and visitors.
Please stay well and safe, and we fervently hope to see you this summer.