FRIENDS of the San Juans à Canoë

This weekend Canoe Island French Camp was honored to host members and friends of the FRIENDS of the San Juans, an organization founded in 1979 that advocates for healthy and sustainable communities in the San Juan Islands. For Stephanie Buffum, the FRIENDS Executive Director, there are three key pieces to creating a thriving community: citizen science, community engagement and continuity of people being there.

Tina Whitman with a captive audience at Malmaison beach

Tina Whitman, the FRIENDS science director, shared her citizen science research techniques for monitoring and restoring forage fish habitats. Gary Bergren from Lopez recounted a story of witnessing surf smelt spawning in an area that had been restored a year earlier. Troy Olsen of Lummi Indian Nation gave a powerful talk on the reef net fishing revival movement and presented his handmade model of a sxwole (reef net). Debbie Fincher from San Juan Excursions introduced the group to the resident orcas and ways to advocate for them.

Joseph, Troy,  Mike, Shirley, Stephanie and Connie with Troy's model sxwole

Between discussions folks enjoyed the wonderful homemade cuisine, canoed, kayaked, played soccer and tennis, roamed the island in search of plants and birds and gathered around a campfire for songs and s’mores. The thriving community experienced this weekend is just the beginning of the many enduring friendships to be made here this summer during camp. We at Canoe Island would like to thank all who participated this weekend and we hope to see you, à bientôt.

Capturing wild yeasts to make French bread

Thanks to Louis Pasteur, the French microbiologist best known for developing pasteurization, in 1857, the western world learned that alcohol fermentation is due to living yeasts. It’s not surprising that a Frenchman would be the one to declare that yeast is a living organism, especially considering the important role of yeast in many of France’s preferred foods: wine, bread, cheese.

Wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria are present in the air and form a symbiotic culture when housed in a mixture of flour and water. Together they create unique and local flavors of sourdough bread. So, starting today, I will be setting up a yeast trap to capture some Canoe Island yeast and next time you come visit us, we can have our very own Canoe Island sourdough baguettes! Le baguette de tradition is such an important food in France that by law, only the following ingredients are allowed to be used in its making: wheat flour, water, yeast, salt. I suppose we’ll have to call our loaves les baguettes de Canoë!

A bubbly San Francisco starter in front of my very first yeast trap!

ARRIVAL OF NEW VOYAGEUR CANOE TO CANOE ISLAND

Imagine gliding over glassy waters that surround Canoe Island at sunset or traveling to a campsite nestled in the San Juan archipelago.  With the arrival of our new 29-foot Langely Voyageur Canoe, this experience will be one of the countless magical memories that campers make at Canoe Island French Camp this summer. Our canoe was built in the style that the French fur traders used across Canada and even into Washington.  It can comfortably fit up to 12-14 paddlers with plenty of freeboard left for camping supplies.

            Shipped to Bellingham from Clipper Canoes near Vancouver B.C., our big canoe was brought across the Salish Sea by Executive Director Joseph Jones with the Ferry Queen. On the prow was hung a cedar wreath made from cedar that Camp Director Connie Jones gathered on Canoe Island.  The cedar wreath was in the tradition of those we have seen on the native canoes that often come through the San Juan Islands on the annual Tribal Canoe Journey, 

Paddling a big canoe takes group cohesion and determination. The Voyageur Canoe took its maiden voyage paddled by volunteers at our Spring Work Party on May 3, who lived up to both of theses requirements, and our paddle around Canoe Island was a success! As we tossed the cedar wreath into the current of Upright Channel, we wondered where this spirit of exploration and friendship will lead us in the Voyageur Canoe this summer.

Tossing the cedar wreath into the Salish Sea

Spring Projects Bring Summer Fun

Huge facility projects and programming logistics are in full swing as the camp prepares for the beginning of our program season. Ben and Jay are busily working on the remodel of the girls' bathroom, Joseph and Connie are readying the camp garden, tipis and trails, Margaret is liaising with campers and parents, excited to soon be arriving, and I am getting reacquainted with the programming for this summer (le Jacques Martin, fondue sur la plage, la nuit des moines... laissez les bon temps rouler!). We look forward to hosting the Orcas Bird Festival’s participating scientists on Thursday and participants of our Spring Work Party this weekend. A grand merci to our Canoe Island family and friends for continuing to support this magical place!

A bientôt!

Sarah

Ben prepping the bathroom for its new counter!

For the birds à Canoë

Canoe Island is for the birds this April. Looking for a ray of sunshine early one morning to warm me out of my torpor, I marched from the shady porch of Malmaison along le chemin de la plage to the sun-kissed grass slopes along the north east side of the island. The forest was humming with morning songbirds. See me pretty pretty me! See me pretty pretty me! White-crowned sparrows have warmed up enough to declare their beauty to all. Chickadee dee dee dee chest-nut backed chickadees announce their presence by singing their name. cheee cheee cheee Kingfishers zip along the rocky shore hunting for their breakfast. Knock Knock Knock A majestic raven welcomes the bevy of returning birds from their long migrations. zeeee zeeeee chupitty chip chip!  A Rufus hummingbird warns me not to venture too close to its claimed territory. Soon Mr. hummingbird will have to become accustomed to people on island. Our programming starts this weekend with the annual on island board retreat!

To celebrate this spring air and the birds that fill it with sweet songs, here are the last few stanzas of a poem by Victor Hugo entitled, Après l’hiver, 26 juin 1878

"Ô printemps! bois sacrés! ciel profondément bleu!
On sent un souffle d'air vivant qui vous pénètre,
Et l'ouverture au loin d'une blanche fenêtre;
On mêle sa pensée au clair-obscur des eaux;
Ob a le doux bonheur d'être avec les oiseaux
Et de voir, sous l'abri des branches printanières,
Ces messieurs faire avec ces dames des manières."

Je suis de ces eaux, terres et montagnes

Bonjour à tous! I am excited to be returning to Canoe as the Program Coordinator after two years of being away. During my absence from Canoe Island I completed a Masters program in Environmental Education through Western Washington University and the North Cascades Institute.This included a year long residency at the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center where I developed knowledge and skills of Northwest natural history, non-profit administration and leadership. My time at the Institute also included being an instructor for Mountain School, an environmental education program that welcomes groups of fifth graders through seniors in high school to explore the North Cascades ecosystems via experiential learning and inquiry based field studies.The experience was unique and inspiring. It has been wonderful to work and play among the peaks of the North Cascades. I am happy to be returning to the inter-tidal zones of the San Juan Islands. Raised in the little bayside town of Poulsbo Washington, vibrant sunsets and salty air were well missed during my time in the mountains. I'm also thrilled to become reacquainted with my love of French language and culture, which was the focus of one of my bachelor degrees. I look forward to working with staff and campers to ensure a positive atmosphere of exploration and discovery of French language, culture and the San Juan Islands. I hope to incorporate my love of natural history, my curiosity of all things French, and the happenings here at Canoe Island into my blog posts for your reading pleasure.

As a final introduction, I'm happy to share a photo of an artistic map I created, under the tutelage of Jocelyn Curry, that represents my home, the Pacific Northwest.

A bientôt,
Sarah Stephens

The benefits of sending your kid to Canoe Island for the first time!

This piece was recently posted on the American Camp Association (ACA) Parents Place blog, a space where you can find info and advice about summer camps, youth development and more.

Last year, 30% of the campers we welcomed at Canoe Island French Camp were first-year campers; many of whom were enjoying their first sleep-away experience. 
We're very happy to welcome many new campers for summer 2015!

"Thanks for Sending Me to Alcatraz": Laying the Groundwork for Your Child's First Sleep-Away Camp Experience

Canoe Island French Camp campers & staff - August 2014

Getting your child ready for camp can be challenging, but there are ways to overcome and ensure that they are excited and prepared for their first sleep-away camp experience. Each of these preparation tips is followed by an amusing anecdote, or at least an idea worth sharing with your children as they prepare for their first summer away from home. As the days leading up to the big send-off tick away, you will find yourself re-articulating the various reasons why he or she should relish, not fear, the fabulous journey to follow.

Include the child in all camp-related decisions, from the choice of the camp to packing that trunk and duffel.  At most camps, it does not matter what you wear. While this  might seem a minuscule notion, a child who has confidence she can wear what she wants at camp has one less worrisome detail on her checklist.
"Camp is a happy place where mismatched clothing and retro outfits fit right in.  One of our counselors wore mismatched socks at all opportunities, not only at camp, but to his own wedding! "
Tell some good stories about your own experiences away from home.
"The most fun I ever had at camp was the time we were camping out and it rained hard.  We all got soaked.  Then, the stove would not light, so we ate raw hot dogs followed by S’mores with un-melted chocolate…”
Be honest if the child inquires about the negative aspects of being away from home, but re-emphasize the ultimately happy outcomes of the camp experience. Homesickness is like a headache – certainly unpleasant, but short in duration and rarely disabling. Tell them a story like this: 
I know two camp directors who admit to being very homesick themselves as campers. But, at the insistence of their parents, they both stuck it out and ended up not only loving camp but giving their lives to it.  Then acknowledge that the two persons are the co-authors of this blog!
Never promise to bring the child home if he or she is not having a good time.
One summer, a child mailed a homesick note the first hour of the session. Whereupon reading the letter, the parents immediately got into the car and drove six hours to gather him and take him home. I said to the mother, “This is a tad premature, would you not agree?”  To which she hollered at me:  “I will not tolerate my son being unhappy.”
Instead, develop a family strategy beforehand that allows for significant time to pass before any final decisions are made regarding going home.  Remember, your children learn by having their boundaries pushed, even if unsuccessfully at first.  Have a frank conversation regarding the unlikelihood of an early pick-up.

Understand that separation anxiety usually is experienced and conquered early in the session and is seldom the result of staying away from home for too long.   
On day number 21, I asked kids to cover their eyes for privacy then raise a hand quietly when I voiced the number which best indicated their honest feelings about camp at this point in time.  “The number one is for those who are wretchedly miserable all the way to number ten for those who feel that camp is now about as good as heaven.” Would you be surprised to know that nearly everyone voted a nine or a ten?
Regarding the impending separation, keep your own emotions under wraps. 
“For the first few days after dropping off my daughter, there was a huge hole in my life.  I cried, but then on about day number three, I found myself uttering ‘this is not so bad.’”
Go ahead and “soft focus” this expectation to you child and encourage her to do the same at her end.  There is nothing wrong with a bit of transparency.
Rationalize! In nearly all cases, camp is a wonderful growing up experience for your child. Ditto for you, too! Expect to feel a bit low yourself for the first few days. Any sadness passes quickly into an enjoyable vacation from the rigors of parenthood. No feelings of guilt are needed. 
A parent approached me on the last day of camp to say, “Thanks for the most valuable, enjoyable and life-enhancing learning experience of MY life.”
First letters home tend to be not only negative but also full of hyperbole. Laugh off 90% of what you read. Do inform the director about that unhappy letter.
“Thanks  for sending me to Alcatraz.”
Hang on to that letter. Years from now, your child will howl with delight!
When writing letters yourself, acknowledge that you miss your child but stress how boring it is at home – always the truth when compared to life at camp. 
“Well, it is very hot and muggy here at home and nobody is around, especially your friends…”
Be exceptionally careful when deciding to make that first phone call to your child. It you sense that either one of you may break down, call the director instead. Most camp leaders are exceptionally gifted at guiding parents through this dilemma. Trust them.
So I told the parent, “ If you call her three days from now, you will be able to say, ‘Your stay at camp is now more than half over.  We’ll be coming up to family visiting day in just ten days…’”
 Never overdo the privilege of calling. 
Remember: kids are not sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting to hear from you.  They are too busy.
Lastly, if your child is one of those chronic homesick cases, remain upbeat, positive and willing to work with the camp to get that youngster over the hump. Nearly all the time, the final verdict is a positive one. 
My child just wrote to tell me the homesickness issue now is past him. Something about his scoring the winning goal in a soccer game and being carried off the field on everyone’s shoulders. Can homesickness expire in a single heartbeat?
YES!

by Bob and Rob Wipfler. Part of Camp 101, a guest blog series for ACA. 

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