Summer Camps for Girls

For three years, from ages 9-11, I went to Camp Mi-A-Kon-Da, a girl's camp on a remote 24-acre island in Canada. My sister and I spent a month a year without electricity or hot water. We bathed in the lake, learned canoeing, sailing, outdoor survival skills, archery, swimming, backpacking and more. We were able to choose the activities we wanted to do each day and earn merit badges in each skill.

During the full moon we were woken up out of sleep and walked single file down a trail to a remote part of the island that opened up into smooth polished rocks. A huge fire would be going and a cauldron of hot chocolate warming. We would listen to stories and sing songs as the moon reflected in the lake around us. This was the place I first carried a pack, and I turtled even with the lightest pack. I fell backwards and couldn't get up. My friend laughed so hard, she couldn't get up. We went on a sailing trip where the weather turned bad, and we had to turn back; the waves and rain smashing into the boat. When we got back, we were given hot tea to warm up as we huddled together and talked about our adventure.

When my mom told me we were going to camp, I would cry. I hated being away from my mom and dad and friends, but when I got to camp, I loved the life. There was drama and plays and sing-a-longs. It was a place to be a girl and to grow up, while learning ways to engage with nature.

The experiences there planted a seed. From age 13 through well after college, I think I went on two hikes. I played tennis and ice skated, but didn't get in a canoe or go for a hike until I was in my early twenties. I started exploring the Hollywood Hills, then Malibu, then Yosemite, then Colorado, and now New Mexico. I spent 9 months in Yosemite's backcountry, have climbed 9 Fourteeners, spent two weeks alone in the woods and have done some rock climbing. This summer I'll be learning mountaineering for high altitude climbs. The most treasured moments in my life have been in nature. I learned that I could take care of myself, that I could survive, alone, in the woods. I am comfortable hauling a 20 pound pack up Mt. Whitney, or lying in the river to cool off from the summer's sun. Camp taught me, all those years ago, that women belong in nature.

Today, there are so many opportunities for girls. Camp Mi-A-Kon-Da is still there. Girls can now learn rock climbing, wall climbing, ropes and there's bike riding. The time periods are 2-4 weeks a year and so well worth it. We never know what our early experiences in nature will bloom into later in life.

For low-income families, Girls, Inc. is a great organization that offers wilderness excursions and has a sliding scale payment program so girls of all economic backgrounds can attend. Girls, Inc. empowers girls to communicate and feel comfortable finding their voice and their self-confidence. The girls are taught to pursue the biggest dreams they can dream.

The Student Conservation Association is a co-ed program for high school-aged kids that take them out into nature to build trails, track grizzlies through the Tetons, restore natural habitat and desert ecosystems. They also teach environmental education at Washington, D.C's Urban Tree House. What I like about this program is it teaches kids leadership skills. It builds confidence through working in nature and teaches them how to bring conservation to their own towns or cities.

There are so many worthy organizations for girls of all ages. The earlier the seeds of nature are planted, the greater chance they have to grow. When I volunteered in Yosemite National Park some of my brother's friends came to visit. One girl had never spent a night in the woods. There was a group of six of us sitting around a campfire and she said she had never seen so many stars. That night planted a seed in her. If you have a daughter, take advantage of summer camps or programs that teach girls how to be women, how to survive on their own and how to realize confidence and know that confidence and self-esteem come from within. The more they realize they are responsible for themselves, the more they can start to care for themselves.

About the Author

Undiscovered Earth is a resource for Exploration, Environment, and Expression. Undiscovered Earth is a voice for those who love the outdoors, nature and the environment and features profiles environmental news , product reviews and poetry, fiction and essays.