Celebrate Earth Day at Camp

Enjoy events scheduled over the weekend near Hudson, WI and Babbitt, MN.

Earth Day is April 22—a chance to invest in and celebrate our natural world. The Y is offering two family-friendly opportunities to engage in Earth Day activities:

Farm brunch and fun on April 23

Head to The Farm at Camp St. Croix near Hudson for a morning of food and fun for $10 a person—tickets will be sold at the event entrance (cash or check accepted). Brunch starts at 9am and features build-your-own breakfast sandwiches using locally sourced ingredients, as well as sides and beverages. Family fun starts at 9:30am and includes:

  • Climbing wall ($5 per climber)
  • Archery ($5 per archer)
  • Free farm and garden activity
  • Free nature scavenger hunt

Gretchen Hoff, Overnight Camp Program Director at Camp St. Croix says, “The combination of educational activities and eating a meal featuring locally sourced ingredients will help all ages understand the importance of growing food on, and responsibly using local land. To love and care for something, you’ve got to get to know it first!”

Roll up your sleeves April 22-24

Camp Northern Lights near Babbitt is hosting a Work Weekend, where you can enjoy a weekend camp getaway that includes helping with projects to keep camp great and connecting with the camp community. Lodging for the weekend is $25 per person for ages 13 and up, $15 for ages four to 12. (Younger campers stay for free, however, projects for the weekend are designed for ages four and up.)

Camp Northern Lights is the only camp with single-track mountain-biking trails, and weekend projects will focus on helping to make the trails for biking, hiking and skiing accessible all year long. There are projects geared for a variety of skills, so consider bringing the whole family (and your bike, if you’d like to give the trails a try).

Dan O’Brien, Executive Director at Camp Northern Lights says, “’Work’ doesn’t need to be unpleasant. Work Weekends are meant to be fun—they are an opportunity to help camp be ready, and to celebrate nature and community as a family.”

Ongoing nature-based experiences

YMCA camps offer nature-based experiences for all ages. At camp, you spend most of your time outside connecting with the Earth. You learn to leave “no trace” on trails. You learn about the Y’s core values including respect and caring—and how these can apply to the environment around us. And so much more!

If you’re unable to attend an Earth Day celebratory event this year, contact your desired camp to schedule a visit for another time, or learn more about programming throughout the year.