Environmental Education Campgrounds
Common Grove is working with the non-profit Common Grove Foundation and two other 501(c)3 organizations - the Red Tail Land Conservancy and the Zeemering Foundation - to develop and manage environmental camps for kids of all ages - set in different regions of the country. In addition to the variety of outdoor recreational experiences offered by different types of terrain and bodies of water, each regional camp will feature assorted nature and educational experiences including camping, fishing, mountain climbing, horseback riding, canoeing, sailing or many other unique experiences such as white water rafting and tubing.
Common Grove’s first Environmental Camp in association with the Red Tail Land Conservancy is the 400-acre Ronora Lodge & Retreat located on Lake Sherwood in western Michigan - 6 miles from Lake Michigan.
A second lakefront camp in Oakland County, MI will open in June 2008.
Hands-on educational experiences will include growing organic fruit and vegetables or biofuel crops, and learning how they help solve our environmental problems; learning about solar panels, windmills and other alternative energy technologies by helping to install, maintain or run them; cooking, preparing and enjoying practical, healthy and environmentally friendly meals; animal care; tree planting; birding, and more.
As the number of regional camps grow, each camp will have a certified nature-training program and curriculum based tie-ins for teachers. All campers will go through a hands-on, in depth version of Earthseed’s Spaceship Earth program, which has advanced programs for campers participating for their 2nd or 3rd years.
Common Grove will be working with several non-profit partners and sponsors to develop these campground programs and to plan the other future regional camps.