YOUTH SESSIONS
In 2021, we fell in love with the smaller-session model put into place to address the pandemic. In light of our changing times, we have placed our energy and intentions towards creating a sustainable summer program that can run safely with increased quality, meaningfulness, and depth of education. We have continued the model of small sessions (8-14 campers), as we have found this to be a magical number in the group experience: large enough to create community, but small and intimate to create safety, connection, and optimum learning!
We are doing our best to continue to provide high-quality and safe learning/growing environments at affordable rates. However, on an effort to remain transparent, please understand that these past few years have put a considerable amount of stress on our program. We believe in what we do! We believe in the importance of how we do it, and we will not let the challenge bring us down or compromise the quality of programming we provide to our community.
Refund Policy: Since it is impossible to plan and budget for programs so small with the possibility for last-minute dropouts of campers due to health reasons, we have had to instate a more strict refund policy in order to protect our investment in programming and the financial future of Buffalo Cove.
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If there is a camper cancellation prior to May 1st, we will refund 50% of the camper tuition.
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We will not be able to offer refunds for cancellations after May 1st.
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If Buffalo Cove has to cancel the session for unforeseen circumstances, we will offer a full refund.
We strongly encourage families to look into “trip insurance” if they would like to secure further refund possibilities.
Discounts:
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5% discount for any multi-session camper
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5% discount for any multi-camper family
Questions?? Let us know!
Session Details:
- June 11 - 16, 2023
- 6-day session
- 14-person limit
- Ages 12-17
- Tuition: $850
Wilderness Skills
Session 1
This session is designed for those who want to take their back country skills to the next level. In our Explorers Camps, we introduce the basics. Here, we will build upon those foundational skills, aim to become quite proficient in a broad spectrum of wilderness skills, and foster an excitement to use them in our lives outside of camp! There will be a mixture of woodland crafts, campcraft, land navigation, wildwood lore, and of course, a healthy dose of fire skills, bladecraft, and shelter making! Campers will have the opportunity to put their learning to the test in experiential scenarios!
This session is geared for those who desire to be able to adventure on this earth where the roads don’t go! We will remain in our Base Camp to solidify our learning andskills. Any adventures taken will be along the paths within our 200 acre valley! This session is a great stepping stone to our EARTH Camp and a training ground for those wishing to pursue our Level Advancements and/or the esteemed “Red Shirt!”
Session Details:
- June 29 - July 4, 2023
- 6-day session
- 14-person limit
- Ages 11-13
- Tuition: $850
Woods Runners
Session 2A
Woods Runners is back by popular demand! Have you been to Explorers Camp (or another similar experience), but aren’t quite sure you are ready for EARTH Camp or another of our more intense sessions? Then this is for you! This is an intermediate step for those “bridging” the gap.
We will increase our learning experiences, building upon the basics that were introduced to in Explorers Camp. There will be plenty of crafting, swimming in the pond, and learning new (and more advanced) woods skills! These subjects will include intermediate fire and knife use, wilderness survival, wildcrafting, nature awareness, and much more! We will incorporate an overnight adventure to introduce some trail-craft and backcountry basics.
Session Details:
- June 29 - July 4, 2023
- 6-day session
- 10-person limit
- Ages 12-17
- Tuition: $850
Bushcraft/Woodland Immersion Experience
Session 2B
Life in the leaves! Inspired by Walt Whitman’s words, "now I see the secret of the making of the best persons. It is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth.”
This session will begin, and end, in the forest – we will not be at our Base Camp facility. We will make our home with what we carry in on our backs. The goal is to just live simply in a basic camp in the woods, making accoutrements from the natural world, exploring our beautiful surroundings, fishing in the streams, breathing the fresh air! We will have adventures to find “cashed” supplies that will help keep us sustained, but we will have to work together as a team! Campers will solidify their backcountry cooking and fire skills by cooking their own meals over fire each day.
Session Details:
- July 8 - 13, 2023
- 6-day session
- 14-person limit
- Ages 8-11
- Tuition: $850
Explorers Camp
Session 3
During Explorers Camp, we build a foundation for a life of self-awareness, nature appreciation, and outdoor adventure. We focus on building community and the wonderful aspects of friendships and fun!
A solid skill set is introduced around the foundational earth skills: Fire, Fiber, and Flint (the use of sharp edges). We also dive into “earthy” arts and crafts, traditional archery, wood working, and lots more! This session will take place in our Buffalo Cove Base Camp.
Session Details:
- July 26 - Aug 3, 2023
- 9-day session
- 14-person limit
- Ages 13-17
- Tuition: $1,200
EARTH Camp
Session 4
This is our most advanced and demanding program. We will be taking all skills to the next appropriate level while in base camp and introducing new (and more complex) outdoor skills, concepts, and practices.
Campers should expect to be out “in the field” at least 4 (but probably more) of the 9 days during this session applying these skills. This might be a backpacking trip, canoeing trip, a wilderness survival scenario...or a variation/combination of all three!
Participants should come with some backcountry/wilderness experience under their belt. We certainly do not expect you to arrive as seasoned outdoors folk, but this is not a session for beginners! We will break our session into two teams for our outings based on interest area and experience level in hopes to accommodate a wide variety of campers.