KEENs Pond to Pines
Outdoor Adventure Camps 2022!
KEEN is excited to announce our 2022 Pond to Pines summer schedule!
Each camp and activity is carefully constructed to provide the ultimate nature-based learning environment while providing a FUN hands-on experience! KEEN’s Summer Camps are 100% outdoor immersion and take place at the Yakima Canyon Interpretive Center @ Helen McCabe Park or at various locations throughout the region (for older campers).
Our primitive facilities provide for amazing nature-based experiences and true outdoor nature exploration. During our summer camp children learn through inquisitive and creative activities utilizing science, math, critical-thinking skills, and a great deal of imagination! Plus we have a ton of fun!
Pond to Pines camps are organized by grade levels and run from June 20 through July 29. Camps are available for Pre-K all the way through 10th grade.
All recommended COVID precautions will be followed at the time of camp, which may include proof of vaccination (for those eligible), masks in group or close activities, or social distancing.
FEES: Each camp is priced based on age of camper, additional travel, activity fees, or gear prices. Scholarships are available for students of color, foster families, migrant families, English learners, students experiencing homelessness, and students from low-income families.
Fees increase after April 1, 2022. Register early!
Cancellation Policy:
Because we are a non-profit entity, we cannot issue refunds after April 1, 2022. We have to hire staff and train them based on numbers of registered campers. Thank you for understanding.
Camp Descriptions and Dates!
WEEK ONE June 20-24, 2022
TRAIL TOTS
Entering Grades: PreK-K
Location: ELLENSBURG
Rate: BEFORE APRIL 1 $175 AFTER APRIL 1 $200 Time: 9am-12pm
Description – Tiny feet love to wander nature in search of hidden worlds. Our preschool week is filled with stories, nature walks, puppet shows, games, and full-sensory immersion in the natural world. Trail Tots is run by Washington Outdoor School staff.
WEEK TWO June 27-July 1, 2022
ECO ARTISTS
Entering Grades: K-5
Location: YCIC @ Helen McCabe Park
Rate: BEFORE APRIL 1 $300 AFTER APRIL 1 $350 Time: 9am-3pm
Description – Combine your love of art and the outdoors! Discover the sights and sounds of nature and use them as inspiration for eco-friendly art projects! You'll make music outdoors and explore various art mediums such as painting, sketching, and clay. Fill your days at camp with traditional activities, like hiking, swimming, and boating.
WEEK TWO June 27-July 1, 2022
CASCADE TRIPPERS
Entering Grades: 6-8
Location: Around the PNW!
Rate: BEFORE APRIL 1 $700 AFTER APRIL 1 $750 Time: Various
Description – Let’s get out of town! You'll spend each day exploring a new adventure in the Cascade Mountains. Test your vertical skills on a wall of rock, explore a lake on a paddle board, discover the forest on horseback, visit a Bavarian village, cruise through whitewater on a raft, and hike to a backcountry waterfall.
WEEK THREE July 5-8, 2022
PREDATOR PROWL
Entering Grades: K-2
Location: YCIC @ Helen McCabe Park
Rate: BEFORE APRIL 1 $250 AFTER APRIL 1 $300 Time: 9am-3pm
Description – Lions, coyotes, and bears OH MY! Experience the thrill of the hunt as we explore our PNW predators and what adaptations these animals have to help them survive. Learn about predator-prey relationships and how to be safe in a carnivore’s territory. Find out what it’s like to be at the top of the food chain!
WEEK THREE - July 5-8, 2022
ECO AVENGERS
Entering Grades: 3-5
Location: YCIC @ Helen McCabe Park
Rate: BEFORE APRIL 1 $300 AFTER APRIL 1 $350 Time: 9am-3pm
Description – Put on your capes and spend the week becoming Earth's greatest defenders! Explore the shrub steppe ecosystem of Helen McCabe State Park and discover the different animals that live there. Learn about the seven Leave No Trace principles, how to recycle and compost waste, and even create artistic masterpieces from upcycled materials. Spend lots of time participating in traditional camp activities, like games, boating, and swimming.
WEEK THREE July 5-8, 2022
PATHFINDERS
Entering Grades: 6-8
Location: YCIC @ Helen McCabe & TBD
Rate: BEFORE APRIL 1 $450 AFTER APRIL 1 $500 Time: 9am-3pm/Overnight
Description – First time backpacking? No problem! Learn the basics of packing, Leave No Trace principles, the 10 Essentials, backcountry cooking, and wilderness first aid. Take your new skills on a one-night backpacking trip to an alpine lake. *Prerequisite: Campers must be in good physical condition and have broken-in hiking shoes/boots, but no prior backpacking experience is required. Bring your own gear or borrow some of ours.
WEEK FOUR July 11-15, 2022
WAGONS WEST
Entering Grades: K-5
Location: YCIC @ Helen McCabe Park
Rate: BEFORE APRIL 1 $300 AFTER APRIL 1$350 Time: 9am-3pm
Description – Spend the week exploring Helen McCabe State Park as the pioneers may have. Learn how to pack the essentials for a long journey and participate in a live action Oregon Trail game. Write letters home on handmade paper and eat fireside goodies smeared with homemade butter! Create your own rag doll, play pioneer games, and learn about our Indigenous neighbors though oral storytelling, just like Laura did!
WEEK 4 July 11-15, 2022
WILDERNESS WANDERERS
Entering Grades: 8-10
Location: IN THE WILDERNESS!
Rate: BEFORE APRIL 1 $800 AFTER APRIL 1 $850 Time: 9am-3pm/Overnight
Description – If you love to hike and want a challenge, then grab your backpack! We'll start the week learning about gear, food, 10 Essentials, navigation, and wilderness first aid. Then we'll head into the wilderness to test our skills on a four-day backpacking adventure. Are you up for the challenge?
*Prerequisite: Campers must be in good physical condition and have broken-in hiking shoes/boots, but prior backpacking experience is not required. Bring your own gear or borrow some of ours.
WEEK FIVE JULY 18-22, 2022
ULTIMATE SURVIVOR
Entering Grades: 3-5
Location: YCIC @ Helen McCabe Park
Rate: BEFORE APRIL 1 $350 AFTER APRIL 1 $400
Time: 9am-3pm/Overnight
Description – Think you have what it takes to survive in the wild? Learn to identify local edible plants and treat water, build an emergency shelter, learn to light a fire, and navigate with the stars. From Leave No Trace to first aid, learn all the essentials skills to survive in the wilderness… and BEYOND! Test your skills on our Thursday night campout at Helen McCabe State Park!
WEEK FIVE July 18-22, 2022
GRYLLS & SKILLS
Entering Grades: 5-6
Location: YCIC @ Helen McCabe Park
Rate: BEFORE APRIL 1 $350 AFTER APRIL 1 $400 Time: 9am-3pm/Overnight
Description – Do you have what it takes to survive in the wilderness like Bear Grylls? Have you had lots of outdoor experiences and looking for a new challenge? Spend the week learning wilderness first aid, how to use a map and compass, make clean drinking water, and build an emergency shelter. Learn how to track animals, identify edible plants, and basic water rescue. Test your new skills on an overnight out of camp!
WEEK SIX July 25-29, 2022
WET & WILD
Entering Grades: K-5
Location: YCIC @ Helen McCabe Park
Rate: BEFORE APRIL 1 $350 AFTER APRIL 1 $400 Time: 9am-3pm
Description – Water is LIFE! Spend the week soaking in every aquatic opportunity at camp. Learn about watersheds and riparian habitats, test water quality and investigate all the critters that live in the pond. Spend the heat of the summer days paddling around, fishing the depths, and learning water rescue techniques. And swimming, of course!
WEEK SIX - JULY 25-31, 2022
CASCADE QUEST
Entering Grades: 8-10
Location: North Cascades NP/Helen McCabe
Rate: BEFORE APRIL 1 $1250 AFTER APRIL 1 $1500
Dates: July 25-31
Description – Spend your first day in camp learning how to maneuver and swamp a canoe, then get ready for an incredible adventure. You'll spend five days paddling on the beautiful Ross Lake, taking in the scenic waterways, learning about glaciers and the wildlife native to the area. *This camp is seven days and includes the following weekend, DATES: July 25-31. *Prerequisite: Campers must be in good physical condition and have broken-in hiking shoes/boots, but no prior canoeing/backpacking experience is required. Bring your own gear or borrow some of ours.
COUNSELOR IN TRAINING
Entering Grades: 9+
Location: Ellensburg/Helen McCabe
Rate: $200
Dates: April/May/Summer Sessions
Description – Are you passionate about learning and love spending time outside? Become a CIT with KEEN and get experience doing just that during our Pond to Pines Summer Day Camp! Learn about leadership, safety, risk management, childcare, and all that it takes to be a camp counselor. Camp Director, Carlyn, will host two training weekends in the spring to prepare you for a fun and exciting summer. Over the weekend we will focus on leadership skills, team building, and how to be a great counselor. After successful completion, the CIT will participate in a summer internship where you will use your skills to lead activities with younger children. CITs must demonstrate maturity, commitment, leadership potential, and work well with others to create a positive attitude. *Prerequisite: Applicants must complete an entrance screening application.
