MAINE CAMPS – THE BEST PLACE ON EARTH!

Earth Day: It comes every April, and brings thoughts and activities related to nature, taking care of our planet, and appreciating all that the beautiful outdoors has to offer.

Summer Camp in Maine: It comes every June and July, and brings thoughts and activities related to nature, taking care of our planet, and appreciating all that the beautiful outdoors has to offer.

While it may seem odd at first to compare Earth Day to summer camp, upon further reflection it makes perfect sense. All year long, Maine campers are busy in their cities and suburbs with academic studies and extracurricular activities and often don’t have the time or the resources to take a minute to appreciate our amazing planet. Earth Day is the largest secular observance in the world, and encourages everyone to pause, breathe and take action to help heal our planet. Maine and its summer camps, with over 2,500 of the most beautiful lakes one can find, millions of trees and so much clean fresh air, are the perfect places to spend weeks or months building on what Earth Day underscores to us all: enjoying, taking care of and protecting the environment.

So many of the activities at camp are rooted in using and caring for the natural resources at hand, even if there is modern equipment used at the same time. The waterfronts of Maine Camps are a prime example. Simply put, the Maine lakes are spectacular and Maine campers are lucky enough to have them, often literally, at their doorstep. From waterskiing and wakeboarding, to sailing and paddle-boarding, to canoeing and kayaking, and swimming and fishing — the opportunities are endless. They continue out of camp as well. Any day or overnight trip may include a sunny day at one of Maine’s picturesque white sandy beaches, rivers or streams. 3,400 miles of Maine coastline provides ample space for our campers to get their feet wet and gain a new understanding of water conservation.

However, there’s more than just water on our Earth and in Maine. On any regular day at camp, our campers are on land also and can be found enjoying rock climbing, caring for horses and riding them, playing a multitude of sports on any number of fields, or simply spending time with friends under a stately and shady tree. Cooking classes may focus on sourcing local ingredients (Maine blueberries being a particular favorite!) and help educate campers about the concept of farm-to-table dining - an environmental win for sure. Many Maine camps operate with some amount of solar energy, limit the use of paper goods, and use recycled products, in addition to often composting and recycling their own waste.

Such experiences are often a change from how our campers live their lives at home and provide them with a new perspective on the world around them. To build upon campers’ awakening to the land they live on each summer, many camps offer social action opportunities, and there are more than a few that relate to caring for our Earth and its inhabitants. Our Maine camps have long been actively involved with organizations that focus on a variety of areas: recycling and composting, local farms, water, land and park conservation, urban planning, soda can deposits, food pantries and animal shelters, just to name a few. For some campers, this may be their initial introduction to the world of nonprofits, which often inspires them to continue volunteering during the winter months. So for now, until our campers are back at home in Maine, let’s all take a deep breath on April 22, take a long look at the trees and scenery we have around us, and give thanks for the Earth that provides Maine summer camps for our campers.

Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

You can share your own Maine camps memories & expressions of gratitude on our Memories of Camp section of our website.

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child?  Try out our helpful tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks).  It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates.  Then you can research these camps in more depth.  

Next, be sure to  to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.