The Gift of Lizard Time
When most people think of summer camp, they imagine bunk beds, capture the flag, and campfire songs. At Chewonki, those traditions thrive—but there’s also something simpler, quieter, and equally cherished: lizard time.
An Ode to Farm Chores
At Chewonki, we start our day with morning chores. Everyone is assigned to a specific area on campus and we all do our part to help keep communal spaces clean and functioning. But one cabin’s morning looks a little bit different. For two weeks every semester, each cabin does farm chores, which involves waking up …
Maple Tappin’ on Chewonki Neck
Warm days and cold nights have triggered the sap flow in the maple trees on Chewonki Neck and semester students are setting taps and hanging buckets to collect this magical, sticky stuff. Then we boil it down to produce what James Kary, our science teacher and sugar-master, describes with tongue-in-cheek as “small-batch, artisanal maple syrup.” The …
This Was the Place for Me
When I got out of the car after six hours of driving from northern New Jersey to Maine on a rainy and droopy Wednesday morning, I immediately felt a flush of apprehension and fear surge through my body. I was still coping with the idea of moving away from my parents, friends, and school for …
Witnessing a Lamb’s First Breath
Many of the great things that Chewonki has to offer stem from its outstanding farm and food systems. Although many of these things normally relate to food production, there are some experiences that one can get that will have an impact for the rest of our lives. Every night, there is a volunteer chore called barn …
Intimate Encounters with Life at Salt Marsh Farm
Charlie Lowell, an alumna of Maine Coast Semester 58, worked as a summer farm assistant at Chewonki this past season. She wrote this essay about her experience. Charlie attends Andover High School in Andover, Massachusetts. Most days, I wake up before the sun rises. I roll gently from bed into dirty Carhartts and boots covered …
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Fake It ‘Til You Make It – Camp Staff Alumnus Rolls Up Sleeves
The first thing most people notice about a house is the surface. And after diving into his own house building project to keep busy during the pandemic, it’s safe to say that alumni Angus Fake (Boys Camp ‘17,’18) will never look at a building so superficially again. After the Covid-19 pandemic upended his senior year …
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10 Big Takeaways from our Annual Survey
The results are in! Thanks to everyone who took the time to complete our Annual Alumni & Friends survey. We sent 5,000+ survey invites and received a 10% response rate, which is quite good. Without further ado, here’s what we heard: 1. We Like Being in the Loop! 77% of respondents stay connected to Chewonki …
Our Favorite Books of 2020
We recently asked Chewonki faculty and staff to share their favorite books from the past year. Here’s our collective recommended reading list for 2020: Winter Solstice Author: Rosamunde Pilcher Suggested by: Sue Andersen Registered Nurse Why I love this book: “It’s inter-generational and it’s in Scotland at Christmas.“ Where to Buy Where the Crawdads Sing …
Cheers to the Chef – A Tribute to Bill Edgerton
Bill Edgerton and I have similar musical tastes. I always looked forward to stopping by the kitchen to see what was on the day’s playlist. Many days it was the Grateful Dead or perhaps The Band. As the Kitchen Manager Bill is a man of many talents. In one minute he can be in an …
