Summer Camp Policies and Information
South Hero Land Trust’s camps are geared towards cultivating children’s connection with the land, celebrating the beauty of nature, appreciating local food and farms, and building lifelong skills. Here are some policies and information to help you and your child know what to expect.
2025 “Food, Farms, and Fun” campers, working on their nature journals on the Rec Park Boardwalk
Policies and Paperwork
Liability Waiver: Before starting camp, parents/guardians of campers must read the Summer Camp Accident Waiver and Release of Liability document and sign that they agree to its terms. You may do this online (scroll to the bottom of the SHLT Forms and Policies page), or you may print the downloadable form and send it to SHLT via email or snail mail.
Photo Permission Waiver: SHLT often takes photos of our summer camps. We also want to respect your child’s or family’s privacy. Before starting camp, parents/guardians must tell us if and how you would like us to use photos of your children. You may do this online (form available at the top of the SHLT Forms and Policies page) or you may print the downloadable form and send it to SHLT via email or snail mail.
Staff Experience
Our summer camps are run by SHLT staff, trained interns, and parent volunteers. The camps are overseen by SHLT’s Programs Coordinator, Nora Seymour, who has her Masters’ Degree in Environmental Education and over a decade of experience running nature-based educational programs.
Bios of the SHLT team who’ll be working with campers are sent out in advance of each camp.
2024 “Pedal Power” campers and SHLT interns Naomi and Parker, taking a break on the Causeway
2025 “Nature Skills” campers, showing off their rafts for sailing across the Rec Park pond
Communication
Clear and consistent communication (both before and during camp) will ensure a fun, safe, and successful camp experience for all.
Before camp starts, please let us know if there’s anything we should know about your child’s physical, emotional, and mental health. We ask you fill out this information in the Camp Registration paperwork, but we also welcome a private conversation if you’d prefer.
Accessibility, Equity, and Disclosure
SHLT’s summer camps are guided by a goal of creating safe, welcoming, and inclusive spaces for all people on the land and in our community. (Check out our Core Values page for more information). We are happy to work with you and your child to make a plan that will ensure a safe and fun experience for them and all campers.
Open communication (both before and during camp) is critical to supporting your child. Please let us know all necessary information about your child’s health that will help us best support them. This information will be confidential, and only shared with camp staff.
We will have access to a port-a-potty at the Folsom parking lot. We will also have access to the ADA-accessible bathrooms inside Folsom School.
2023 “Farmers and Foragers” Camp, playing with phragmites at the Rec Park
Medical and Emergency Response
Nora Seymour is CPR-certified, and all staff and interns have passed criminal background checks. All staff and interns carry a walkie-talkie, first aid kit, and cell phone in case of an emergency.
While rare, we may need to reach you during the camp day. Please be sure to list at least two contacts on the Camp Registration form (yourself and another trusted adult) who will be available by phone during the day.
SHLT’s safety and behavioral expectations are discussed and agreed upon by all campers at the beginning of camp, along with daily reminders. If a child has repeatedly acted in a way that is unsafe to themselves and/or other children, we may ask them to leave.
Safety
South Hero Land Trust asks you to help support your child by communicating and upholding the following safety expectations and practices:
Children must wait to be invited or asked before they can harvest and/or taste any plants, including in the Folsom Learning Garden.
Children must stay with their group or a staff member at all times.
Everyone practices safety around roads, cars, and farm vehicles.
Running with sticks or rocks, or using them as weapons, is not allowed.
Learning how to draw wildlife from a local artist
Camps will be held rain or shine, with the following exceptions:
Air Quality: Wildfire smoke and other air pollution can create health hazards.
AQI Index 100-150: All staff, volunteers, and camp participants are required to wear masks when outside, and strongly encouraged to postpone activities if possible.
AQI index above 150: All staff, volunteers, and camp participants are required to halt all outdoor activities.
High Winds: Staff, volunteers, and camp participants are required to postpone activities if the National Weather Service issues a high wind warning for the area, AND/OR if SHLT staff determine that conditions outside are not safe.
Heat Index: If the heat index is forecast to reach 91 degrees or higher, camps will be moved inside before noon. If the heat index reaches 103 degrees, all outdoor activities must cease for the day.
Lightning and Thunder: If it takes less than 30 seconds to hear thunder after seeing the flash, lightning is near enough to pose a threat and all staff, volunteers, and camp participants must seek shelter indoors. Outdoor activities may resume when it has been at least 30 minutes from hearing the last thunder.
Behavioral Expectations
All staff, volunteers, and children are expected to treat each other safely and respectfully.
SHLT’s safety and behavioral expectations are discussed and agreed upon by all campers at the beginning of camp, along with daily reminders. We will make our best attempt to work with a child and their family if they are having trouble following these expectations. If a child has repeatedly acted in a way that is unsafe to themselves and/or other children, we may ask them to leave.
Some behaviors are never allowed, including:
abusive behavior (including fighting or bullying)
inappropriate behavior (including cursing or talking about sexual or violent content)
invasion of privacy
discriminatory behavior
Illness
If your child is sick, we ask that you keep them home until they have not experienced any of the following symptoms for at least 24 hours: fever (without the use of fever-reducing medications, such as Tylenol), vomiting, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, rash, or lice.
We understand that having a child home unexpectedly may be inconvenient, but we ask you follow these guidelines out of respect for the other children and their families. SHLT staff reserve the right to send a child home if they are not well enough to participate in activities or display symptoms that we find concerning.
2025 “Food, Farms, and Fun” campers, showing off freshly harvested local peaches
Campers in 2024, taking a break at the Rec Park
Packing List
We recommend you provide the following in order to make the camp experience safe and enjoyable for all. Please:
send in sunscreen and insect repellent.
apply sunscreen on your child each morning before camp. Children will be reminded to reapply sunscreen after lunch.
send your child with a full, refillable, water bottle. SHLT staff will provide water throughout the day.
send a packed lunch. (SHLT will provide refrigerated coolers for lunches) SHLT will provide morning and afternoon snacks.
make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather. This includes:
a hat
closed toe shoes
rain gear if rain is expected
change of clothes. (We often get dirty!)
Registration, Payment, and Financial Support
Registration is based on a lottery-system, with preference given to Grand Isle County families. Families may enter the lottery for each camp through February 15th. We will inform families of whether their child is being offered a space in the camp or on the wait list by February 23rd. Families have until March 8th to confirm their child’s registration and pay a deposit. If we have not heard from you by March 8th, we will release your child's spot to the next child on the wait list.
We offer three levels of payment for families:
Full-Price: $375 This is the average per-child full cost of running a camp, including materials, snacks, and time for SHLT staff and trained interns.
Outdoor Education Champion: $376+ Any additional support will go towards camp scholarships, making our camp programs sustainable and equitable. This additional payment is considered a donation and is tax-deductible.
Scholarship: $185 (50% discount) We can also offer payment plans to break payments into installments, and will consider greater support requests on a case-by-case basis. If you would like some financial support to send your child to camp, email Jenna O’Donnell at jenna@shlt.org
Deposits, Cancellations and Refund Policy
Families are asked to put down a $50 deposit when they confirm their child’s spot in camp. (Families receiving a scholarship will arrange this with SHLT’s Director of Engagement, Jenna O’Donnell)
We understand that plans can change, so please let us know as soon as possible if your child is unable to attend the camp they’re registered for so we can offer that space to a family on the wait list.
Cancellations requested by May 31st (for the Water Cycle Champions Camp), June 30th (Nature Explorers Camp), or July 31st (for the Food, Farms, and Fun Camp) will be refunded minus a $15 processing fee.
Cancellations requested on or after June 1 (for the Water Cycle Champions Camp), July 1 (for the Nature Explorers Camp), or August 1 (for the Food, Farms, and Fun Camp) are non-refundable. Exceptions may be granted in cases of emergency.
If your child misses one or more days of camp, for any reason, we cannot provide partial refunds.
In the event that SHLT needs to cancel a camp as a result of unforeseen circumstances, a full refund will be issued.