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.

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.

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.

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.

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 NWS 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.

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 beginning on April 15th. The form will remain open until April 30th, and we will inform families of whether their child is registered in the camp or on the waitlist by May 5th. After you’ve been notified, families will have 1 week to confirm their child's registration. If we have not heard from you within that week, we will release your child's spot to the next child on the waitlist.

We offer three levels of payment for families:

• Full Price: $375. This is the average per-child cost of running the camp.

• Outdoor Education Champion: $500. This additional support will go towards camp scholarships, making our camp programs more sustainable and equitable.

• Scholarship: $185. We do not want price to be a barrier for any family, and will consider requests for more support than the 50% discount on a case-by-case basis. If financial support would be helpful for your family, please email Jenna 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 Jenna)

Cancellations requested by May 31st (Bike Adventure Camp) June 30th (Nature Skills Camp and Food) or July 31st (for the Farms, and Fun Camp) will be refunded minus a $15 processing fee.

• Cancellations requested on or after June 1 (for the Bike Adventure Camp), July 1 (for the Nature Skills Camp) and 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.