Updated January 26, 2024

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Camp Registration

All registrations must be completed online via our Ultra Camp system. Please read our registration tips and contact Woodcock offices if you have any questions or are experiencing difficulties. Each session is oriented toward a specific grade level. In order to attend Fledglings (PreK/K), campers must be 4 years old by the start of each camp week or their registration may be dismissed. Camp grades correspond to the grade your child will be entering in the Fall. Registration is for the whole week, Monday-Friday (except for pro-rated holiday weeks as noted). No pro-rated or partial payments are accepted without prior arrangement. Woodcock reserves the right to cancel under-enrolled sessions. All fees will be refunded in this case. A minimum of 6 campers is needed to run a session.

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Please register carefully. Woodcock does not issue refunds. Read the camp refund policies here.

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Group Sizes & Attending with Friends

Camp groups will be limited to 4-5 groups of 12 campers with 2 dedicated counselors per group (46 campers total per week). Each group will have its own outdoor home base. Indoor time will be limited to animal lessons, specialty crafts, bathroom use and emergencies. 

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If you wish to have your child in a group with a friend, you may send a request to wnc@woodcocknaturecenter.org. Please email us well in advance of your camp week. Every effort is made to accommodate requests however, they cannot be guaranteed.

 

Drop Off & Pick Up

We do not offer before or aftercare for campers. We cannot accept early drop-offs or late pick-ups. Use caution when driving in for drop off and pick up each day; be mindful of your speed, watch for children and staff in the driveway and be aware of crossing traffic. Wilton is a no-idling town! Whenever possible during drop off/pick up, please do not leave your vehicle idling.

 

*Please note: Parents must provide, in advance, the names of approved adults designated to retrieve their child(ren) by emailing us.* 

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Drop-off   

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• Drop-off is between 9:15-9:30 am. Camp begins at 9:30 am.

• All Campers drop off via the Main Entrance (56 Deer Run Road). When you arrive on-site please proceed down the driveway and pull in line. There will be two drop-off and pick-up locations. There will be an email sent in the days leading up to camp letting you know which color group your child will be in. This will determine the drop-off and pick-up locations for your camper. Staff will be available in the driveway to help direct you. Please follow their directions. If you have more than one camper in different groups you may have to drop each child at their separate designated tents. Group color and locations may change week to week. 

• Please plan to be on time as that helps us to get our camp day started in a timely fashion.

• Parents and siblings must remain in the car at all times (except to assist young campers with seat belts). Staff will approach your vehicle at which time your child may exit the vehicle and will be directed to their “home base” tent. 

• Apply sunscreen and insect repellant before arriving to camp. Do not exit your vehicle in the drop-off line to apply.

• If your child requires medication at camp, we will be accepting them on the first day, inspecting them for proper packing and expiration dates, and they will be kept at camp for the week and returned at Friday drop-off. Children will not be admitted to camp without their prescribed medication or if their medication is expired. Read more about the required forms here.

• We ask that all caregivers plan to stay within a 30-mile radius of camp in case an emergency pickup is necessary.

 

Pick-up  

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• Pick-up is between 2:45-3:00 pm. The camp day ends at 3 pm for all groups.

• Pick-up for each group will be at the same spot as their designated drop-off point.

• When you arrive on-site please proceed down the driveway and pull up to the designated pick-up point for your child's group. There will be staff in the driveway directing traffic, please follow their directions.    

• Parents and siblings must remain in the car at all times (except to assist young campers with seat belts). 

• If you need to make a change to your child’s typical pick-up schedule please email or call the office at (203) 762-7280 with information on any adult retrieving your child.

• If you wish/need to speak at length with camp staff, you  will be directed to a parking spot and Senior Staff will come speak with you. You may also reach our Camp Director Sarah Breznen during camp hours at (203) 762-7280 or via email.​

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Medication

Any camper requiring medication at camp (for allergies and asthma or other conditions) must indicate this on medical forms. Medications will be accepted on the first day of camp, inspected for proper packaging and expiration dates, and will be kept at camp for the week and returned at Friday drop-off. Children will not be admitted to camp without their prescribed medication or if their medication is expired. This is a state requirement. Read more about the required forms here.

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Health Forms

All camp paperwork must be received by Woodcock no later than noon of the Wednesday prior to the start of your camp week. No exceptions. Additional forms are required for campers with special care needs including allergies and asthma or other conditions requiring medication at camp, physical, developmental, sensory, behavioral or emotional conditions. According to Connecticut State law, campers may not attend camp without all necessary completed health forms. No paperwork can be accepted at pick-up or drop-off. Read more about the required forms here.

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Campers with Special Needs

We welcome campers with special needs. If your child receives one-on-one paraprofessional support during the school year, we recommend you provide additional support at camp (credentials and background check required). We require that families and their campers email camp director Sarah Breznen at least two weeks prior to the session start date to discuss fit and needs.   

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Behavior & Expectations

Good behavior is expected at camp. We reserve the right to remove any camper whose behavior may pose a danger to the health or safety of others. Setting expectations with your camper can make a big difference. Woodcock has a zero-tolerance policy for hitting and biting. Campers who strike or bite other campers or counselors will be sent home and may not be allowed back, depending on severity.

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Campers must be fully potty trained and able to use the bathroom independently in order to attend camp. Woodcock staff is not authorized to change diapers for insurance reasons.

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Woodcock reserves the right to limit and/or restrict participation, in the event that participation in camp is deemed unsafe/unsuitable for a child by Woodcock staff, either for the safety/experience of the child or for the safety/experience of the staff/other campers.

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Lunch & Snack

We are a nut-free camp. Please send your child with nut-free food items that they can open and eat independently. Campers cannot share food. The State requires all lunch boxes to be kept in cold storage. Please include an icepack in your child's lunch. Each group’s lunch boxes will be kept in a separate cooler. We request that families clean and wash lunchboxes (inside and out) daily. Pack a lunch with the environment in mind with these Lunch Packing Tips from our friends at Wilton Go Green. 

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What to Bring to Camp

Wondering what to send with your camper? Please read our Happy Camper Checklist!

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Access to Camp

Our administrative offices, nature center, and playground are closed to the public during camp hours.

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Weather & Indoor Time

As always, we’ll be outside as much as possible. Time inside our buildings will be limited to meeting animals, specialty crafts, bathroom and emergency use. We will spend time in our Home Base tents for certain activities such as opening/closing meetings, crafts, games, and during snack, lunch and light rain. We are more likely to cancel a day of camp if the weather could force us to shelter for long periods of time or if there are high heat or air quality index levels. There will be no refunds for camp days canceled due to weather concerns. We will not be able to make up any camp days lost due to the weather. Read our policies here.

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Sunblock and Bug Spray

Bug sprays and sunscreen must be applied at home and not during drop-off. You may send your camper with their own bug spray and sunblock but they must be able to apply them independently and responsibly.

 

Ticks, Mosquitos, and Poison Ivy

Please click here for State of Connecticut and Woodcock specific information regarding ticks, mosquitoes and poison ivy at camp.

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Camp Cleanliness

High-touch surfaces and bathrooms will be disinfected throughout the day. Outdoor handwashing stations will also be available. Dedicated handwashing breaks will be scheduled throughout the day. 

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Personal Hygiene

Campers are encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer to camp daily. Hand-washing is always a regular part of the camp day. Counselors will require campers to wash before and after sneezing or coughing, snack and lunch, after using the restroom, before and after touching animals, and throughout the day as necessary. 

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Illness at Camp

Our top priority is camper health and safety. All campers must be healthy enough to participate in camp. For campers experiencing any illness, they must be fever and symptom free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications and healthy enough to participate in all camp activities before coming to camp. For any camper exposed to COVID-19 or testing positive for COVID-19 please follow CDC guidance on when a camper can participate in camp and notify the camp director immediately. Should a camper or staff become ill with COVID-19 we will notify the CTDPH per State Camp License guidelines. We reserve the right to send your camper home if there are any concerns related to COVID-19 or other contagious diseases. A designated indoor area will be reserved for any camper exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 or other illness during the camp day while they await emergent pickup. We ask that all caregivers plan to stay within a 30-mile radius of camp in case an emergency pickup is necessary.

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Scholarships

Nature is for everyone! Please visit our Scholarship page here if you wish to request financial assistance. Please reach out even if camp weeks are listed as full as schedules may change throughout the summer.

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Communications

We will keep in close contact with all registered families regarding any camp-related developments. You will be notified of early closings, delayed openings, or camp emergencies via email and text. These communications will be sent to the primary contact you designated in your account upon registrations. If you'd like to opt out of the text messaging feature or add/update a phone number, log into your account here. Click on the Primary Contact, select Edit My Bio Info, then add/edit phone numbers as needed. You are automatically opted in unless you check "Opt of out SMS Messages". 

 

Contact Us

Our office can be reached Monday-Friday during camp hours at 203-762-7280 or at wnc@woodcocknaturecenter.org.

Our Advisors

Camp Doctor: Meredith Renda, MD (Doctors' Pediatric)

Medical Advisor & Board Member: Jaimie Meyer, MD, MS, FACP (Infectious Disease Specialist, Yale Medicine)

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All protocols, procedures and policies are subject to change.

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