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TELL A TEACHER
Due to popular demand, we have expanded our ROSS program by adding six weeks in the Fall. The students will learn how to be a part of a community—as well as facts of nature—which can set a great tone for the rest of the school year. (Click here for more.)
“Is that the Ocean?”
As we were nearing the parking area for exploring tidepools, I was taken aback by this seemingly obvious question from an inner city kid attending ROSS. Omigosh, I thought. Can he be serious, or is he just putting me on? I decided I’d better play it straight, and simply answered, “Yes, it is.” He nodded thoughtfully, staring raptly at the big blue sea, trying to take it all in at once. Then he looked at me, and shocked me even more: “Which ocean is it?” he asked shyly. I was blown away by both his lack of knowledge and the eagerness to learn I found in his eyes. “This is the Pacific Ocean. Pacific means ‘peaceful’,” I told him. He turned to gape at it in wonder.
The ROSS program is found only at the Woodlands and teaches hundreds of kids every year. But the program goes beyond facts and figures to include a sense of community and trust, leading to poignant moments like this. Who knows what information can change a life for the better?
—Jeanne Coleman
Environmental Education Director
Naturalists share the amazing things you can find at the beach.
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UPDATE—Feb. 1, 2007
Thanks to the tremendous efforts of everyone involved—especially the Friends of the Woodlands—the Camp One dance floor is in the middle of being replaced “as we speak”. The roof is on already, and thanks to you, we are moving right along in the process of preserving the Woodlands. We hope we can count on your ongoing support. Next up: restoration of the Camp One Dining Hall and crumbling cabins in Camp Two.
In case you missed it, here is our original story sent out last Fall, outlining all this in more detail:
Many of you have been coming to the Woodlands for a long time, bringing your children and your children’s children. And we’ve seen the obvious enjoyment expressed by (relative) newcomers for this beautiful camp. You all clearly have a special place in your hearts for the Woodlands. But you have also witnessed its deterioration from use by thousands of campers for more than 70 years. This deterioration threatens the very existence of this camp, which is the only 1930’s camp remaining that is still used for its original purposes of recreation and nature education in its original facilities. However, the Mendocino Woodlands Camp Association is dedicated to preserving this extraordinary campground and restoring it to its historic glory for the enjoyment and safety of campers. We are committed to realizing this goal by the year 2017. The plans have been drawn up, but we need your help.
Friends Indeed
As you may know, State Parks’ budget has been slashed and so they can be of little help financially. But we are very fortunate to have lots of Friends of the Woodlands (FOW), who give generously of their time and money to help us achieve this goal of preserving the Woodlands, and we are very grateful for them. Because of their donations, this winter we can accomplish FOW’s first big project—restoring the dance floor in Camp One.
You may ask: “Why is the Camp One dance floor such a high priority?” “Shouldn’t all the cabins be fixed first?” “Why should I care about Camp One when I always use Camp Two?” Because of the tremendous attraction of having “one of the best dance floors on the west coast”, we are able to accommodate many dance-related camps. The revenue from these camps amounts to a whopping 61% of our income! This percentage makes the dance hall in Camp One the cornerstone of our entire operation. Without the dance hall, dance camps would go elsewhere. Then we could not maintain the park and it would have to close. But you—our Friends of the Woodlands—have prevented this from happening! Replacement of the dance floor to its original, historic condition will take place this winter.
Some Help from the Government
All of our hard work and effort in persuading Senator Wes Chesbro that the Mendocino Woodlands State Park is a worthy cause that needs his help is finally paying off. He went to bat for us on this year’s State budget and saw to it that we receive our fair share of the bond money that State Parks is getting for deferred maintenance. From this fund, a new roof will be put on the dance hall. This is a crucial step in our restoration of the dance floor—we won’t have standing puddles of water on the floor again this winter. We will start replacing the floor as soon as the roof is done.
In addition, State Parks has committed to working with us on the restoration of the dance hall floor. We will be applying the $50,000 that we have raised for this project to cover the contractor’s cost of removing and repairing the support structure under the floor and laying new vertical-grain clear Douglas Fir flooring so that it’s ready for finishing. State Parks will help by purchasing all the materials needed for this project, thereby making up the remainder of approximately $30,000.
Dance Hall Restoration Process
Mike Cabaniss, the State Park’s historic preservationist, will oversee the removal and re-installation of the historic benches that line the hall, ensuring that they suffer no harm in the process. Then our onsite staff—with the help of any volunteers—will start the removal of the old floor. (Note: We will be recycling all usable wood for other restoration projects, such as the cabins.) This all begins after our last camping group leaves after Thanksgiving.
The Next Project and How You Can Help Save the Woodlands
Now that the dance floor project is rolling, it’s not too soon to start preparing for the next big project: the restoration of the Camp One Dining Hall and crumbling cabins in Camp Two. Please think of saving the Woodlands as this year draws to a close and you are making your year-end contributions. MWCA is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, so all contributions made to both the Mendocino Woodlands Camp Association and Friends of the Woodlands are fully deductible. We are off to a great start—let’s keep the ball rolling by giving generously.
You can donate online using your credit card via a secure link to PayPal. There, you can designate which fund if you wish.
Or, you can send a check payable to Friends of the Woodlands.
Send to: P.O. Box 267, Mendocino, CA 95460
Keeping You Informed
We hope you find our new electronic newsletter interesting and informative. We plan to keep you updated on the Woodlands as events transpire. If you would like to be on our e-mailing list as a Friend of the Woodlands, click here to subscribe. Rest assured we will not share your information with anyone else. Please note that this edition came to you via your camp’s director.
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