Program Category Archives:

Summer camp registration is now open!

If the camp you want is full when you register, be sure to get on the waitlist—there’s no charge and no obligation! If a spot opens up, we’ll contact you and you’ll have 24 hours to let us know if you’d like to take it.

Ages: 7–10

Monday–Friday, August 18–22, 2025: 9:00 am–3:00 pm each day

Location: The Abode of the Message, New Lebanon, NY

Tuition: $500 — payment plan available; first installment is one-third of full tuition.

Please read our revised cancellation policy before registering.

If you are applying for financial assistance, register here.

Step through a portal into an enchanted world of adventure and imagination … a living story that unfolds among the natural wonders of the woods!

We use foraged materials to create a tiny village for the forest’s magical beings to call their home. Then a mysterious force brings our little village to life, causing the forest to fill with faeries, wizards, ogres, elves, dragons, and other enchanted creatures! Each day brings new quests and adventures, with our campers at the center of the story!

View and download the Summer Camp Welcome Letter with a supplies list, camp schedule, and more.

Summer camp registration is now open.

If the camp you want is full when you register, be sure to get on the waitlist—there’s no charge and no obligation! If a spot opens up, we’ll contact you and you’ll have 24 hours to let us know if you’d like to take it.

Ages: 4–12 When registering, please pick the appropriate age group for your child (4–5, 6–9, or 10–12).

Days and times: Monday–Friday, 9:00 am–3:00 pm each day

Location: Bartholomew’s Cobble, Sheffield, MA. Get directions here.

Week 1: July 7–11, 2025
Week 2: July 28–August 1, 2025

Tuition: $485 — payment plan available; first installment is one-third of full tuition.

Sibling/Multi-Week Cottonwood Discount: Get a 5% discount when you register siblings for Bobolink Camp or when you register a camper for 2 or more weeks of Bobolink: Use coupon code SUMMER5 at checkout. This discount is for Bobolink and Cottonwood Camps only.

Please read our revised cancellation policy before registering.

If you are applying for financial assistance, register here.

Bobolink Camp is an exciting day camp for children who love to spend time outdoors with friends, learning about the forest and all its valuable teachings: mysterious animal tracks, delicious edible plants, curious insects, shelter, primitive fire-making, and other wilderness skills, not to mention fun songs, games, and stories! 

Bobolink is located at Bartholomew’s Cobble in Sheffield, Massachusetts, owned and managed by The Trustees of Reservations. The Cobble is a National Natural Landmark, featuring the greatest biodiversity in the Berkshires and North America’s greatest diversity of ferns—and it also contains Massachusetts’ highest populations of ground-nesting Bobolinks! 

Campers will immerse themselves in the lush world of ferns, explore the creeks that run through the Cobble, and unearth the secrets of the land by learning about the incredible array of rocks and minerals here. Kids in our oldest age-based group (10–12) will work on more advanced naturalist and survival skills while taking a step toward leadership and role modeling.

View and download the Summer Camp Welcome Letter with a supplies list, camp schedule, and more.

“Both of my children had an absolute blast, while learning lots of things and gaining tons of confidence. What a boost to their self-esteem! Flying Deer provided a nurturing, accepting, and encouraging environment. One of my sons struggles in a typical school setting, and I’m never sure how his day is going to go, but at Flying Deer, he was totally in his element, and it showed. The two of them tell everyone they can about ‘their Flying Deer’ as if it’s a hidden gem that they have stumbled upon! They asked me if they could go every week next summer!”

Heather S., Sharon, Connecticut

Summer camp registration is open!

If the camp you want is full when you register, be sure to get on the waitlist—there’s no charge and no obligation! If a spot opens up, we’ll contact you and you’ll have 24 hours to let us know if you’d like to take it.

For gender-diverse youth ages 13–17

Monday–Friday, August 11–15, 2025: 9:00 am–3:00 pm each day

Tuition $485 — payment plan available; first installment is one-third of full tuition.

Location: The Abode of the Message, New Lebanon, NY

Please read our revised cancellation policy before registering.

If you are applying for financial assistance, register here.

A summer version of our year-round Swallowtail Adventures program, Swallowtail Camp provides a safe and fun space for trans, nonbinary, and genderqueer youth to explore the natural world, gain wilderness skills, and build community with one another.

We will learn survival skills, explore friction fire, make woodland crafts, play games, practice sensory awareness exercises, follow tracks and more. Within this caring container, young people will learn, play, take on healthy challenges, step into their leadership, and just be themselves!

View and download the Summer Camp Welcome Letter with a supplies list, camp schedule, and more.

Summer camp registration is now open.

If the camp you want is full when you register, be sure to get on the waitlist—there’s no charge and no obligation! If a spot opens up, we’ll contact you and you’ll have 24 hours to let us know if you’d like to take it.

Ages: 7–13

Days and times: Monday–Friday, 9:00 am–3:00 pm

Week 1: July 14–18, 2025
Week 2: July 28–August 1, 2025

Location: The Abode of the Message, 5 Abode Rd., New Lebanon, NY. See directions here.

Tuition: $485 — payment plan available; first installment is one-third of full tuition.

Please read our cancellation policy before registering.

If you are applying for financial assistance, register here.

Run Wild is an all-outdoor earth-stewardship adventure program! This week of exploration, learning, and hands-on engagement with the land will introduce campers to a scenic landscape of field and forest, hilltop and swamp.

We’ll travel on foot in search of intriguing “wild neighbors”—the trees, birds, frogs and other critters who share the land with us. Learn how to nurture the natural world while having a great time and making new friends!

View and download the Summer Camp Welcome Letter with a supplies list, camp schedule, and more.

Summer camp registration is now open.

If the camp you want is full when you register, be sure to get on the waitlist—there’s no charge and no obligation! If a spot opens up, we’ll contact you and you’ll have 24 hours to let us know if you’d like to take it.

For ages 11–17

Monday–Friday, July 21–25, 2025: 4:00–10:00 pm each day

Tuition $500 — payment plan available; first installment is one-third of full tuition.

Location: East Chatham, NY

Please read our revised cancellation policy before registering.

If you are applying for financial assistance, register here.

Calling all night owls! In this late-afternoon-into-evening camp for tweens and teens, we will embrace the most classic of campout experiences—staying up late around the fire, cooking our meals in coals and flame, and honing our skills of stealth in the twilight, for both wildlife observation and friendly competition!

During the late-afternoon hours, we’ll learn survival skills, make crafts with natural materials, play games, practice sensory awareness exercises, and more. As the light fades, we’ll hear stories, laugh, and sing songs together around the glowing campfire. And if you’ve never played Capture the Flag in the dark before, now’s the time to experience this Flying Deer tradition!

Come join us to explore and embrace the nighttime forest!

View and download the Summer Camp Welcome Letter with a supplies list, camp schedule, and more.

Summer camp registration is now open!

If the camp you want is full when you register, be sure to get on the waitlist—there’s no charge and no obligation! If a spot opens up, we’ll contact you and you’ll have 24 hours to let us know if you’d like to take it.

For ages 8–13

August 11–15, 2025: 9:00 am–3:00 pm daily, with an extended day Friday until 7:00 pm

Location: East Chatham, NY

Tuition: $540 — payment plan available; first installment is one-third of full tuition.

Please read our revised cancellation policy before registering.

If you are applying for financial assistance, register here.

For kids who are ready to take a deep dive into our local wilderness, Tamarack offers the next level of skill-building and exploration!

There will be games and fun aplenty, along with a strong focus on wilderness skills. We’ll light friction fires, identify plants, follow tracks, build shelters, and learn woodland crafts.

On Friday, we’ll stay into the evening for the Tamarack Forest Festival, an all-camp gathering filled with storytelling, competitions, songs, and games!

View and download the Summer Camp Welcome Letter with a supplies list, camp schedule, and more.

Summer camp registration is now open!

If the camp you want is full when you register, be sure to get on the waitlist—there’s no charge and no obligation! If a spot opens up, we’ll contact you and you’ll have 24 hours to let us know if you’d like to take it.

Ages: 4–12 When registering, please pick the appropriate age group for your child (4–5, 6–9, or 10–12).

Days and times: Monday–Friday, 9:00 am–3:00 pm each day

Location: East Chatham, NY. Get directions here.

Week 1: June 23–27, 2025
Week 2: June 30–July 4, 2025
Week 3: July 7–11, 2025
Week 4: August 4–8, 2025

Tuition: $475 — payment plan available; first installment is one-third of full tuition.

Sibling/Multi-Week Cottonwood Discount: Get a 5% discount when you register siblings for Cottonwood Camp or when you register a camper for 2 or more weeks of Cottonwood: Use coupon code SUMMER5 at checkout. This discount is for Cottonwood and Bobolink Camps only.

Please read our revised cancellation policy before registering.

If you are applying for financial assistance, register here.

This week lies at the heart and soul of Flying Deer. It’s an exciting day camp for children who love to spend time outdoors with friends, learning about the forest and all its valuable teachings: mysterious animal tracks, delicious edible plants, curious insects, shelter, primitive fire-making, and other wilderness skills, not to mention fun songs, games, and stories!

Our oldest age-based group, for kids aged 10 to 12, offers a step up in connection to self, community, and the earth. They work on more advanced naturalist and survival skills while taking a step toward leadership and role modeling. 

View and download the Summer Camp Welcome Letter with a supplies list, camp schedule, and more.

“Thank you SO MUCH for making camp possible this summer for my son and the rest of the campers! It was a truly life-changing experience for him. He grew immensely and learned to love the landscape I grew up in. It was a joy to watch how happy he was at Flying Deer! I genuinely cannot express how much we appreciate the experience that you all provided, it exceeded all my expectations and we will be signing up again for next year as soon as we can. I now totally understand why so many of the counselors are Flying Deer are former campers. It is truly a magical place.”

Ann S., Valatie, New York

Summer camp registration is now open.

If the camp you want is full when you register, be sure to get on the waitlist—there’s no charge and no obligation! If a spot opens up, we’ll contact you and you’ll have 24 hours to let us know if you’d like to take it.

Ages: 4–12 When registering, please pick the appropriate age group for your child (4–5, 6–9, or 10–12).

Days and times: Monday–Friday, 9:00 am–3:00 pm each day

Week 1: July 14–18, 2025
Week 2: July 21–25, 2025

Location: East Chatham, NY

Tuition: $485 — payment plan available; first installment is one-third of full tuition.

Please read our revised cancellation policy before registering.

If you are applying for financial assistance, register here.

Let your artistic wings unfurl! Expand your sense of nature and adventure by creating art inspired by the outdoor world. We will explore the forest using the eyes of the artist.

With the tools of nature, we’ll create projects and objects that are expressions of our adventures. This fun-filled week combines nature-awareness games and activities with more in-depth art projects.

View and download the Summer Camp Welcome Letter with a supplies list, camp schedule, and more.