Vashon Wilderness Program

06/02/2026

🌿 **VWP in the Press!** 🌿

Curious about the people, practices, and philosophy behind Vashon Wilderness Program? Over the past few months, we've been featured in several articles exploring nature connection, outdoor education, gratitude, place-based learning, and the power of childhood spent outdoors.

📖 *Humble Nettle* by VWP Mentor Anthony Latora
https://vashonloop.com/wordpress/index.php/2026/05/08/humble-nettle/

📖 *Into Place* by VWP Mentor Anthony Latora
https://vashonloop.com/wordpress/index.php/2026/04/07/into-place/

📖 *What Children Discover When They Spend Time Outdoors*
https://www.vashonbeachcomber.com/2026/03/18/what-children-discover-when-they-spend-time-outdoors/

📖 *Meet Nadja Vol Ochs, Vashon Wilderness Program's New Executive Director*
Part 1: https://vashonloop.com/wordpress/index.php/2026/03/10/meet-nadja-vol-ochs-vashon-wilderness-programs-new-executive-director-pt-1/

Part 2: https://vashonloop.com/wordpress/index.php/2026/05/08/meet-nadja-vol-ochs-vashon-wilderness-programs-new-executive-director-part-2/

📖 *Core Routines and Sit Spot (and Gratitude, Too)*
https://vashonloop.com/wordpress/index.php/2026/05/08/core-routines-and-sit-spot-and-gratitude-too/

Read on, ask us questions, and continue the conversations. We thank our community for supporting nature connection, outdoor learning, and the next generation of environmental stewards. 🌲💚

06/02/2026

✨🫧🌲The morning after a gentle rain at the recent Fire Tenders Overnight, one child woke and began blowing bubbles into the fresh air. The bubbles settled among the wet grass, catching shafts of sunlight filtering through the trees. For a few quiet moments, each bubble became a tiny world, holding reflections of laughter, wonder, and the kind of magic that visits VWP overnights.

These are the moments we cherish, when children have the time and space to slow down, connect with play, nature, and discover wonder in the simplest things.

Enrollment is now open for upcoming VWP youth programs and overnight adventures. Come join us for more moments of curiosity, connection, and a little everyday magic. ✨🫧🌲

Check out our programs here: https://vashonwilderness.org/programs

05/26/2026

Three friends, one log, and a meadow full of memories 🌿
At Vashon Wilderness Program, moments like these turn into lasting friendships, built through shared adventures, caring mentors, and time outside together.

Register now for our year-long programs and summer camps ✨
https://vashonwilderness.org/programs

05/20/2026

Our Friday Fire Tender crew put their skills to the test last week with a hands-on fire water balloon pop challenge! 🔥 🎈The kids practiced their fire starter tender techniques, experimenting with different natural materials and learning what makes a strong, sustainable tall flame.

There was plenty of problem-solving, singing, teamwork, patience, and excitement as sparks caught and tiny flames grew. Watching their confidence build with each attempt was such a joy. These young Fire Tenders are learning not just how to make fire, but how to work carefully, respectfully, safely, and skillfully with each other and the natural world. 🌲✨

Registration open now for Fire Tenders
Fridays
10:30am – 3:30pm
Throughout the school year
7-12 yrs

Register here: https://vashonwilderness.org/7-12yrs

05/14/2026

There’s plenty of room to grow in the meadows at Vashon Wilderness Program

Registration is open for our weekly, weekend, homeschool, and summer camp programs!

Come explore, learn, play, and connect outdoors with us in the meadows, at the seashore or in the forest every season!

Share with friends and family, visit our website to learn more and register.
https://vashonwilderness.org/programs

05/11/2026

Step into the hidden conversations of the forest 🌿🦉🐾

Join VWP Mentor Anthony Latora for Tracking: Animal Signs & Bird Language on Sunday, May 17th on beautiful Vashon Island. This immersive day-long workshop will help you tune your senses and learn to read the land as a living story.

Through hands-on exploration, you’ll discover how to:
🐾 Identify and interpret animal tracks and signs
🪶 Understand bird language, including calls, songs, and alarms
🌲 Detect patterns and interactions in the natural world
👣 Age tracks and uncover clues about animal behavior
✨ Deepen your awareness and connection with the land

Whether you’re new to tracking or looking to sharpen your observation skills, this course offers a powerful way to reconnect with the wild world around you.

📅 Sunday, May 17th, 2026
⏰ 10am–3:30pm
📍 Vashon Island
👥 Ages 18+
💲 $95

Bring a packed lunch, water bottle, journal, paints, pencils, and your curiosity.

Reserve your spot today and learn to see the forest with new eyes. 🌿 https://vashonwilderness.org/adults2026

05/08/2026

Good morning from VWP and our wild meadow roommates, just uncurling from their cozy nighttime nests where children play and learn each day.

Many mornings they leave behind their signature “we were definitely here” imprint in the grass, and once you notice it, you can’t unsee it. 😂 And of course, no overnight stay is complete without a few leftover salad scraps from last night’s grassy buffet. 🥗🦌

👀 Can you spot where the wild ones curled up for the night?

05/05/2026

🌿 It’s GiveBIG Day! 🌿

Today, you have the opportunity to help more children experience something truly meaningful: connection to the natural world, to themselves, and to their community.

At Vashon Wilderness Program, we see every day how time in nature transforms young people: building confidence, curiosity, and a deep sense of belonging. These are the seeds of lifelong stewardship.

Because of supporters like you, we are:
✨ Expanding access through our Equitable Access and Salish Sea Funds
✨ Launching a new afterschool program in Tacoma
✨ Creating more opportunities for kids to learn, explore, and grow outdoors

But we can’t do this without you.

Your gift today ensures that cost is never a barrier for a child to participate.

🌱 $1,025 supports a child for a full year of monthly program
🌱 $2,000 funds a full session of our new Tacoma afterschool program
🌱 $3,320 supports a child for a full year of weekly program

Every gift, of any size, makes a real impact.

👉 Donate now through GiveBIG: https://www.wagives.org/organization/vashon-wilderness-program

Let’s come together today to grow the next generation of nature stewards.

With gratitude,
Vashon Wilderness Program 💚

05/04/2026

🌲✨ **May the Forest Be With You!** ✨🌲

Our latest Vashon Wilderness Program newsletter is here, and it’s full of magic, momentum, and meaningful ways to connect with the natural world.

🌿 **What’s inside this month:**
• 2026-2027 Program Enrollment is open!
• Summer camps are filling fast: new themes, new adventures, and deep nature connection for all ages 🌞
• Adult workshop on May 17th! Tune your senses, learn tracking, bird language, and reconnect with the land 🌾
• Community events + ways to get involved, volunteering, support through GiveBig🌱

At VWP, everything we do is rooted in building relationships: with ourselves, each other, the community, and the living world around us. From forest games to fire tending, from storytelling to skill-building, we’re nurturing the next generation of resilient, nature-connected humans. 💚

✨ Take a few minutes to read, get inspired, and see how you can be part of it.

Dogwood and salal blossoms are offering their sweet signs of spring all around the sun-warmed Dupar Meadow. Ground bees are beginning to stir, gently pushing soil upward as they stretch their winter-held wings into flight.

04/30/2026

Good morning from VWP! 🌅 Are you hearing the dawn chorus on these beautiful spring mornings?

Take a listen, who’s out there singing? How many different birds can you spot (or hear!) in this short clip?

This spring at VWP, the kids are exploring the world of birds through skits and careful observation. From familiar songs to the bright, bubbling voice of the tiny but mighty wren, every bird adds something special to the morning with song. 🐦
🎶

Support our scholarship funds for youth nature connection with all the creatures of the sky, water, & earth in GiveBig 2026 early giving https://www.wagives.org/organization/vashon-wilderness-program

https://youtube.com/shorts/-r8CKygkX7E?si=Me7PBOl8VnJbnOpY

Wren Song