Tour of Camp
Camp is located on ancestral lands of all tribes and bands within the Lhaq’temish (Lummi), Samish, Swinomish, Noxwsaag, WSÁNEĆ (Saanich), Songish, T’souk-e (Sooke), Nəxʷsƛayəm, and Semiahmoo Nations. We acknowledge the people who owned the land before us and are grateful for their stewardship. Johns Island is called W̱ȾÁEMEṈ by local indigenous groups, which means “the sound of barnacles at low tide” [W̱ȾÁEMEṈ; “the sound of barnacles at low tide”, Lummi dialect, WSÁNEĆ elder, KANTENOT, Helen Jack].
Program Areas & Facilities
Nature is all around us on Johns – we are so lucky to see large wildlife like eagles, seals and our resident deer population almost daily, along with the occasional heron, raven and even orca whales from the property! Campers meet at this location before our summer Naturalists get them out and interacting with the varied habitats we have access to, including marshes, ponds, forests, tidepools, meadows and beaches.
A great collection of costumes and props are stored in a brand new (2022) space called the “Drama Shed.” This and the just-renovated Madrona Theather make up our facilities for daily Drama activities, including theater games as a unit and skit rehearsals for Campfires, Coffee House, and Musicales. The theater has seating for at least two units at a time and is also used for special gatherings and evening activities.