Hello Camp Natoma Families!
We hope that the upcoming holiday season is joyful and healthy for you and your family. We are grateful for our volunteers who have dedicated their time this fall to improve Camp Natoma - painting, repairing, and improving many parts of camp! While our lives continue to have uncertainties surrounding changes due to Covid-19, we do plan to operate Camp Natoma in the summer of 2021, because our programs are ENTIRELY OUTDOORS.
For 2021, the camp experience may be different, however, although there will be changes, we will ensure that the feeling of community at camp will continue as it always has – complete with laughter, friendships, campfires, and many fun activities.
The American Camp Association (ACA) is working with an independent expert panel being coordinated by Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc. (EH&E) to provide guidelines and educational resources to camps and state and local health departments. A field guide has been developed and will be updated to provide camp directors with a practical guide and educational resources to implement specific recommendations provided by the CDC in relation to risk reduction at camps.
Our staff is using the Field Guide for Camps as a template to create a plan specific to Camp Natoma based on the recommendations from the ACA, as well as the pending guidelines from the state of California.
Camp Natoma has always emphasized health and hygiene at camp, even before the current pandemic. In fact, on the first day of each session, all campers are given instructions on how to wash their hands and practice proper camping self-care hygiene etiquette. The outdoor program and facilities at camp are ideal. Many of our procedures we already do at camp are in line with the current guidelines:
- ALL activities are OUTDOORS
- Campers sleep outdoors
- Meals are served in an open air dining hall
- Campers stay with the same meal group
- Groups of campers in the same age group engage in smaller group activities during the session (similar to cohorts).
- All campers are asked health screening questions on the first day of camp.
Enhancements to what we already do will be communicated to our camp families and staff as we update our 2021 plans. In the meantime, although we may not have the answer to every question, please contact us, we are happy to talk with you.
We are looking forward to seeing all those smiling faces we missed this year and busy working on making camp in 2021 the best summer ever - kids are going to need this outdoor, screen-free time more than ever!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Emily Zbin
PS If you haven't signed up yet, here's the link to have the Amotan Express bring a delivery to your house in December.!