For the fifth summer in a row, three- to six-year-olds returned to NSEA for another season of adventure at Camp Keystone. For all nine weeks, our campus was alive with laughter, singing, and play. Both returning campers and newcomers spent the summer learning about salmon—a keystone species vital to our region.
Each day began with our salmon circle, which included salmon songs, salmon yoga, and a land acknowledgment to honor our Indigenous neighbors who have stewarded this land since time immemorial. Throughout the week, campers learned about the PNW ecology through the lens of a salmon.
This summer, instead of weekly themes, we adopted an emergent curriculum approach, tailoring learning to the unique interests that arose during play. It was a huge success, giving campers the chance to connect with the outdoors on a more personal level. Educators introduced creative activities such as obstacle courses to illustrate the salmon life cycle, crafts made from scavenged natural materials, and even a chance to study water bugs from NSEA’s pond. In the forest, campers whipped up concoctions in the mud kitchen, tested their skills on the climbing wall, built stick forts, pretended to sail the Salish Sea in our boat, and learned the five species of Pacific salmon using the five fingers on their hand.
Field trips were a highlight each week. Campers explored a private property along Ten Mile Creek, where they wandered trails, searched for frogs and bugs, and played in wide-open fields. Other excursions included beloved favorites like Fairhaven Park, Larrabee State Park, and Birch Bay State Park, along with a new adventure at Hovander Homestead Park. There, campers explored a vibrant garden of native plants, strolled boardwalk trails through wetlands, and climbed a watchtower for a bird’s-eye view of Tennant Lake.
Every camper was delighted by the adventures and surprises, and thanks to our partnership with the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), we were able to make camp more accessible by offering financial subsidies. Parents shared heartfelt stories about how much fun their children had, and how camp helped them grow socially and emotionally over the summer.
At Camp Keystone, kids learn, play, and explore—while forging a lifelong connection to salmon and the natural world.
Registration for next summer will open on February 1st – look for more information at n-sea.org/camp-keystone or contact Nathan Zabel at nzabel@n-sea.org.
See you next summer!
By Harper Huntington
NSEA Education Program Coordinator
