The moment the very last school bell rings, many students in America celebrate the long-awaited beginning of summer. Whether they will have weeks or months off from class, sunny days are ahead, and summer’s possibilities are plenty for everyone.
The road to one summer camp is caged in the endless greenery of trees clearly made for giants. Driving with the windows down through a bright after-rain fog, one will end up at Walk Your Path Well, an “all outdoors, all day, all play” camp. The setting could be mistaken as New Zealand or a tropical paradise, but it is actually Durham, N.C.
“With almost 2,700 acres, the Eno River State Park provides a green space for the community. It is an ideal location for an environmental camp, with more than 18 miles of hiking trails, easy access to the river, and well-kept fields for games and play,” according to the Walk Your Path Well website.
“Nature is full of genius, full of the divinity; so that not a snowflake escapes its fashioning hand,” wrote Henry David Thoreau, an American poet, a naturalist, and an inspiration to Al Whitted, director of Walk Your Path Well.
The wilderness camp, which Mr. Whitted began establishing roughly 20 years ago, is geared toward children ages 7 to 14. It features day, weeklong, and overnight adventures.
Whitted, who once lived in a cabin on an environmental preserve, has an extensive background in hiking, forest ecology, fishing, astronomy, rope courses, and organic gardening–the list is endless. Mixing these skills with his passion for teaching, he built a camp that continues to grow each year.
Jeremy Fox, a camp counselor, started as an 8-year-old camper at Walk Your Path Well where he learned wilderness survival skills. “Then I started as a counselor-in-training when I was 14,” said Fox as he watched his students start a fire with friction, using a wooden bow and board.
