CATAMOUNT EXPLORATIONS

We are thrilled to offer enriching opportunities for young people living in or around Williston.

We have developed an array of programs that combine nature-based topics with outdoor recreation. Check out the descriptions below to find out which program is right for your child.

INSTRUCTORS

**All instructors are trained in 1st Aid & CPR certified.**

Some things to consider:

Drop off time is the first 15 minutes of the scheduled program time and Pick up time is the last 15 minutes of the scheduled time.
We have also made it so there will be a bus stop at Catamount from the bus route J from the Allen Brook School.
All programs are weather dependent! For COVID safety, all programs are held outside. If temperatures are forecast to be colder than 10 degrees we will cancel for the day or adjust timing accordingly.

All participants must have a current health form on file. Please submit form here!

Thank You City Market for being our 2020-21 Program Sponsor!

MONDAYS

Kids vs. Wild

For anyone who loves to spend time outdoors, it is important to have an understanding of basic survival skills. In this program, we will be practicing ways to survive and thrive in the outdoors! Some skills we will cover will be fire building, knot tying, map & compass reading, and shelter making.

In addition to learning these skills, we will also be putting emphasis on “Leave No Trace” and “Hug-A-Tree” principles. Learn new things all while being able to explore the Catamount Community Forest on bike, foot, xc ski, or snowshoe!

Ages:

Grades 1-4

Fee:

$100 per month

Day & Time:

TBD

TUESDAYS

Afternoon Explorations

Our Afternoon Explorations program will be heavily centered around winter outdoor recreation. With winter comes opportunities to cross-country ski, snowshoe, identify animal tracks, build igloos, and so much more! Additionally, we will be integrating elements from a Snow School curriculum into our activities. This means fun learning opportunities about local watershed, snow science, and environmental stewardship. Explorers can also expect to learn and practice“Leave No Trace”principles through various activities including campfire building.

Ages:

Grades 1-4

Fee:

$100 per month

Day & Time:

Tuesdays from 3 – 5:00pm

The Nature Connection

This program is designed for kids to deepen their connection with nature through enrichment and recreation. Explore the Catamount Community Forest, have the option to try biking, skiing, or snowshoeing, and learn more about the natural world that we all exist in! In addition to being active outside, kids in this program will also have the opportunity to learn basic outdoor skills like knot tying, fire building, plant & animal identification, and “Leave No Trace” principles.

Ages:

Grades 4-6

Fee:

$100 per month

Day & Time:

TBD

WEDNESDAYS

Morning Explorations

Our Morning Explorations program will be heavily centered around winter outdoor recreation. With winter comes opportunities to cross-country ski, snowshoe, identify animal tracks, build igloos, and so much more! Additionally, we will be integrating elements from a Snow School curriculum into our activities. This means fun learning opportunities about local watershed, snow science, and environmental stewardship. Explorers can also expect to learn and practice“Leave No Trace”principles through various activities including campfire building.

Ages:

Grades 1-6

Fee:

$150 per month

Day & Time:

Wednesdays from 8:30am-12:30pm

THURSDAYS

Art in Nature

Creating art that involves nature provides the artist with an opportunity to make discoveries about the natural world that may have been left unnoticed if just given a quick glance. In this program, we will be using nature as the inspiration for many different art projects. Using different mediums in combination with natural found objects, expect to make some unique art projects that are an ode to time spent in nature. Each time we meet, we will be hiking to different spots around Catamount so we have many points of inspiration.

Ages:

Grades 1-4

Fee:

$100 per month

Day & Time:

TBD

FRIDAYS

Science in Nature

Catamount Community Forest is the perfect setting for studying the life cycles of the plants, animals and the weather patterns that are all around us. With the never-ending changes of the seasons, the natural world goes through a kaleidoscope of ancient cycles of which we are all a part. Join us in learning about what the science in nature has to teach us about our place in the world.

Ages:

Grades 1-4

Fee:

$100 per month

Day & Time:

TBD

CUSTOM PROGRAMMING

Custom Programming

Do you want to be involved in Catamount programs but have conflicts with the options mentioned above? We’ve got you covered. We are ready to work with you in order to create a custom program for a group of 5 or more kids. This is a great opportunity for your learning pod to spend some enriching time in the outdoors!

Ages:

Grades 1-12

Fee:

TBD

Days & Time:

Based on scheduling availability and program of interest.

INSTRUCTORS

Sofie PedemontiInstructor

Sofie hails from southern Vermont, but has spent the past year living in Burlington, studying Art Education at the University of Vermont and getting outside as much as possible. Before finding herself up north, Sofie deepened her connection with nature by doing trail work with the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, attending a three month backpacking program with the High Mountain Institute and interning at Burr and Burton Academy’s Mountain Campus. After spending the summer at Catamount as a mountain bike coach, Sofie says “I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to teach at Catamount. I find the relationships between art, nature and education to be fascinating and I’m so excited to delve deeper into these topics with the students.” When she isn’t at Catamount, Sofie can be found in her pottery studio, at a local swimming hole or cooking up a new vegetarian dish in her kitchen.

Charlie Saulnier M.S.Instructor

For many years, Charlie has been an Environmental Educator, both in the classroom and outdoors. He has worked as a High School Environmental Science Teacher and Department Head in a Vocational Technical High School for over twenty years, where most of the work was hands-on and outdoors. For several summers, Charlie worked as an Outward Bound Instructor with inner-city, elementary school children in a program called the Island School in the Boston Harbor. The goal was to excite children about art, science and recreation by utilizing the natural history of the island, the ropes course and the pulling boats. Charlie says, “Come and join us for our Catamount Explorations, and learn about the natural wonders of this magnificent land, nestled in the heart of the Green Mountains. Let us find out together what it has to teach us about the natural beauty of the World, ourselves, and our communities. I look forward to welcoming all of you to Catamount.” When not at Catamount Charlie can be found cycling, skiing, swimming, taking photographs, or canoeing and exploring somewhere in the Arctic.

More Youth Summer Camps