Local nonprofit Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust recently celebrated a unique and unprecedented Summer Camp and Academy Season. While operations this year varied from previous years due to the coronavirus pandemic, families still were able to send their children to Flanders to enjoy the outdoors and a wide array of programs that helped to connect children to nature, farming and the arts.
This year, due to the generosity of individual donors and the Jewish Federation of Western Connecticut, Flanders was able to serve a greater number of families, providing safe, educational and fun summer programming to children from Woodbury and surrounding communities. These “camperships” provided families with much needed childcare during the summer months and ensured that all those who wished to participate were able to do so in a safe and healthy environment.
Flanders Director of Development Jennifer Callery-Stokes says the young participants and their families expressed deep appreciation for the summer experiences and for the impact the programming had.
“Thank you for the scholarship for our child,” wrote one parent in an email to Flanders. “She thrived, made friends and enjoyed all the wonderful counselors. What a difference this created in her—she was so happy being there. No words can quite explain the joy she had.”
Flanders’ vision is to safeguard a future in which our scenic landscapes, forests, wetlands, agricultural lands and wildlife habitats are preserved forever, while being a leading center for environmental education for all ages, following best practices for land stewardship, and partnering with government, private organizations and the community to conserve our natural heritage.
For more information on how you can grant the gift of a meaningful summer, to a child, contact Flanders’ Director of Development, Jennifer Callery-Stokes at 203-263-3711 or Jennifer@flandersnaturecenter.org.