Camp awards and farewell to new friends...

This morning we enjoyed a campfire breakfast in the forest after a night under the stars before heading back to camp to begin packing ready for the journey home. Adventurers had been nominating one another for awards over the previous two days and the award ceremony was a chance to celebrate everyone’s unique contribution to camp life. Then it was time for goodbyes to new friends as those bound for London headed off to catch their train.

What a whirlwind week of fun and adventure we’ve enjoyed - hopefully everyone will return home with happy memories, new experiences under their belt, new friends and a better understanding of the natural environment and how we can help look after it!

A wild wood sleep out and evening of performance!

Adventurers enjoyed a bit of a lie in this morning ahead of their final night of fun in the forest! An energising breakfast of cereals and French toast with streaky bacon and maple syrup was served before they began a morning of fire by friction, green woodworking or forging in various locations across camp.

Later in the afternoon bushcraft and survival expert Ross shared with us the secrets to creating an effective and sturdy shelter before we packed up and headed to the forest for a wild wood sleep out. Shelters were constructed and dinner was cooked over the campfire followed by turbo s’mores and an evening of wonderful performances. So many took to the stage and we were treated to a return of the ‘Circus of Fools’, some wonderful gymnastics,an entertaining performance of Willy Wonka an an Abba dance medley courtesy of the Camp Kernow team! ! It was then time to get tucked up in bed for a night under the stars with the sound of Curlews calling out across the river and barn owls hunting overhead.

Tomorrow we’ll enjoy breakfast cooked over the campfire in the forest before heading back to camp for the Awards Ceremony.

A day of learning traditional skills....

Today was another action packed day at camp. We began with a delicious breakfast of crêpes courtesy of our French team member Salomé - these were enjoyed with traditional lemon and caster sugar or chocolate spread, strawberries and/or banana - très délicieux!

Tristan the Blacksmith was back with his forge, hammering and shaping iron into beautiful marshmallow toasting forks with the help of his young apprentices! We also welcomed back Ross, a survival and bushcraft expert who has worked with the likes of Ray Mears. He shared with adventurers the many ways of making fire before having a ‘strike off’ competition.

Meanwhile, in the willow circle, adventurers learned the traditional craft of green woodworking using traditional tools to shape freshly cut Ash into a useful object for future camping adventures. Before dinner the group took part in an environmental awareness session thinking about ecosystems and the importance of balance within it. A web of life was created to demonstrate how everything is interconnected.

Laura, our Mexican team member, cooked up an incredible taco and quesadilla feast for dinner which was thoroughly enjoyed by everybody. We had a chilled time after dinner hanging out in hammocks in the geodome or, for those with some energy left, a game of Volleyball! Everyone is tucked up in bed now getting some shut eye ahead of our final night in the forest.

Canoe adventures, cob oven pizzas and falconry!

Today we headed out onto the river in Canadian canoes with Chris from Canoe Cornwall to explore the Fal. We paddled up the river to Roundwood Quay and saw lots of wildlife along the way including Heron, Comorants and Curlew. On the way back we moored up the boats and enjoyed a refreshing dip!

After lunch it was time to head into the Geodome for a silk screen printing workshop with Jessie where adventurers could design and print a t-shirt or tote bag with an environmental message. Lots of lovely designs ready to be worn.

Dinner this evening was delicious pizzas. The group made their own dough from scratch and then rolled and topped it before carrying it carefully to the garden to enjoy it fresh from the wood fired cob oven.

In the evening we were joined by Jonathan, an incredible Falconer who brought along his Peregrine Falcons - the fastest bird on Earth and, when in a dive, the fastest animal on earth reaching speeds of up to 240mph. There was an opportunity to meet these magnificent creatures at close quarters and learn more about them alongside a Lanner falcon which some lucky adventurers had fly and land on their arm!

Tomorrow we’ll be joined by Tristan the Blacksmith, Ross, a bushcraft and survival expert and we’ll also be learning the traditional craft of green woodworking.

First full day of adventures!

The camp day began bright and early for the harvesters and chefs who got to work harvesting fresh produce from the garden and preparing it in the camp kitchen ready for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast was a range of cereals with ‘make your' own muesli’ and lots of lovely toppings followed by fluffy blueberry and banana pancakes.

After breakfast we split into two groups to enjoy a climbing session on the ‘Ice Face’ with Claire and the ancient sport of archery with Charlie. Following lunch and a refuel of energy it was time to switch activities and in the late afternoon we all came together for team challenges requiring a combination of ingenuity, communication, co-ordination and determination!

Dinner was delicious homemade beef burgers with lots of home grown produce followed by strawberries, meringue and cream. After dinner it was time to come together in the geodome to explore food sustainability. We played sustainable foods top trumps and used our new found knowledge about food to come up with three course meal plans which put health & the planet first while still sounding delicious!

Tomorrow we can look forward to exploring the creeks along the Fal river in Canadian canoes, designing and silk screen printing t-shirts and a visit from a falconer.

Environmental adventurers unite!

Environmental Adventurers arrived at camp today ready to begin an action packed, off-grid, fun filled six days of summer camp. It's wonderful to bring together young people from across the country and beyond to share this off-grid experience and learn from one another. We also have an international team here from France, Mexico, Germany, Spain, Portugal and the UK so lots to learn about other cultures and environmental issues faced by people across the world.

The afternoon began with a few getting to know you games then a tour to discover how we can live here off-grid in balance with nature. Adventurers enjoyed a tour of camp to find out more about how we can all live here off-grid. They discovered where our water comes from, how we can pump it up from underground using solar energy and heat it using solar thermal panels. They also found out how we can clean our dirty water using a reed-bed and how composting toilets work to turn number 2’s into rich, fertile soil for the plants!

Then it was time to find out which structure would be home for the next five days and who would be tent buddies. A delicious dinner of veggie curry was enjoyed by all with lots of lovely produce from the camp garden.

A dusk meditative walk got everyone thinking about the importance of being in the moment and connecting with nature. We learned some techniques which can help us focus, be in the moment and really experience it rather than have our minds elsewhere thinking of past events or wondering about whats to come tomorrow. Being in nature can be an incredibly powerful and positive experience for our wellbeing if we take the time to appreciate it. 

Everyone was excited for their first night under canvas and the chance to get tucked up in sleeping bags and chat with fellow tent mates! Tomorrow we can look forward to tackling the climbing wall, learning how to shoot a bow and arrow on the archery range, team challenges and an evening workshop exploring food and sustainability.

Come back on the 28th July for all the latest from camp!