Permaculture for Kids

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10 kid limit for this camp Our policy for small class sizes.

Permaculture, gardening and nature living

Permaculture design means tending to the land to meet the needs of the people, animals, and plants that live there. It's principles are a perfect match for the natural understandings of children. During this week, we explore a world of people living connected and in harmony to the land around them. We visit and work with local farmers, help build structures out of natural materials, and explore what life could be like for humans who live locally and and take care of the land around them.

Each child begins a simple permaculture design project to take care of their own back yard. They come up with easily implemented plans to help create diversity and abundance for their own family. At the end of the week, children present their plans to their parents on Friday, at 2:00.

Please read every word on this page together with your child. Especially "A Good Fit?"

Register for Permaculture for Kids

Full Contact Us for the waitlist
Ages 6-7 $285 Get aftercare until 5:30pm
June 21-25, 2010 8:30am-3:30pm
5040 SE Milwaukie Avenue, Portland, Oregon Map It
Full Contact Us for the waitlist
Ages 8-10 $285 Get aftercare until 5:30pm
June 21-25, 2010 8:30pm-3:30pm
5040 SE Milwaukie Avenue, Portland, Oregon Map It

Payment Plans

For families who need it, we can offer flexible payment plans. Contact Molly to learn more. A non-refundable deposit is always required to reserve your space.

Ages 6-7 Permaculture for Kids includes

mobile camp around Portland Greenspaces
• learn the basics of permaculture designs
• visit local urban farms and help the farmers
• learn about animal husbandry
• meet baby animals (lambs, chicks, goat kids)
• learn about wildcrafting and how indigenous people tended to the land around them
• learn about natural building materials like cobb and repurposed materials
• make a sustainable design for your own home
• help set-up and work at the Friday Trackers farmers market
• learn about collecting, saving and using rain water
• start your own plants to take home

Ages 8-10 Permaculture for Kids includes

mobile camp around Portland Greenspaces
• learn the basics of permaculture designs
• visit local urban farms and help the farmers
• learn about animal husbandry
• meet baby animals (lambs, chicks, goat kids)
• learn about wildcrafting and how indigenous people tended to the land around them
• learn about natural building materials like cobb and repurposed materials
• visit the farmers market and talk with real working farmers
• make a sustainable design for your own home
• help set-up and work at the Friday Trackers farmers market
• learn about collecting, saving and using rain water
• start your own plants to take home

A Good Fit?

Before you register PLEASE READ the critical information below to help you decide if your program is the right match for you or you child. TrackersNW invests in families and students dedicated to maturity and accountability as a team. The experience of your child is heightened as these filters insure a safe, supportive and competent collaboration with both our instructors and all other team members (including students).

This program is a good fit for the child and parent who...

• trust one another
• are interested in and empathetic to the natural world
• crave a different way of experiencing and seeing both natural and modern world
• want to have fun
• possess a sense of adventure
• make intelligent choices
• display competent autonomy when needed
• can make and keep clear agreements concerning safety
• can help insure the safety of their peers and collaborators
• works diligently toward adult accountability, consequences and responsibility
• will come dressed appropriately to stay warm, dry and healthy
• is okay with being muddy, cold and wet at times
• can be a real kid
• shares well with others

This program is NOT a good fit for children who...

• are not interested in nature & scout awareness
• are not empathetic for the natural world
• are being forced to come to camp
• cannot display competent autonomy when needed
• cannot make and keep clear agreements and choices concerning safety
• is kept inside all the time so may be uncomfortable
• will not dress appropriately to stay warm, dry and healthy
• is not okay with being muddy, cold and wet at times
• has trouble working with others and respecting the needs of other participants

Please note that if your child is positively working on behavior, we are willing to work with them and you with clear agreements

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Our Philosophy for Learning & Living

A SmileWe help children to feel like that group of kids wandering country backyards 50 years ago: independent, tired, muddy, wet and happy from the woods and wild. We are acutely aware of full and real hazards of the out of doors after years of working in environmental education. We try to move away from the highly structured and limiting tolerances of conventional environmental education while keeping kids truly safe but not encapsulated from, or phobic of nature. We are deep patriots to the value of offering guided yet very free and transparent experiences for kids. We believe it is okay to be thirsty at times, cold at times, and wet at times. It builds empathy and care for the gifts of life. It fosters adventure and sincere accomplishment. We also believe it is critical to feel supported and cared for as they truly explore their passion and responsibility. And through a healthy life immersed in nature, they test the limits and great potential of the often untapped physical and emotional resiliency they possess.