Orcas Circumnavigation

With a full moon and spring tides, Islander instructor (our four week kayaking program) Madelyn Player and Orkila Alum, David Price, embarked on a 40 mile circumnavigation of Orcas Island in one day.  Here are photos from the morning and the evening at camp.  Great work you two!!!

Above, 8th Graders from Blaine middle school get a feel for their kayaks with their instructors McKenzie Woolley and Paige May (not pictured). Below, another group of Blaine 8th graders start heading towards Pt. Doughty in their sea kayaks with instructors Jason Stedman and Teddi Hamel (not pictured). Schools attending our OEE program can choose from a variety of adventure programs like sea kayaking and hiking in Moran State Park or the Turtle Back Mountain Preserve. 

Birds at Orkila!

One of the best parts about being at Camp Orkila is getting to see all of the wildlife that live here. During the annual Mother's Day Family Camp this May, one family decided to keep a tally on all of the birds that they saw and the result was pretty amazing! Check out the long list of birds that they were able to identify:

Canada Goose

Mallard

Bufflehead

Surf Scoter

Glaucous-winged Gull

Kingfisher

Brewer’s Blackbird

Red-winged Blackbird

Pileated Woodpecker

Pacific Slope Flycatcher

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Barn Swallow

Violet Green Swallow

American Robin

American Crow

Red-tailed Hawk

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Wilson’s Warbler

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Savannah Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

American Goldfinch

Pine Siskin

Purple Finch

Killdeer

Brown-headed Cowbird

Townsend’s Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

European Starling

Warbling Vireo

Common Yellowthroat

Turkey Vulture

Common Raven

Red Crossbill (?)

Western Woodpewee

Pigeon Guillemot

Common Loon

Harlequin Duck

Hutton’s Vireo

Hummingbird

OSI Spotlight: Annika!

The interns this summer are a fabulous group! Meet Annika! Who knows, maybe she'll be your counselor :)

Hey Annika! How long have you been coming to camp?
I've been coming to camp for 8 years, and this summer will be my ninth!

Wow that is amazing! What have you been up to this year since Orkila?
I've been really involved in the drama program at my school, and I'm currently in a student-directed production of Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog. I've also been doing some service work feeding the homeless at places like Operation Sack Lunch and Rainier Valley Food Bank. It's been pretty crazy, but I've had a lot of fun!

That all sounds great. What is your "hopie" for this summer?
My hopie for this summer is to experience even more of what camp has to offer and make lots of new friends/memories :)

Nice. Final question, do you have a favorite camp song?
Oooo yes! My favorite camp song is probably "Jet Plane," although it's tied with "The Blanket Song."

It looks like you are reenacting the song in your pic, you must really love it!

Thanks Annika, see you at Orkila!

Staff Spotlight: Emma!

Counselors at Camp Orkila are the best, and one-of-a-kind! Meet Emma, counselor-extraordinaire. Who knows? Maybe she'll be your counselor!

Thanks for letting us interview you Emma! Last year you were counselor for the Goode Glaciers, the youngest unit at camp. What was a highlight of your last summer at Orkila? 

The highlight of my summer last year, was getting to know all of my campers, and creating so many new friendships with co-workers. SO many memories... Just experiencing Orkila, overall, made my summer - it's definitely a special place,and not to mention BEAUTIFUL.

We agree! There is no place quite like Orkila. What is one thing that you are looking forward to this summer?

Well, honestly I can't choose just one thing I'm excited for! I'm thrilled to go back, and see the friends I made from last summer- It's amazing how close you can grow with people in just 2 months... and of course make new friends! But, most of all, I am SO stoked to meet all my future campers! Also, words can't describe how excited I am for future campfires, and to watch Orcas Island sunsets every night - they are the cherry on top, after a day of camp.

Totally! Speaking of campfires, do you have a favorite camp song?

Mhmmm, It'd have to be a tie between Country Roads and Leaving On A Jet Plane. Whenever I hear country roads, outside of camp, it makes me super nostalgic, and oh so ready to go back!

Luckily Camp Orkila is a little over a month away for you! What have you been up to this year?

This year has been wonderful! I'm just finishing up my freshman year at Western Washington University, and I actually, recently, just got accepted into my major; Early Childhood Education! WWU has been so great, I love it here - Also, from Belllingham Bay, you can see Orcas Island, sooo I always have a reminder of camp 

Awesome and congratulations! We can't wait to see you at camp this summer Emma!

This Is What Science Looks Like (Forest Class Edition)

Above, OEE Instructor Liz Doane guides her class through our new forest investigation curriculum as her students formulate conclusions and reflect on their hypothesis. Below, several students conduct a soil compaction experiment and collect data on where water  is absorbed the fasted in our forest. THIS IS WHAT SCIENCE LOOKS LIKE!