One of the things I'm most looking forward to between now and the summer is already happening: The changes spring brings to Camp Onas are so amazing. Plants are putting out buds, green shoots are quickly emerging from the ground. The crocuses and daffodils have bloomed, and from now through the end of the summer, there will almost always be something flowering at Camp. One of my absolute favorite parts of spring, though, is the birds returning to Onas or passing through on their way home from wherever they spent their winter. This time of year, it seems like there's a new song in the air every day, and I love hearing them come back or pass through. 

Every spring, I take a picture of the first crocus I see, and I'm sharing this year's here. 

Greetings, Camp Onas!

I had a wonderful time at the Winter Reunion. We had a great turnout and plenty of laughter and it’s always nice to reconnect with so many familiar faces! We also hosted our first-ever Magic: The Onas Gathering Afternoon, which truly felt like a gathering of old friends—great games, great company, and plenty of nostalgia.

Looking ahead, I’m excited for Older Camper Weekend this spring, as well as hosting some new school groups at Camp. Can’t wait to see you all soon!

Late winter/early spring is a time for ramping up to the summer camp season. Registrations are still coming in and we’re answering camper family emails on the daily. It seems our camper families also have summer on their radar.

It's a time for reconnecting with our year round staff to streamline and improve how Camp operates in the summer.

At home, my horses are starting to shed their winter coats (a few resemble yaks during the winter) and looking forward to having a chance to actually ride a bit (thank you, daylight savings!).

In March, I attended Meeting for Worship and the annual Pancake Breakfast & fundraiser at Solebury Friends Meeting, which benefited both Camp Onas and Mercer Street Friends. It was a wonderful experience. I got to talk about how great Camp is, catch up with familiar folks (including a few former campers of mine) and meet some new ones, and of course, eat a yummy breakfast with locally-tapped maple syrup. In my professional opinion, their fundraising effort was quite successful, and their support will make a big difference for our program & campers this summer.

Speaking of meeting for worship visits ... I'm really looking forward to getting the word out about upcoming opportunities to spend time at and reconnect with Camp, which will include meeting for worship dates during the summer season, and a multi-day reunion in August. 

Photo: I "discovered" these daffodils at Camp during our year-round staff retreat in March. I had never seen nor expected to see flowers in this particular spot. Camp never seems to run out of little pleasant surprises.

While February is usually focused on summer staff hiring for me, this winter I had the pleasure of there being a Magic: The Gathering event at Camp! For those who don't know that I'm a big 'ole nerd when it comes to Magic, all I'll say is that there's nothing quite like walking out of my house on a snowy Saturday to see old friends and argue over some cardboard. It was a blast! I also got to attend the American Camp Association's Tri-State Conference this year, where I reconnected with some other camping people. Of special note was Simone Gamble (pictured), founder of OAAARS, who spent two weeks at Onas in 2023 building the Justice Activities that we've been using ever since! And, while it might be hard to believe for our counselors, I am most looking forward to staff training in June. I spend a lot of my spring planning for it and it is always such a joy to slowly see it all come together!

It’s been a great winter! We got a lot of snow in DC, which I think is a reward for when the weather is cold and the trees are grey, and I got to go sledding this year and attend a huge snowball fight!

I love being cozy in the winter, but I’m really looking forward to the spring! A highlight of my spring was holding a regional Onas event for the Boston-area in Somerville! I was in the area to support my partner when he ran the Boston marathon. It was great to see some old Onas friends! 

I’m also looking forward to the Camp Onas volunteer workday!! If you haven’t already, sign up and also check out other upcoming events!