5 day environmental adventure day 1

The sun shone on us today as the children arrived and settled into the upturned boat and bell tent which will be their home for the next 5 days. After a tour of camp and a chance to discover how we can use technology and natural processes to live 'off grid' it was time to head over to the archery range and have a go at this ancient sport. Following archery we headed out on the river with the high tide in kayaks to explore the creeks and riverbank of the Truro and Tresillian rivers. Gary our lead instructor was most impressed with their paddling skills and we managed to cover quite a distance before heading home for dinner. 

Luckily the solar thermal panels to heat our water had been shone on all day and we enjoyed piping hot showers in the open air before devouring a delicious meal of bangers and mash followed by cornish ice cream...Mmmmm!

After that there was just enough time to enjoy some star gazing and a deluxe hot chocolate around the campfire along with some campfire songs before heading to our tents and getting tucked up snug in sleeping bags ready for a good nights sleep.

6 day environmental adventure day 6

On our last morning at camp we feasted on bacon pancakes before heading deep into the woods to build shelters. The children worked in 'tribes' to create a shelter which would protect them from the elements, after which we tested them with torrential rain from a bucket! After that it was back up to camp to pack up our belongings, enjoy a last lunch and celebrate our time together with an awards ceremony, following the previous day's nominations by the children.

Awards received, it was time to say our goodbyes with children collected from camp or returning on the train to London with Claire to be reunited with parents at Paddington.

6 day environmental adventure day 5

This morning the children emerged from their tents to the smell of breakfast cooking on the campfire and enjoyed bacon and egg rolls and fresh juice. After breakfast the group headed deep into the woodland to meet up with Alan our technical tree climbing instructor who taught them how to use ropes and a harness to ascend high into the canopy of the ancient Beech tree. 

The children returned to camp tired and happy after a hike up from the valley and enjoyed a smorgasbord of delicious deli goodies including an array of Cornish cheeses. Emma an amazing local artist arrived after lunch and the children got their hands dirty working with mud to create 'Hikaru Dorodango' - essentially mud balls but so much more than that as they can become the most beautiful polished mini sculptures. 

After a short ice lolly break it was time for a much anticipated game of rounders followed by dinner. Dessert was s'mores around the campfire using our new toasting forks, followed by an evening of amazing entertainment and a chance for the children to share their talents and passions with the group. We enjoyed beautiful singing, human pyramids, sock puppets and rounded off the evening with a warming hot chocolate before retiring to our tents for a good night's sleep.

lots of lovely toppings for 'make your own muesli'

climbing up into the Beech tree for an amazing bird's eye view

6 day environmental adventure day 4

Today we enjoyed a delicious breakfast of freshly cooked waffles, strawberries and maple syrup before meeting Jo, the traveling Tuffeteer who taught the children how to make their very own tuffet using a peg loom to weave sheep's wool into a soft cushion. After lunch they tried their hand at fire by friction - not the easiest of skills to master though they  enjoy trying! Dinner was a real treat - wood fired pizzas cooked in the cob oven, followed by blackberry and apple crumble. 

After dinner we were visited by Chris from Cornwall Bat Rescue who brought along some pipistrelle bats and a brown long earned bat called Timmy who the children really enjoyed meeting!

preparing the pizza dough

picking blackberries for apple and blackberry crumble cooked in the cob oven

seeing the pipistrelle bats up close

attempting fire by friction using a bow drill

Cuban the cat keeping watch

Timmy the brown long eared bat

delicious waffles fresh off the waffle iron!

6 day environmental adventure day 3

This morning we fuelled up on french toast with streaky bacon and maple syrup before heading off along the hedgerows with Marcus, a local wild food expert who shared with the group all the edible plants hidden along the hedgerow before returning to the kitchen tent where they cooked up their foraged ingredients. After lunch it was time to get out on the water in kayaks with Gary and his team to explore the creeks and riverside which camp looks out on.

In the evening the children met the Woodsman while on an evening walk, who shared with them the secrets of the plants and animals which call the Forest of Moresk home before telling them the very old story of 'The Moondog of Moresk'.

6 day environmental adventure day 2

Following a good night's sleep we were up bright and early with some children in the kitchen preparing breakfast while others frantically tidied their structures ahead of tent inspections! After  a delicious breakfast we split into small groups to take part in activities including green woodworking, forging and climbing. A hearty dinner of bangers and mash was followed by an evening round the campfire testing out our newly forged toasting forks!

Forging with Tristan the Blacksmith 

toasting forks forged and ready for some marshmallow action later

tackling the black and white route on the climbing wall 

peeling a mountain of potatoes for bangers and mash!

learning how to use a draw knife and shave horse to work a piece of green wood

double marshmallow toasting action!

End of another great day at camp with wild food foraging and kayaking to look forward to tomorrow.

6 day environmental adventure - DAY 1

Today saw the start of the 6 day summer camp - below is just some of what our environmental adventurers got up to on day 1 

the upturned boat proved so popular that we had to have a fiercely contested game of toxic river to decide who would get to call it home for the next 6 days - the girls were victorious!

some of the boys got a little overexcited at the prospect of sleeping in a tipi and got into their onesies ready for bed mid afternoon!

the afternoon was spent talent scouting for the next team GB Archery olympians

big smiles all round as we enjoyed a glorious afternoon of Cornish sunshine

we harvested homegrown tomatoes and cucumbers from the polytunnel

cooking up a storm in the kitchen 

delicious homemade burgers were whipped up by our chef extraordinaires

Charlie manned the BBQ and cooked the burgers to perfection

of course, dinner inevitably leads to washing up but there was no shortage of volunteers for the washing up crew... we'll see how many hands shoot up on day 6!

in the evening we worked as teams to complete a series of challenges 

hot chocolate and songs round the campfire and a chance to reflect on a fun first day of camp!

sea-stainability

Our latest workshop enables children to explore how wave energy devices can be employed to harness the power of the waves and generate clean electricity. In the picture above, children from St Minver School test the wave energy device they have assembled and measure the electricity generated. Although the devices only generate between 2-5V, it is sufficient for children to gain a better understanding of the technology and potential behind this emerging renewable energy.

The workshop was developed in partnership with ‘Wave Hub’ – a grid connected electrical hub on the seabed, 16km off the north coast of Cornwall to which wave energy devices can be connected. The workshop aims to raise children’s awareness of this groundbreaking project happening right here on their doorstep and spark their interest in the potential further education and careers which exist in this growing sector.

The launch of the workshop coincides with the announcement of Cornwall’s inclusion in the UK’s first Marine Energy Park, placing Cornwall on the international map for leadership in marine renewable energy.

eat green!

We are now a registered Lets get Cooking Club provider and will be hosting cookery sessions for children in our field kitchen at Camp Kernow. Children will have the opportunity to harvest vegetables and fruit from the food garden and combine them with locally sourced produce to create nutritious and healthy meals from seasonal ingredients. The sessions will highlight the benefits this can have, not just for our own health, but also for that of our planet, by reducing the food miles and carbon footprint of the food we eat.

In addition to more traditional cooking methods, children will  be able to experiment with alternative ways of cooking including dutch and clay ovens. For more information please email info@campkernow.org.uk

Green woodworking in the yurt

Year 5 & 6 pupils from Bosvigo School joined us this morning in the yurt at Camp Kernow to try their hand at green woodworking. After a health and safety briefing and demonstration from Charlie, the children were supported in using a range of green woodworking tools including bill hooks, axes, draw knives and saws to make a mallet. They also had a go at using a traditional brace to drill holes and worked up a bit of an appetite before returning to school for their christmas lunch!