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Camp Kawartha Capital Campaign

Branching Out for a Sustainable Future

There are so many issues facing children today, from climate change, to habitat destruction and from pollution to overpopulation. It is easy to become discouraged in the face of what seems like a bleak future. At Camp Kawartha we believe that environmental education is an act of hope. That we can inspire children to become active caretakers of their own communities by showing what effective, sustainable living looks like and by teaching them to appreciate, protect and enhance the living systems that nurture us all

Every child, at every age can engage in simple acts of green. Whether it means creating a pollinator garden or planting a tree – whether it means naturalizing a shoreline or finding ways to become more energy efficient, we all can make our communities more nature rich and our lives more sustainable. At Camp Kawartha, we want to foster the next generation of environmental leaders. Camp Kawartha also recognizes it takes a village to foster stewardship. This is work that we cannot undertake alone.

This is why we are inviting you to join us on our journey as we work towards our future. Camp Kawartha is preparing to undertake a $3.5M capital campaign to support our vision of becoming a provincial leader in the delivery of environmental and outdoor education programming.

About the Project

The priorities of our campaign are as follows:

 

Central Hub Addition and Renovation – $2,537,000

Camp Kawartha’s current dining hall was built in the 1960’s. It is poorly insulated and sits on piers. The plan is to remove the current hall and replace it with a “central hub” consisting of a dining hall and sleeping quarters, all demonstrating the latest in green architecture. This certified “living building,”would be the first of its kind in all of Canada. From living wall and a living roof, to rainwater collection, from geothermal heating to using all-natural materials, the central hub would show how people and nature can live together and be healthy for both.  The hub would be a designated as a net zero building (zero toxins, zero waste and zero carbon), a showpiece for sustainability.Accommodations added at the back of the new hall will improve accessibility for those with limited mobility. In addition, the current Health Centre will be moved into the hub, so that it can more effectively look after the overall health needs of visitors. This innovative renovation will allow Camp Kawartha to modestly increase its Outdoor Education, Facility Rental, and Summer Camp capacity by 30%, helping to expand our mission of fostering stewardship to campers, students and visitors regionally, provincially and nationally.

 

Greening of Infrastructure – $536,000

(Waste Water Management Upgrade)
The current system was constructed in 1985 and designed to accommodate 125 campers. Most septic systems last 20 to 25 years and Camp Kawartha’s is nearing the end of the life cycle. This is an opportunity to redevelop our waste management system using the latest green technologies, with the possibility of including a wetland treatment system. The intent is to showcase to campers, teachers, students, parents and visitors how to responsibly deal with human waste.

 

Reclaiming Green Space – $319,000

We will remove part of our parking lot to create a large organic food and pollinator garden.  The current parking lot will be relocated to another location nearer the road. The redevelopment of this space will allow us to re-green a central portion of the Camp. This reclaimed green space and garden will not only supply the kitchen with fresh produce but will also serve as an important teaching tool for helping

Visitors to understand the importance of healthy, local food and the role pollinators play in ecosystems. As Aldo Leopold once said, “the healthiest food is the shortest distance from the earth to your mouth.” We also plan to relocate the Maintenance Department to a less intrusive place on camp, repurposing this building into programming space for summer camp and outdoor education. This will enhance the delivery of our award-winning programming and limit the amount of traffic moving through the heart of our camp.

 

Total Campaign Goal: $3,500,000