False Cape State Park has created a “Summer Wilderness Survival Weekend” program for families to be held on July 10-11, 2010. Of course the program isn’t limited to just families, but this is really a unique opportunity for an family overnight adventure at False Cape State Park.
Pre-registration is REQUIRED. Cost is $100 per person payable in advance.(Children accompanyingadults must also pay the $100 fee.)Registration must be completed through the Virginia State Parks Reservation Center at 1-800-933-PARK. Registration is limited to 20 people. Registration is limited to children ages 5 and up. Children MUSTbe accompanied by a paying adult. Accommodations are in the park’s Environmental Education Center that has bunk beds and shared bathrooms.A private room is not guaranteed.
Okay, now for the fun part… Vicky Shufer is the Park Naturalist at False Cape State Park and here is what she has to say about “Summer Wilderness Survival Weekend”
“What do you all do for your survival weekend?” is a question I keep getting. The very name conjures up images of hiking long distances in the hot sun with no water, sleeping in debris huts infested with chiggers, ticks, possibly even snakes, eating whatever food you can find raw because you can’t have a fire. When I tell them we stay in a lodge with central air/heat, completely furnished with fully equipped kitchen, beds and linens provided they then want to know why it’s called a survival weekend. As I tell people, we live in comfort while we practice survival skills. You don’t wait until you’re in a survival situation to learn how to survive.
One of the first things I introduce people to are the plants. They are, after all, at the base of the food chain. In the summer when it’s hot, sweet juicy berries provide us with fluids for hydration and sugar for energy. Blueberries, blackberries and cherries, easily identified, and readily available, became our treat last year on our ride in to False Cape for the summer survival weekend. After arriving at the lodge, solar stills were put in place while we headed to the beach to look for coquina clams for our evening chowder. A few leaves of sea rocket growing at the base of the dune line added some spicy seasoning, as well as the bay leaves growing in the understory of the forest. An afternoon kayak paddle turned up some clams in the bay plus a few other treats growing along the marsh edges.
Back at the center, our visitors had a choice: they could either join one of our resource persons to go out and practice tracking and awareness skills or they could stay at the center with me and prepare wild foods for our dinner. In addition to what we had found that morning, I also brought a wild assortment of edibles from my yard and garden. Dinner was a wild feast. Wild salad, stir-fries, clam chowder, bean cakes, blackberry cake for dessert served with yaupon tea, sumac ade and juice drinks were some of the items we prepared. After dinner we went out for a night hike and owl hoot.
Sunday morning activities were optional. One could either hike to the beach and watch the sun rise over the ocean, do yoga exercises, birdwatch, or help prepare breakfast, which had a wild side. After breakfast was clean-up time, followed by a time to reflect on the weekend.
Even though we stayed in a fully equipped lodge, everyone left with a sense of thinking survival, what it means, and realizing it’s not something you learn in one weekend. Feeling comfortable in the outdoors, becoming aware of what’s around you and knowing what your resources are, can help one survive if there ever is a need.
Remember you must pre-register through the Virginia State Parks Reservation Center at 1-800-933-PARK and the program is limited to 20!
Get outdoors and play with us!
