RISE Regenerative Farm & Forest Summer Day Camp
July 7th to August 15th, 2025
For campers having completed grade 1*, up to 15 years of age.
Located East of Woodstock, ON., 35-40 minutes from the Kitchener Farmer's Market.
On-Site office space with high-speed internet so parents can stay rather than commuting back and forth.
Ages 13 to 15 have the choice to join our Leadership program designed specifically for our older campers.
If we could help your camper build confidence, real-life skills, and a deep connection to nature through hands-on farm adventures and forest explorations — so they end summer stronger, happier, and more capable than ever — and we sent them home exhausted so you don't have to drag them out of bed every morning or worry they're spending their days glued to screens or feeling bored, would you want to know more?
Confident, Exhausted Kids!
You know that great feeling when you learn by doing? When you get an idea, immediately try it out, find out if it works or fails spectacularly. You think through it, you make it better, and finally succeed?
That's RISE Farm & Forest camp.
And it's that positive feedback loop that we engineer into everything we do. It builds confidence, autonomy, and teamwork towards a common goal. They'll experience what is often so hard to internalize intellectually; when you act, and with good intention, great things can, and will happen!
RISE Camp is designed to build confident, thoughtful, amazing, optimistic, problem solving kids who will usher in the sustainable future they so much deserve.
Get your kid's hands dirty, their confidence catapulted, their mind blown, and their body exhausted. :)
Join us for a month, a week, or a day, this summer, 2025.
Hands-On. Minds-On. We're all in this together. :)
Where can I get all the details?
Fresh Air, Fair Prices.
Instead of forcing you to purchase a whole week, we offer daily and 5-day Passes.
$88 per day or $299 for a 5-day pass. (That's 32% off!)
You can certainly use that 5-day pass on a whole week, and we encourage you to do so as that ends up being a very rewarding experience. But with hybrid work and return-to-work, some people just can't work from home/farm for an entire week. The 5-day pass let's you pick the days that work best for you.
This includes free access to our co-working space so parents can stay the day, have lunch with your child, and even take calls while strolling the farm.
50% on registration, 50% on July 1st, 2025.
- Fill out the registration form to lock in your dates.
- We'll send you a 50% invoice and hold your spots.
- Remainder due on July 1st, 2025.
- We'll refund the deposit if for any reason you decide not to move forward.
Take $10 off for additional 5-day passes and any friends you refer. Friends you refer will get 10$ off their first 5-day pass as well.
From July 7th to August 15th, 2025. Book your dates.
Regenerative Farm Mornings
Mornings are planned and designed to meet a few learning objectives.
Your camper will have a lot of opportunity for facilitated exploration of our regenerative enterprises, as well as the forest, ponds, creeks, and riparian spaces.
Our counsellors are keen to pick up on what excites your camper and then ask them probing questions as to how, what, where, when, and why their curiosity has been piqued.
Here's some examples:
Fresh Egg Collection - Kids build confidence and responsibility by collecting fresh eggs directly from our happy hens.
Goat Grazing Adventure - Children walk and interact with friendly goats, learning animal behaviours and sustainable grazing practices.
Hen Habitat Helpers - Campers experience teamwork and learn animal welfare by helping move hens to new pastures.
Feeding Time with Chickens - Kids develop compassion and care skills by feeding broiler chickens and observing their growth firsthand.
Build a Fence, Build a Skill - Campers safely set up portable electric fences, learning practical problem-solving and farm safety.
Turkey Poult Care - Children nurture baby turkeys, developing empathy, responsibility, and basic animal husbandry skills.
Microgreen Harvest Heroes - Campers plant and pick fresh microgreens, discovering nutrition and healthy eating habits.
Pasture Rotation Pros - Kids learn the “why” behind rotational grazing by helping move animals to fresh pastures.
Farm Detective - Solve farm mysteries while learning observation skills and critical thinking about farm ecosystems.
Soil Science Explorers - Dig deep into composting and soil health, exploring biodiversity and regenerative farming principles.
Forest School Afternoons
The afternoon at RISE camp is where play meets forest school.
Our counsellors encourage camper-led play and exploration while upholding the six principles of forest school; Leadership, Long-term Thinking, Nature, Community, Risk Assessment & Safe Decision Making, and Holistic Learning.
Daily and weekly projects are built into the program. This is where your camper gets to exercise their creativity and sense of wonder.
Forest Ecosystem Discovery - Explorers discover diverse plant and animal life in our 18-acre forest, sparking curiosity and ecological understanding.
Pond Life Exploration - Kids explore pond habitats, gaining insights into biology and appreciating water ecosystem health.
Team Shelter-Building - Campers boost their teamwork, creativity, and leadership skills while constructing natural forest shelters.
Forest Art Studio - Creativity blossoms as kids craft natural art, developing observation skills and a love for nature.
Wildlife Trackers - Young adventurers become wildlife detectives, building keen observation and ecological awareness through animal tracking.
Campfire Culinary Experience - Children gain independence and practical life skills by cooking tasty snacks safely over an open campfire.
Creature Catch & Release - Kids safely catch frogs and insects around our ponds, exploring biodiversity and respectful wildlife interactions.
Nature Journaling - Campers create journals, documenting their forest discoveries and sharpening observation skills.
Stream Exploration - Guided creek adventures teach kids about aquatic ecosystems, habitats, and water quality importance.
Tree Identification Trek - Campers identify different tree species, understanding forest ecology and diversity.
Orienteering Challenge - Campers navigate using maps and compasses, developing problem-solving, teamwork, and directional skills.
Eco Artisans - Create art from natural materials, fostering creativity and connection to nature through play.
Each activity clearly conveys educational value wrapped in fun, addressing parent concerns and goals for child development.
Where Movement Meets Meaning
Nature's Gift: Supporting ADHD Campers at RISE
At RISE Camp, we've witnessed something remarkable: children with mild ADHD often thrive in our farm and forest environment in ways that surprise even their parents. Why? Because nature provides exactly what these active minds need most.
Our regenerative farm and 18-acre forest create the perfect setting where natural movement, hands-on engagement, and clear routines help ADHD campers channel their energy positively while building confidence alongside their peers.
How Nature Supports ADHD at RISE Camp
Natural Movement Opportunities: Collecting eggs, walking with goats, building forest shelters. These activities incorporate the physical movement that helps ADHD campers regulate their attention and energy naturally, without feeling "different" from their peers.
Multi-Sensory Learning Environment: The farm and forest engage all senses simultaneously. Feeling soil between fingers, hearing chickens cluck, smelling fresh herbs creates powerful learning experiences that capture and sustain attention where traditional settings might fall short.
Clear, Predictable Routines: Our camp day follows consistent rhythms while offering plenty of variety within that structure. This creates the perfect balance for ADHD campers who benefit from knowing what comes next while still experiencing novelty.
Small Group Dynamics: With our 1:7 counselor-to-camper ratio, we provide the right level of gentle guidance and redirection when needed, without singling out any child for special attention.
Real Consequences, Real Rewards: Farm and forest activities provide immediate, natural feedback. If a fence isn't built properly, animals notice! These authentic cause-and-effect relationships help develop executive function skills in meaningful contexts.
Freedom Within Boundaries: Our forest school approach encourages camper-led exploration within appropriate safety guidelines. This is ideal for channeling curiosity and creativity constructively.
Perfect for campers who
Benefit from movement-based learning
Respond well to clear routines with gentle redirection
Can participate in group activities with occasional reminders
Use nature's rhythms to help regulate emotions
Thrive when given hands-on, practical challenges
Can follow consistently safety guidelines
While we aren't a specialized therapeutic program, many parents have shared that their children with mild ADHD return home more focused, confident, and emotionally regulated after days spent at RISE. The combination of physical activity, purposeful work, and nature immersion creates a naturally supportive environment where these amazing kids can showcase their gifts: creativity, enthusiasm, problem-solving, and boundless energy!
Work from the farm. Lunch with your kids.
We know. We're a bit off the beaten track for most (get directions). But if you can work from a Starbucks, you can work from our Farm.
You have your choice of four work spaces;
1. A clean and bright, fully furnished, air-conditioned, office with huge windows, great lighting, white board, TV, couches, wood stove, and dedicated entrance.
2. The bright and open 'Great Room', with 12' ceilings, large fireplace, modern couches, south-facing glass wall with walk out to the rear deck.
3. The rear deck and patio with bar-height table for up to 8, shaded naturally by our large and beautiful 25 year old Silver Maple, adjacent to the orchard and overlooking 'Bass Pond'
4. Finally, back inside, is the closed off conference room, with a beautiful 6' round white granite table. This room can be fully closed off and used to take phone calls or as a meeting room.
So if you want to enjoy lunches with your kids, see what they're learning, avoid driving back and forth, or enjoy a coffee with the hens, then feel free to stay and work from the farm.
Your day will be supported with high-speed 1GB/s UP/DOWN Fibre Optic internet, white boards, private conference room, and Breville espresso machine. Parking is on site and ample. Absolutely no problem working with large files or running multiple zoom calls.
We provide you access to our co-working space free of charge so you can zoom-call in the morning and nature walk at lunch, with your kids!
Safety & Quality
Our Team
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Camp Counsellor Alanna
Bilingual (English / French) and working towards an Honours Double Degree in French and Psychology, Alanna is a Student Teacher, Languages Tutor, and Volleyball Coach.
She brings a wealth of experience in facilitating child-led experiences, having been a camp counsellor for other organizations and now applying her skillset to an outdoor focused experience.
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Camp Counsellor Erin
Erin is a Health Science & Biology student extremely interested in sustainability and the environment and with a passion for understanding the deeper biology of plants and animals.
She has a love for gardening and being outdoors. She's helped design and run outdoor children's programming and volunteers with the WRDSB school board.
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Camp Counsellor Reagan
Meet our camp counsellor extraordinaire! She’s a master of knot tying, a seasoned mountaineer, and a professional mud enthusiast. Her playful spirit and outdoor expertise make every adventure memorable, inspiring kids to get messy, have fun, and build confidence along the way.
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Jessica Shephard - Senior Programming Advisor & Curriculum Development
A trained artist, educator, facilitator, food enthusiast, and parent of two.
Since 2008 she has been providing children with safe, fun and enriching experiences in her home & community. She loves making messes and experimenting with art and natural materials, growing and foraging plants, cooking, and spends her free time camping and adventuring outdoors.
Taking cues from Positive Parenting, Mindfulness, and Non-Violent Communication, Jessica has developed educational support, curriculum content, & hands-on kids programming for organizations including Native Child & Family Services Toronto, The Children's Storefront, Essential Skills Advantage, The Canadian Homeschooler, the Education department of the AGO, Ontario Museum of Archeology, and Arts 4 All Kids.
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Co-Director - Eliana Witchell, R.D., MSc.
I'm a Regsitered Dietician by trade and terribly motivated to help my clients (and my kids!) understand how and why health and longevity matters, how to achieve it through quality diet and active lifestyle, and practical ways to implement a health-focused mindset.
My partner Andrew, and I, started Provenance Farms specifically to put our actions behind our words. We're regenerating an old farm, which 65 years ago was a construction site, to show just how simple it is to amplify the carbon cycle to generate incredibly nutrient rich food in a way that doesn't just sustain, but regenerates, the environment.
Consider us 'ethical omnivores'. It's our goal to help our kids (and yours?) understand the process and give them a chance to discover for themselves the powerful part of the climate change solution they really are.
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Co-Director - Andrew Witchell
Andrew is a Technology Executive focused on developing new hardware and software products for healthcare.
He recently led the team who received FDA clearance for the world’s very first MRI-guided robotic breast-biopsy device in 2023.
He cares deeply about preventative medicine and sees his work applying regenerative agriculture as some of the most important and engaging efforts towards building solutions for our shared climate change challenge.
He holds an MBA from Queens (Smith) School of Business, has guest lectured at Queens, McMaster, Ryerson, and has held multiple senior leadership positions in the fields of healthcare and technology.
