http://www.flyingdeernaturecenter.org/

Flying Deer Nature Center, 122 Daley Road, East Chatham, NY (2026)

10/16/2026

🔥 Take a look at all of our great storytellers! 🔥 Did you get your tickets yet?🔥

🌺Ravi Seibald, age 7, has been attending camp since 2023, starting as a Forest Kindergartener, and is now in our homeschooling program.

🌺Noah McCarter started as a homeschool student in 2002. He quickly became a leader in the community and stepped into the role of Summer Camp director after a decade of learning, playing, and teaching.

🌺 Valentina Luccardi was one of Flying Deer’s earliest summer campers and returned as a counselor in the early 2000s, soon becoming a beloved instructor. She is traveling from New Orleans to be part of this event.

🌺Nathaniel Walcott joined our homeschool program in 2011 and became a skilled peer mentor and instructor.

🌺 Meg Agnew and Cindy Parrish are parents of former Flying Deer students and were participants in our Women in the Woods program. They have supported and inspired new programs at Flying Deer and nurtured its growth for the past 25 years.

🌺Devin Franklin joined the Flying Deer team in 1997 and has been a dedicated mentor, friend, and community member ever since.

🌺 Liam O'Gara started as a camper in 2009, graduated from the Sacred Fire rites-of-passage program, and became a cherished member of our staff.

🌺 Marigold Matlin, age 10, has been a summer camper since 2020!

🌺Esme Ruiz, age 15, first came to Flying Deer as a camper at age 4! She’s now a staff member and a participant in our Luna Moth girls’ rites-of-passage program.

🌺 Tes Reed’s daughters began attending Flying Deer programs in 2003, and Tes started teaching her own programs in the woods soon after. She has served as a Flying Deer board member and staff member, and is currently the co-director of the Luna Moth program.

🔥 Come celebrate 30 years of nature education and community connection. 🔥

When: Saturday, October 17, 2026, 2:30–7:00 pm

Where: PS21, 2981 Route 66, Chatham, NY

Tickets: $10, including a 30th-anniversary bandana (while supplies last); 3 and under free. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

TICKETS in our BIO. Or go directly to our site: https://flyingdeernaturecenter.org/programs/30th-anniversary-celebration/

! ! !

10/15/2026

Every single one of our students has their own Flying Deer story, and we’re so excited to hear some of them this Saturday at our 30th Anniversary gathering at PS21 in Chatham! In this video, longtime Flying Deer parent and board member Sheela Clary explains how she’s helping our storytellers prepare to share their tales for an audience. There’s still time to grab tickets!

10/14/2026

🔥🔥 It's almost here! Our 30th Anniversary Celebration is this Saturday, October 17, at PS21 in Chatham, 2:30–7:00 pm! 🔥🔥

🌺 Get your tickets now, plus a free bandana while supplies last! 🌺

Meet Three More Storytellers, and Our Host! :

🔥 Cindy Parrish is the mother of two former Flying Deer students and was a participant in our early Women in the Woods program. She's nurtured Flying Deer's growth for the past 25 years.

🔥 Meg Agnew is a former Flying Deer participant, mother and grandmother to Flying Deer participants, and a former Board member who played a key role in our move to East Chatham.

🔥 Devin Franklin joined the Flying Deer team in 1997 and has been a dedicated mentor, friend, and community member ever since!

🔥Sheela Clary is a former Board member and Flying Deer parent who will host the storytelling event, and is supporting all our tellers to share their tales!

🌺Event Schedule 🌺

2:30 pm: Grounds open for lawn games, hot beverages, and crepes

3:15–4:45 pm: Storytelling event hosted by former Board Member Sheela Clary

4:45–7:00 pm: Cafe Holli and This and That food trucks; w**e and b**r available

🌿 GET YOUR TICKETS AND GET YOUR BANDANA 🌿

Visit our website to see all the storytellers who will share their tales on Saturday and reserve your tickets now!

!

10/13/2026

🔥 We have a superb new weekly program directed and led by Raei Bridges and Pavina Soukamneuth that we call Mycelium! 🔥

The children are led to explore nature and self through awareness, wilderness skills, presence, communication, and connection.

For their first week together, all shared in team challenges, creating lemonbalm oxymels and fire c***r, ferro rod practice, dying bandanas with intention, and finding their sit spots, of course!

Acorns did need cracking and shelling, and the lemonbalm oxymel was experimented with for taste-sweet or more sour?

Together all played a game of Fire in the Forest- Values Edition by deciding what three group values all wanted to hold this fall. Chosen were caring for the earth, fun, and food!

More acorns needed to be cracked and shelled, and some found and collected acorn weevil grubs.

Speaking of those grubs, a game called Blind Grub was a fun challenge that invited students to communicate with one another as they were blindfolded and led through the forest by the head of an interchangeable grub. This invokes trust, communication, and how to plan and make decisions as a group.

Continuing throughout this semester, Mycelium students will be co-creating with their educators on a campus-wide council space for sit spots and a conversation about nature altars- creating a safe space on the land to express emotions and feel cared for.

🌿🌺 What a beautiful day, thank you, Mycelium students and educators, for your love of nature and connection. This is what Mycelium is all about! 🌺🌿

10/07/2026

🔥 Join us to mark 30 years of nature education and community connection at !🔥

Cafe Holli, This and That Food Truck, and B**r Diviner trucks will be on site for delicious food, b**r, and w**e. Our former Board Member Sheela Clary will be hosting a lovely lineup of storytellers for our 30th.

Check out our Featured Storytellers:

🔥Ravi Seibald, age 7, has been attending camp since 2023, starting as a Forest Kindergartener, and is now in our homeschooling program.

🔥Noah McCarter started as a homeschool student in 2002. He quickly became a leader in the community and stepped into the role of Summer Camp director after a decade of learning, playing, and teaching.

🔥Valentina Luccardi was one of Flying Deer’s earliest summer campers and returned as a counselor in the early 2000s, soon becoming a beloved instructor. She is traveling from New Orleans to be part of this event.

🔥Nathaniel Walcott joined our homeschool program in 2011 and became a skilled peer mentor and instructor.

🔥Meg Agnew and Cindy Parrish are parents of former Flying Deer students and were participants in our Women in the Woods program. They have supported and inspired new programs at Flying Deer and nurtured its growth for the past 25 years.

🔥Devin Franklin joined the Flying Deer team in 1997 and has been a dedicated mentor, friend, and community member ever since.

🔥Liam O’Gara started as a camper in 2009, graduated from the Sacred Fire rites-of-passage program, and became a cherished member of our staff.

🔥Marigold Matlin, age 10, has been a summer camper since 2020!

🔥Esme Ruiz, age 15, first came to Flying Deer as a camper at age 4! She’s now a staff member and a participant in our Luna Moth girls’ rites-of-passage program.

🔥Tes Reed’s daughters began attending Flying Deer programs in 2003, and Tes started teaching her own programs in the woods soon after. She has served as a Flying Deer board member and staff member, and is currently the co-director of Luna Moth program.

Get your tickets now, free bandana with purchase while supplies last. Check our bio for details and info.

! !

10/05/2026

🔥Just two weeks until our 30th Anniversary gathering on October 17 in Chatham!🔥

Meet Four More of Our Storytellers! They'll each tell their stories at the anniversary event!

🌺 Liam O’Gara started as a Flying Deer camper in 2009, graduated from the Sacred Fire rites-of-passage program, and became a member of our staff.

🌺 Esme Ruiz, age 15, first came to Flying Deer as a camper at age 4! She’s now a counselor and a participant in our Luna Moth girls’ rites-of-passage program.

🌺Noah McCarter started as a homeschool student in 2002 and spent 10 years in our community, eventually stepping into the role of Summer Camp director.

🌺Marigold Matlin, age 10, has been a summer camper since 2020!

🔥 Event Schedule 🔥

🌺2:30 pm: Grounds open for lawn games, hot beverages, and crepes

🌺3:15–4:45 pm: Storytelling event hosted by former Board Member Sheela Clary

🌺4:45–7:00 pm: Cafe Holli and This and That food trucks; w**e and b**r available

🔥Get Your Tickets & Your Bandana!🔥 Visit our website to see all the storytellers.🔥

! !

10/03/2026

🌿🌿🌿 It is our 30th Anniversary Celebration! 🌿🌿🌿

Join us to mark 30 years of nature education and community connection on Saturday, October 17, 2026, 2:30–7:00 pm!

In addition to lawn games, crepes, hot drinks,fabulous food, b**r and w**e we have an exciting line up of storytellers to celebrate.

Our Featured Storytellers:

🌺Ravi Seibald, age 7, has been attending camp since 2023, starting as a Forest Kindergartener, and is now in our homeschooling program.

🌺Noah McCarter started as a homeschool student in 2002. He quickly became a leader in the community and stepped into the role of Summer Camp director after a decade of learning, playing, and teaching.

🌺Valentina Luccardi was one of Flying Deer’s earliest summer campers and returned as a counselor in the early 2000s, soon becoming a beloved instructor. She is traveling from New Orleans to be part of this event.

🌺Nathaniel Walcott joined our homeschool program in 2011 and became a skilled peer mentor and instructor.

🌺 Meg Agnew and Cindy Parrish are parents of former Flying Deer students and were participants in our Women in the Woods program. They have supported and inspired new programs at Flying Deer and nurtured its growth for the past 25 years.

🌺Devin Franklin joined the Flying Deer team in 1997 and has been a dedicated mentor, friend, and community member ever since.

🌺Liam O’Gara started as a camper in 2009, graduated from the Sacred Fire rites-of-passage program, and became a cherished member of our staff.

🌺Marigold Matlin, age 10, has been a summer camper since 2020!

🌺Esme Ruiz, age 15, first came to Flying Deer as a camper at age 4! She’s now a staff member and a participant in our Luna Moth girls’ rites-of-passage program.

🌺Tes Reed’s daughters began attending Flying Deer programs in 2003, and Tes started teaching her own programs in the woods soon after. She has served as a Flying Deer board member and staff member, and is currently the co-director of the Luna Moth program.

CLICK ON OUR BIO OR -------> https://flyingdeernaturecenter.org/programs/30th-anniversary-celebration/

!

10/02/2026

Autumn 2026 off to a fun start at Flying Deer! New sit spots were chosen while others decided to try on a new seat!

It's harvest time, and the children made the most of it gathering shagbark hickory nuts (surprisingly sparse, although the squirrels are finding them). Everyone foraged for wild grapes, hawthorn, thimbleberries, and nettles. Roly Polys foraged more autumn olives than in any other previous season!

Saturday Explorers celebrated C***r Fest; the kids set up an outdoor kitchen for prepping and pressing 10 gallons of fresh c***r. There was plenty to share with our friends at Greenagers on April Hill too. Our tradition of celebrating all that is apple includes apple games, of course! Apple toss and apple relay were found to be slightly challenging.

Next week our young Roly Polys will celebrate their own C***r Fest, and they need help. If you are a parent, grandparent, auntie, uncle, or caregiver of a Roly Poly and you know how to chop, mash, and squeeze, please join us. And bring apples!

Our Roly Polys also have a riddle for you: "I can whistle. I can howl. I can scream. And I can whisper, but I do not speak. What am I?" Leave the answer in the comments!

!

09/24/2026

🌿🌿🌿 Meet Four of Our 30th Anniversary Storytellers! 🌿🌿🌿

They'll each tell their stories at an event hosted by former Board Member Sheela Clary! Visit our website to see all the scheduled storytellers and buy your tickets!

🌺 Nathaniel Walcott joined our homeschool program in 2011 and went on to become a skilled peer mentor and instructor.

🌺 Tes Reed is a former Flying Deer parent and board member. She is an outdoor educator and the co-director of the Luna Moth program.

🌺 Ravi Seibald, age 7, started as a camper in 2023, attended Forest Kindergarten, and is now in our homeschooling program.

🌺 Valentina Luccardi was one of Flying Deer’s earliest summer campers and later joined our staff. She is traveling from New Orleans for this event.

🌿🌿🌿Event Schedule 🌿🌿🌿

🌱 2:30 pm: Grounds open for lawn games, hot beverages, and crepes

🌱 3:15–4:45 pm: Storytelling event hosted by former Board Member Sheela Clary

🌱 4:45–7:00 pm: Cafe Holli and This and That food trucks; w**e and b**r available

🌿🌿Join us to mark 30 years of nature education and community connection! 🌿🌿

GET YOUR TICKETS AND YOUR BANDANA WHILE SUPPLIES LAST! : https://givebutter.com/flying-deer-30th-anniversary-celebration-rqcbbf

! !

09/24/2026

💛 Meet Katie, a Flying Deer parent and now a Flying Deer alumna! Katie is a self-described, " hobbit in a fast-paced world " and lover of dandelions.

"Hi, I'm Katie!

When we began considering homeschooling our children, I discovered the forest kindergarten and FOREST programs. I knew I wanted my daughters to experience that kind of learning and connection with nature. I have always loved spending time outside and recall that so fondly from my childhood. I wanted as much of that for my daughters too. I read about Awakening Wild and was interested but wasn't sure if I could make it work for our family. Then after the stories started coming home with my daughter, I had a moment where I realized that if it was so wonderful and grounding for her, then it was worth it for me to try the adult program. Why should kids have all the fun?!

I loved that Awakening Wild brought out part of me that has been buried for a long time. Julie and Raven, along with my fellow AW group, created a welcoming and safe place to play, explore, and learn. We played games together! And everyone was actively playing these wonderful games.

My favorite experience was the final spring overnight. During the day, each of the second years had prepared a challenge for the first years, so we needed to rely on the new skills we'd learned throughout the year. One of the final challenges was to navigate to some of our supplies that were hidden in the swamp. It was just easier for me to go barefoot, albeit with a walking stick, because some of the mud was like quicksand! As I waded out of the swamp, barefoot, with my walking stick and gear, including the woven cattail sleeping mat we'd made earlier in the year, I felt absolutely joyful. It was such an incredible sense of pure joy that I'm romping around in a swamp with other people for fun, and they think it's fun and we're all in it together. And I have never felt so much like a hobbit in my life! "

This program takes place at the same time as Saturday Explorers, so parents and kids can both attend nature programming once a month!

FIND OUR LINK IN OUR BIO OR -------> https://flyingdeernaturecenter.org/programs/awakening-wild/

Flying Deer Nature Center

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