F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Company will again be hosting Ravenwood Outdoor Learning Center day camps this summer on its forest lands between Columbia Falls and Whitefish. The center will also host camps in Bigfork and Kila this summer to round out offerings in the valley.

The land use partnership aims to connect valley kids and families with working forests by offering a variety of educational experiences on the timber company’s vast local landholdings.

Ravenwood specializes in connecting naturalist mentors with area children and families, providing fun and meaningful outdoor experiences designed to expand awareness and deepen appreciation for healthy forests and communities. Campers will learn tracking and wilderness skills, edible and medicinal plant identification, fire skills, handcrafts, and immerse in the principles of a healthy working forest.

“We’ve enjoyed working with Ravenwood to ‘get the woods into our kids’ and helping to reinforce the connections between healthy forests and healthy communities,” Stoltze’s Lands and Resource Manager, Paul McKenzie, said. “Stoltze has learned that getting people, especially children, out in the woods is the first vital step toward gaining a better appreciation for their dependence on these natural resources.”

The roster of camps serve kids from ages 6-15 and include a special week for kids with Type I Diabetes in partnership with the Northwest Healthcare Foundation, Diabetes Care Center, and the local Lion’s Club.

In addition to the kids’ camps, Ravenwood will offer a three-day “Community Camp” this summer, open to families and interested community members. The campout will take place in Kila, Aug. 8-10. Details can be found on the center’s website.

Named “Business of the Year” by the Montana Environmental Education Association in 2009, Ravenwood is a community-based non-profit organization celebrating its 10th year of experiential learning for kids and adults, and connecting people with nature, community, and self.

Program sponsor Tamarack Brewing Company, the Whitefish Community Foundation, Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy Foundation, private donors, and local civic organizations help provide support and scholarships for all Ravenwood summer camps. Sibling discounts are available.

Call Brett at 260-8620 for more information and visit the website at www.RavenwoodOLC.org for more on registration, fees, and other Ravenwood programs.