To our Walden Families,

We are so excited for the summer of 2022, and we cannot wait to be back together with our incredible Walden community. We have been busy planning and preparing for the summer ahead. As always, we are committed to balancing the care-free and joyous experience that is Walden, while also doing everything possible to ensure our campers and staff are safe and well cared for.

Last summer, with the limited rollout of vaccines as well as the high numbers of serious illnesses, we felt it best to create a “bubble” in order to ensure the safety of our community. We feel fortunate that the magnitude and fear of Covid has lessened. In the present climate, we are grateful that the risks of Covid are not nearly as severe to our vaccinated community. However, as we are all aware, communal living environments can create a higher risk of exposure and spread of Covid-19. As much as we hope to keep Covid out of camp, we understand that this might not be possible. We all know that Covid in the camp environment has different consequences than Covid at home. While we plan to run the summer as “normal” as we possibly can, we must find a comfortable balance as we look to mitigate the risks and to plan for all contingencies. We will continue to carefully monitor conditions and adjust our plans and protocols as needed.

One of our camp’s biggest strengths is the sense of community that we create. Even in this privileged experience, it is not about one of us, it is about all of us. We are a place that takes great care of each other and in order to keep our community healthy and safe, prior to camp and throughout the summer, we will all need to work together. This is a partnership, and we feel grateful for our incredible Walden families and our extraordinary staff. We must each do our part to ensure that everyone entering camp has been extremely careful in the days and weeks prior to arrival. All campers and staff will need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, including boosters (for those eligible). Most of our staff will arrive to camp weeks before our campers. Our Covid testing protocols (outlined below) are based on up to date guidance from medical experts in the field, the CDC, the NYSDOH, and the American Camp Association.

As always, we strive to be transparent with you, as our partners, in creating this safe and powerful experience for our children. Please read the protocols carefully so that we are all unified in our commitment to the well-being of our entire community. We are confident that Walden can provide the safety, spirit, and love that we all have become accustomed to.

As you know, we are available and so happy to discuss anything with you.

With so much love and excitement,
Lauren, Mark, and Robyn