KINDLING Grandcamping on the Rise
Hit the trail, but leave THE PARENTS BEHIND
A THIRD WHEEL—or generation—can really get in the way on a camping trip. That’s why a few wise companies have started organizing outdoor adventure and camping programs strictly for grandpar- ents and grandchildren—parents have to find their own fun. “It’s a unique learning experience,” says
Despina Gakopoulos of Elderhostel, a non- profit group that organizes more than 400 inter-generational programs around the world. “Grandparents and grandchildren say they get to know more about each other when they spend time without the parents around.” She says the outdoor ad- venture trips are growing in popularity as outdoor activities like camping and rock climbing become more mainstream. Myrna Boulding started running Elder-
hostel’s inter-generational programs in 1986 at Strathcona Park Lodge on Vancou- ver Island. “The programs and activities are designed so the two generations learn
Trumpeting their Return
News of rebounding TRUMPETER SWAN populations is
reverberating across EASTERN WETLANDS
Having a grand time. PHOTO: IAN MERRINGER
and experience new things together,” she says. “It’s a real bonding experience.” Most of Elderhostel’s programs are run
by a camp or resort like Strathcona, where the week-long program is really just sum- mer camp with the grandparents. Groups of grandkids and grandparents learn to canoe, rock climb, hike and then camp
EARLY LAST CENTURY, the trumpeter swan seemed doomed. By 1933 only 33 breeding pairs remained in Canada, all of them in the West. Today, thanks to volunteer-run reintroduction programs like the one in the Wye Marsh near Mid- land, Ontario, Eastern Canada may soon have self-sustaining populations again. Family Camping waded into the Wye
Marsh and caught up with Diane, a sec- ond-generation marsh resident, for her thoughts.
Family Camping: Are trumpeter swans still in need of protection?
Diane: Look at these wings. They’re three metres across. Think of the beat- ing I’d give a mink. My main flap, Jack, encouraged a snapping turtle to relo- cate last week and the two of us made the human change her mind about weighing our cygnets yesterday. Mostly we take care of ourselves, but I’m not about to refuse extra help.
FC: What about hunters?
“I’m back and I’m proud.”
Diane: Hunters? No. Swan meat isn’t tasty. You’ve heard of Turkey Tuesday? Spread the word!
overnight under the watchful eye of an instructor. It’s no torture test though. If grandparents don’t feel up for anything— including a night on a camp mattress—they can always opt out. Boulding says both generations make new
friends in the groups. “I don’t know which generation has more fun.”—Ryan Stuart
FC: But swans were hunted.
Diane: Can you keep a secret? See my down? It’s five centimetres thick. Win- ter is easy for me. The problem was, some plucker thought down would make great pillows. There were some tough times. But allergens became a problem and now down is for the birds again.
FC: Is your habitat getting crowded?
Diane: Fall reunions are hectic. It’s true my mother was the first wild trumpeter to nest in the Wye Marsh in 200 years, but she raised 70 cygnets. This marsh holds one-third of Ontario’s population so it would be nice if we could spread out a bit more.
FC: So, is your future secure?
Diane: I’m safe. My nest is safe. But what about my cygnets? Where will they nest? Every year we hear rumours that another wetland is gone. I know of swans that live in marinas but that’s no place to nest. Speaking of which, if you don’t mind, I have a nest to build.
—Patricia Kerr FAMILY CAMPING 5
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