https://www.treefolkoc.com/schedule
Summer Foragers
Ages 5-9: Young foragers will learn to notice the gifts growing all around us — berries, seeds, herbs, and flowers that thrive in Oregon’s late-summer. We’ll slow down, use our senses, and learn the difference between “look, learn, and leave” plants and those that are safe to gather with care. Campers are sure to discover blackberries on tangled vines, ripening plums, edible blossoms like nasturtium, and fragrant herbs in the garden. We’ll make simple teas, taste garden snacks, create nature journals, and talk about gratitude, permission, and caring for the places we harvest from.
Ages 10-12: Older campers will dive deeper into the art and ethics of responsible foraging in Oregon’s summer season. We’ll learn foundational identification skills, discuss native vs. invasive plants, and explore the science of where plants like to grow and why. Students may work with late-July companions such as wild and garden blackberries, elderflowers or early berries, oxalis, plantain, wild mint, acorns, hazelnuts, edible flowers, and culinary herbs. Together we’ll prepare simple foods like herbal teas, infused honey, or berry-based treats, and explore how different cultures and communities have built relationships with seasonal plants. Campers will leave with a deeper understanding of reciprocity: take little, notice much, give thanks, and care for the land that nourishes us.
Visible Mending and Natural Dyes
Ages 5-9: Young artists will discover how plants — and even kitchen scraps — can become beautiful natural dyes. Using onion skins, turmeric, berries, leaves, and other gathered plant materials, campers will experiment with color on fabric and paper, noticing how heat, sunlight, and time transform what we see. We’ll also add simple iron-on patches to our our hand-dyed items — turning small stains or tears into celebrations of texture and color.
Ages 10-12: Older campers will step more deeply into the craft of natural color-making, learning how people across cultures have used plants to dye cloth for generations. Using kitchen and garden materials — like onion skins, avocado pits, marigold, blackberry, and other seasonal plants — we’ll explore mordants, fiber choices, and dye baths to create rich, layered colors.
Campers will also learn visible mending techniques such as sashiko-style stitching, patch-making, and creative repairs — transforming worn garments into artful, meaningful pieces with story and soul. This week blends sustainability, handcraft tradition, and personal expression — encouraging campers to see clothing not as disposable, but as something to care for, honor, and renew.
Botanical Printmaking
Ages 5-9: Young artists will explore the patterns, shapes, and textures found all around us in the natural world. Using leaves, seed pods, flowers, bark, and other found treasures, campers will experiment with printing on both paper and fabric — discovering how simple materials can create beautiful repeating designs. Together we’ll also make magical turmeric sun prints, letting light itself help create our artwork. This camp encourages curiosity, care for nature, and confidence in self-expression as children learn that art can grow from the land we love.
Ages 10-12: In this hands-on printmaking week, older campers will dive deeper into the art and craft of creating images through repeated patterns and impressions. Students will explore composition, carving techniques, and design thinking as they create their own lino-cut prints, alongside natural-object printing and turmeric sun prints. We’ll print on both paper and fabric, experimenting with how texture, repetition, and layering bring artwork to life. Campers will leave with original prints, hand-printed textiles, and a growing sense of themselves as artists whose work is rooted in curiosity, patience, and relationship with the natural world.
Ages: 5-11
Location: Oregon City, OR
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