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Village of Cumberland offering survival camp for kids during Christmas break

A brand new wilderness skills program offered in Cumberland this holiday break promises to teach important wilderness survival skills while also providing kids with a fun, post-Christmas mini-adventure.
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Kester Reid, of Fianna Wilderness School, has partnered with Cumberland Recreation to deliver a two-day kids’ survival camp Dec. 30 and 31. Photo supplied

A brand new wilderness skills program offered in Cumberland this holiday break promises to teach important wilderness survival skills while also providing kids with a fun, post-Christmas mini-adventure.

The two-day “Fianna Survival Camp: Fire & Shelter” is a joint program offered by the Village of Cumberland and Fianna Wilderness School, which describes itself as “wilderness education for the land and soul.” It runs on Dec. 30 and 31 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for children ages five to 12.

“This new program offers a bit of an exciting twist on our typical winter day camps,” said Ryan Parton, recreation co-ordinator for the Village of Cumberland. “Participants will learn important survival skills like fire-making and shelter-building, but there will also be plenty of games, challenges, exploration and other outdoor fun. Fianna’s other programs have been getting great reviews and we’re really excited about this one.”

The camp’s leader, Fianna co-founder Kester Reid, has extensive experience with outdoor schools in B.C. and the Canadian North, and he’s worked for several years with the Achuar and Kichwa peoples of the Ecuadoran Amazon. His goal is to support children in their curiosity, awareness and engagement with the land, and to provide fun experiences that deepen their connection to the land they call home.

Cumberland Recreation also offers two more traditional winter day camps Jan. 2 and 3, in which kids will enjoy nature art, forest games and other indoor/outdoor activities.

Registration for Fianna Survival Camp: Fire & Shelter, plus the other winter day camps, is done through Cumberland Recreation. To register or find out more, visit www.cumberland.ca/recprograms or call 250-336-2231.