Camp Fire Central Puget Sound has a long and proud history of bringing youth into nature and, through immersion and experience, teaching kids to appreciate, enjoy, and respect the natural world.
” Earth Day reminds us that caring for the planet begins with caring for one another. When youth and families connect—sharing time outdoors, learning from nature, and building relationships across generations—we nurture both healthy communities and a healthy Earth. By creating opportunities for families to experience the outdoors together, we inspire young people to develop a lifelong respect for nature and strengthen the bonds that help communities thrive for generations to come.”
Rick Taylor, Executive Director
Building appreciation of the natural world in youth is at the core of our mission and program goals. Some examples of our commitment to outdoor education and sustainability include:
Conservation Easements of Camp Sealth’s Forest and Land
Providing Outdoor Education to King County Schools
Zero Waste Projects at Day Camp
Know the Night
Conservation Easements
Of Camp Sealth’s 380 acres, 260 are permanently protected through 3 conservation easements with King County, the most recent of which was last year. A conservation easement is a method of environmental preservation that “locks” some of the ownership rights on a span of land, specifically development rights. In layman’s terms: 260 acres of Camp Sealth’s densest forest and waterfront can never be bulldozed and built on.
Camp Fire has never had any intentions of developing that land; however, an easement safeguards the natural landscape’s protection to withstand any changes that could come.
To learn more about Camp Fire’s conservation easement, Transfer of Development Rights, and King County’s initiative, read the full blog on last year’s deal.
The Outdoor Education program brings students and schools on site to Camp Sealth for hands on environmental science-focused lessons where students learn about local ecosystems and environmental stewardship.
Our program focuses on hands-on activities where students observe, develop questions, and make connections about the natural world.
“The most important aspect of environmental education is facilitating positive and engaging experiences in nature for students. We hope that these experiences will not only spark a long-term interest in environmental science or outdoor recreation, but also a long-lasting sense of stewardship for nature that will spark students to make future choices that conserve natural resources and protect natural areas.”
Robin Dein, Outdoor Education & Retreats Director
An important development this last year: A major source of funding that supported schools’ ability to access and engage in outdoor education was through government grants that, over the last couple years, have been rolled back. Volunteers with the Washington Outdoor Coalition an advocacy group including Outdoor Education’s Director, Robin, are hard at work organizing, advocating, and building a foundation to restore funding for the program in the next budget cycle to hopefully restore access to this vital education for youth in Washington.
Community Day Camps, our summer day camps running out of parks across king county, honor the environment in two ways. One is helping get kids outside and into local nature over the summers. The second, and lesser known, is the program’s investment in continually reducing it’s carbon footprint through upcycling and zero waste projects. This includes DIY fidget spinners, thoughtful gifts for loved ones, and plenty of creative ventures with newspaper.
TubeCritters: Made from paper towel and toilet paper rolls, construction paper, pipe cleaners, glue, markers, and scissors. It’s an adorable upcycling project that gives materials a second life and the results are genuinely some of the cutest toilet‑paper‑roll animals you’ll ever see. Always a hit with kids and adults alike.
Fidget spinners: A fun, no‑waste craft made from popsicle sticks and sewing‑machine bobbins. Kids create their own colorful spinner and actually use it — on car rides, at school, or while watching TV. It’s a simple project that’s always a hit.
Community Day Camps still have spots available for Summer 2026!
A new program on Camp Fire’s Spring and Fall roster that invites community members to become familiar with and learn to become comfortable with nature after dark.
Night time and darkness can be daunting, especially when out of heavily lit urban areas. Know the Night offers an exploration and an introduction on how to build confidence and comfort with being outside in the dark, and even more importantly how to find appreciation for what night time nature has to teach us.
Our belief and commitment to protecting nature through education is the cornerstone of Camp Fire, written in to the foundation of our program mission and learning goals. We strive to help build the next generation of environmental stewards through direct and indirect education as well as leading the way through our own actions and commitment.
We invited you will join us in this journey. Learn more about volunteering with Camp Fire.
