Wilderness Kids Students Find Joy in the Unexpected

Wilderness Kids venture out to Ocean City, MD while camping in Pocomoke River State Park.

On our last trip of the summer, ten Wilderness Kids students headed to Ocean City, MD. Though home base was the Shad Landing Campground in Pocomoke River State Park, most of the time was spent on the beach in Ocean City. Out of all the fun activities the students enjoyed–including swimming, burying a friend in the sand, an impromptu soccer game, and walking on the Ocean City Boardwalk–body surfing was the absolute favorite. By the end of the trip, some of the students were one with the water as they rode waves with ease. It was quite a sight. 

Left to Right: Jimmy takes a break from body surfing but refuses to get out of the water; Oscar enjoys the cool sand that he was buried in; Lubi, Eimy, and Adriana pose in front of a gorgeous sunset.

The highlight of the last night at Shad Landing was stargazing. Through forming rain clouds, students were able to get a glimpse of the Perseids Meteor Shower, which can be observed every year from mid-July to late August. Students were lucky to be at the park during the peak of the celestial event. They were also fortunate to have a park employee share her knowledge of astronomy and the history of the Perseids as they laid on their mats, looking up at the night sky. 

Even more memorable than the Perseids was the lesson we carried home. A key takeaway from the trip was that when things don’t go as planned, our Wilderness Kids students know how to make the best of it—whether that’s turning canceled surf lessons into a body-surfing adventure or laughing as they run for cover from the rain that rudely interrupted their stargazing. We are proud to have such amazing students join us on our adventures.

Left: Adriana says peace out to the Ocean City Boardwalk. Right: Lubi and Adriana light up the campground with their glow stick creations before we head out for stargazing.