Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is FarmWonders Summer Camp? How to contact us?
- Can my 5 year old child come to the summer camp?
- Why are there different age ranges for each camp?
- If FarmWonders is full, what other Vancouver-based summer camps do you recommend?
- How many staff are on site?
- Are there animals on the farm?
- Do you provide special needs support?
- What is your peanut policy?
- Before and after camp supervision?
- Why is FarmWonders summer camp fee so low?
- Does your summer camp offer camper bursaries?
- What is your camp cancellation policy?
- What is your refund policy?
- When must I pay by?
- How is the summer camp connected to the University of B.C.?
1) Where is FarmWonders Summer Camp? How to contact us?
FarmWonders Summer Camp is physically located at the
UBC Farm Centre
6182 South Campus Road
Vancouver BC
Tel: 604-827-4048 (voice mail only)
Fax: 604-822-6839
But, our mailing address is:
2357 Main Mall
The University of British Columbia
Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4
The Summer Camp can be contacted via email () and snail mail.
2) Can my 5 year old child come to the summer camp?
Yes! Depending on the specific camp. Camp age ranges reflect the camper age by December 31, 2012. Please read on for more details.
Due to the ongoing concerns and challenges with camper ages, we are piloting a new age policy for 2012 which follows that of the Vancouver School Board. The age range listed for each camp reflects the age of the child by December 31 of this year. Unfortunately, the educational nature of our summer camp and the safety of our campers does not permit us to open all camps to 5 year olds who have completed kintergarten. Thus, we have changed the general age range to 7-11. To avoid disappointing those children who have been waiting patiently for their 6th birthday, we opened a few camps with additional instructional capacity to 6 year olds. The new age policy allows 5 year olds who have completed kintergarden to register in these camps with their peers.
Please respect these age restrictions and register your child for the appropriate camp.
Children who are found to be under-age will be required to provide age validation.
3) Why are there different age ranges for each camp?
From our experience, the selected age ranges allows older children to step into a leadership role and the younger children to learn from them. This creates a sense of care and community amongst the campers that is essential in the development of environmental stewardship. Programs are designed to challenge the older children, while allowing hands-on activities that demonstrate these principles to all ages. From building tree forts to analyzing tree-rings, different aged children can learn a variety of skills and knowledge with proper guidance.
The varying age ranges allow us to target specific skill sets to child development levels. Please respect the age limits. Failure to register your child in their proper age category will result in the immediate dismissal of your child from their camp session.
*All 1 week day camps are open to 7-11 year olds. A few selected camps are open to 6 year olds as additional staff are available to help with instruction.
* Spring and SummerFarmers cater to a slightly older age group of 8-13 year olds.
4) If FarmWonders is full, what other Vancouver-based summer camps do you recommend?
UBC Botanical Garden’s Young Explorer Summer Day Camp - Send your child on an environmental and recreational adventure at Canada's oldest continually operating university botanical garden. Young Explorers Summer Day Camp is a weeklong environmental and recreational adventure for children aged 7-11. The camp will create life-long connections with nature, wildlife, plants, science, and the environment through games, crafts and exploration in our 44.5 hectare (110 acres) Garden, the Greenheart Canopy Walkway, and the UBC campus. For information, please visit ubcbotanicalgarden.org.
FUN Camps is a hands-on environmental leadership summer day program that is run at UBC by Friends Uniting for Nature (FUN) Society, a BC based charitable non-profit organization. Activities include: exciting games, sports, arts, drama, hiking, creation of solar powered cars and ovens, bike maintenance workshops and gardening. The age range for the camp is 6-16. Please visit www.funcamps.ca for more information.
The Moss & Sauce Collective presents SUMMER JAM! Summer Jam is a fun, discovery-based summer day camp for children age 7 to 11 in Point Grey near Jericho Beach. Please visit their website for more information: http://summerjam.mossandsauce.com/
5) How many staff are on site?
FarmWonders Summer Camp maintains a 1:10 staff to camper ratio at all times, and will also have camp volunteers that will help supervise the campers.
6) Are there animals on the farm?
The farm maintains a flock of free-range laying hens and will be adding a small herd of Galloway beef cattle that are integrated into the farm's crop rotation. We maintain honeybee hives on site, and sell honey at our markets. As the farm develops, we hope to incorporate more domestic livestock on a small scale to be part of an integrated, model sustainable agricultural system. Beyond domestic livestock, however, the farm teems with wildlife. We manage the site to maintain different types of habitats that support an amazing population of birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles, and small and large mammals.
For more information about the UBC Farm site, please visit http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/ubcfarm/faq.php
7) Do you provide Special Needs support?
Currently, we do not provide special needs support. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
8) What is your Peanut Policy?
FarmWonders Summer Camp does not limit camper nut consumption. However, for the health and safety of all our campers, we do not explicitely cook with peanuts in our cooking activities. Please note, our kitchen is a shared space and we cannot guarantee a peanut-free environment. If your child has severe allergies, please remember to include this information in your registration and alert the FarmWonders leaders.
9) Before and After Camp Supervision?
Unfortunately, we do not provide before and after camp supervision.
10) Why is FarmWonders summer camp fee so low?
Our mission as an educational initiative promoting environmental awareness is to reach as many children as possible; therefore, we endeavor to keep the camper fee as low and as accessible as possible through the generous support of our sponsors and donors. If registrants are able to afford more for their child's summer camp experience, we strongly encourage them to donate to our Bursary Fund, the Education on the Farm Fund or the UBC Farm Fund.
11) Does your summer camp offer camper bursaries?
Yes. Register for a camp and follow the instructions to apply for a bursary at the time of registration. Please make note of the bursary application deadline.
12) What is your camp cancellation policy?
UBC Farm reserves the right to cancel a session by 3:00 pm one week prior to the start date. In such cases, all fees for a cancelled program will be refunded, or participants will be given the option of joining another session if space is available.
13) What is your refund policy?
All requests for refunds must be made in writing. Cancellations received up to TWO WEEKS (14 days) before the first day of the session will be refunded by credit, less a $75 administrative fee for 1-week camp cancellations, or less a $150 administrative fee for 3-week camp cancellations. There are NO REFUNDS given in the two week period prior to the first day of the camp week. Pro-rating and refunds are NOT available for days absent, or for any other reasons, including injuries or illness. T-shirts are non-refundable.
14) When must I pay by?
All fees (i.e. registation fees and wait-list fees) must be paid by credit card at the time of registration. We are unfortunately no longer able to accept cheques.
15) How is the summer camp connected to the University of B.C.?
We are a joint initiative of:
- UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems
- UBC Faculty of Education