Member Spotlight: Eagle’s Nest Foundation

Our children are growing up in a time where electronics are everywhere. Hours are spent in front of screens:  computer, video game, TV, and phone. Electronics make our lives easier, but often at the cost of our connection to the natural world. Now, more than ever, we must make an effort to connect our children with the natural world.  

Eagle’s Nest Foundation has discovered ways to bring out the “wild side” of children. Created in 1950, this non-profit organization oversees Eagle’s Nest Camp, Eagle’s Nest Hante Adventures and The Outdoor Academy. Their mission is “hands-on education for young people while encouraging them to appreciate nature and challenges them to improve their character.”  The Outdoor Academy is an academic semester school for High School Sophomores, where they learn the curriculum while fostering a deep connection to nature. Hante Adventures offers challenging wilderness courses for 13-17 year olds, and Eagle’s Nest Camp is a summer camp for 6-17 year olds. Eagle’s Nest Foundation is one of PEA’s newest Savings Partners and offers PEA members a $15 voucher to spend at the camp store (Canteen) during Eagle’s Nest Camp.   

Eagle’s Nest Camp is located in the Pisgah Forest of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. They are accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA), but find out for yourself the quality of the extraordinary programs they offer. In their mission to provide experiential education and betterment of character, they draw on the natural world as their focus. Campers learn rock climbing, whitewater paddling, biology, pottery, forest survival, African drum, woodworking, and the list goes on.  They also offer special, overnight backpacking treks into the Pisgah Forest area wilderness and trips down the French Broad River. The camp is a nurturing community where children learn more about themselves, accomplish new feats, and build confidence and self-esteem.

Sound too good to be true? It’s not. Check out their website and know that if you sign a child up for Eagle’s Nest Camp it will leave a lasting impression. As our future leaders, it is imperative that our children feel a part of the natural world, learn to wonder what it holds, and know that they have the ability and the power to protect it.