Explore the power and mystery of the night! The Know the Night experience at Camp Sealth invites you to explore your relationship with darkness and light by slowing down and connecting with nature in the wild woods of Vashon after sunset. This event is FREE.
Why the night?
In a world where it’s more difficult than ever to find true darkness, the forested wilderness offers a chance to reset. Cars, streets, porches, cities, and our lifestyles keep us well-lit, and as a result, we are less familiar with the dark and more easily unsettled by it. Fear of the dark is innate and can be reawakened at any age, but it is especially prevalent when we don’t allow ourselves to experience it. Thankfully, gently working through challenging circumstances with the right tools can slowly reshape our experiences. Know the Night is a chance to gather with other curious minds to meet the darkness, gradually ease into it, and challenge ourselves if we choose.
Event Details
Arrival: Please arrive between 7:00 pm and 7:30 pm to ensure that you find our parking lot and our meeting site and have time to get comfortable. Activities will begin promptly at 7:30 P.M.
Activities:
- Fire Time: Gather as the sun sets, complete introductions, make a s’more, and learn a song
- Twilight Sit Spot: Immerse yourself in the darkening woods, and have a chance to share what you see, hear, and feel
- Sensory Game: Practice using your non-dominant senses and safely engage and calm your nervous system with fun and silly low-to-middle-energy games
- Night Walk: Choose your level of challenge as you make your way through the dark (and possibly enchanted) woods
- Stargazing: Weather-dependent
Staying the Night: Official activities will end at 10:00 P.M. Cabin rentals will be available for the evening for $50 per cabin. This is the perfect way to experience this evening program if you aren’t local to Vashon, want to extend your stargazing time, or hope to walk along the beach in the morning.
Recommended Ages
All ages and families are welcome, but minors must be accompanied by an adult at all times. This material is aimed at adults and mature teens who can monitor their own physical and emotional safety, but younger campers are still welcome to practice these skills with a chaperone.
Recommended Gear
- Our priority is to provide a place for you to become more comfortable with the night, whatever that means for you. Our activities will involve sitting on the ground and on stumps, walking in the woods, and being in the brush. It will be dark and likely cold—it may even be wet.
- Depending on conditions, you may find it comfortable to wear wool or synthetic base and mid-layers, bring heavier outer layers to add as the night cools, and bring waterproof outer layers, as well as a hat, mitts or gloves, and a change of socks/gloves.
- You may also want to bring a water bottle, thermos of hot liquid, snack, outdoor blanket, hand-warmers/toe-warmers, sit pad, or folding chair.
- We try to do most activities without flashlights or headlamps, but it’s a good idea to carry one for your own safety, even if you don’t use it. We HIGHLY recommend devices with a red light setting, as this will help preserve everyone’s night vision. If your device doesn’t have a red light setting, we will provide red gel filters and painter’s tape to affix them. This can also be used on your phone, if you choose to use your phone flashlight. PLEASE respect other people’s night vision, and avoid using white flashlights whenever possible.
- Folks staying the night in cabins will also need to bring a pillow, sleeping bag, personal overnight toiletries, and any snacks or meals they wish to have. There is no food allowed in cabins, so please prepare to store food in your car.
Registration
Registration is FREE and is open February 8 – March 21. Cabin rentals for the evening are also available
If you have any questions about registration, please contact Kim Roeser at kimr@campfireseattle.org. If you have any questions about the event or activities, please contact event lead and organizer Natalie Copeland at nataliec@campfireseattle.org.