Nature Based Family Camp Unveiled in Southern Maine With Support from L.L.Bean

The Ecology School announced that enrollment is open on two sessions of a newly envisioned family camp to be held on the school’s newly completed 105-acre regenerative campus, situated on the shores of the Saco River only a few miles from the beach.

Saco, Maine (June 9, 2021) —The Ecology School announced today that, with the help of outdoor retail giant L.L.Bean, it is launching this summer a newly imagined, ecologically-inspired River Bend Farm Family Camp. The program will welcome as many as 15-25 families per session to a newly unveiled 105-acre regenerative green campus on the shores of the Saco River in southernmost Maine. The program has been designed to provide unique opportunities for families to unplug and enjoy the outdoors in an exquisite natural setting that includes farm fields, hardwood forests, streams, rivers, and is only a short distance from the ocean and sandy beaches.

Starting this July, River Bend Farm Family Camp will welcome families to its newly completed award winning campus, which includes comfortable private accommodations in a modern green dormitory; delicious locally sourced meals from a state-of-the-art Poland Spring Education and Dining Commons; and an exciting new L.L.Bean-funded waterfront area equipped premium outdoor recreational equipment.  River Bend Farm Family Camp will offer a blend of free time and curated activities guided by expert educators. For more information, to see a complete list of daily activities, and to register, please visit www.theecologyschool.org/family-camps.

Dates, Prices and Details
River Bend Farm Family Camp will run over two sessions and can accommodate 50 participants (or 15-25 families) per session.  Dates for 2021 are as follows:

SESSION 1: SUNDAY, JULY 25 – WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 2021

SESSION 2: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8 – MONDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2021

Pricing begins at $1,096 for one adult (18+) and one child (age 3 to 17). Additional family member pricing is available.

 Support from L.L.Bean signifies outdoor brand’s commitment to time spent outside
A $500,000 charitable gift from L.L.Bean is supporting three major components of The Ecology School’s $14.1 million regenerative campus. The gift will be employed in the construction of a new arrival plaza, a new waterfront area for recreation and environmental education, and a three-year sponsorship of River Bend Farm Family Camp.

 L.L. Bean’s $500,000 charitable gift marks one of the outdoor retailer’s largest charitable contribution to a Maine nonprofit thus far in 2021 and the third largest charitable gift that the outdoor brand has bestowed to date in 2021. It is one of the largest charitable gifts ever received by The Ecology School.

“We are so grateful for this generous gift from L.L.Bean and energized by the fact that they wanted to invest in our work,” said The Ecology School President/CEO and co-founder Drew Dumsch. “All of these important gifts have allowed us to fulfill our hope of creating a welcoming campus of national significance.”

Dumsch noted that L.L.Bean’s support of the campus arrival plaza, the new waterfront area, and the annual Family Camp is perfectly in keeping with the outdoor brand’s commitment to the wellbeing of others through time spent outside. L.L.Bean Executive Chairman Shawn Gorman noted the significance of the gift in a prepared statement.

“We know that time outside can have a tremendous impact on our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing,” said Shawn Gorman, Executive Chairman of L.L.Bean. “We’re proud to partner with The Ecology School as they focus on helping people of all ages learn about the world around them through an outdoor-first education approach.”

To learn more about the gift: https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/518423?nav=C4t518423-517561

About The Ecology School
The Ecology School is a nonprofit education center that transforms how people think about nature and the environment. Through joyful, hands-on, experiential programming students of all ages learn to become stewards of the environment as they explore local forests, coastal ecosystems, and food systems. Since 1998, The Ecology School has hosted more than 187,000 students and teachers from across the country, educating about the environment and our collective impact on the planet. In 2019, The Ecology School broke ground on its new campus at River Bend Farm in Saco, Maine. The Ecology School will model some of the most sustainable building in the Northeast. Learn more at TheEcologySchool.org and follow The Ecology School on Facebook @EcologySchool, Instagram @TheEcologySchool and Twitter @ecologyschoolME.