Here is what campers, parents, and teachers are saying about Ekone:

" What makes Ekone Summer Camps special is friendship, integerty, respect, and most of all fun! Friendship could be with anybody like one or more of the horses, but it doesn't have to be horses it could be a staff or a kid that you could share anything with them. Any of them will listen to you. Integerty is for when you're doing chores and you help some people out so then you could be remembered, but a lot of people will remember you no matter what. Respect, if you don't respect others they won't respect you. Do you want to be treated unrespectful? Fun, fun is when you ride the horses, doing crafts, playing games, out in the campfire, stories, doing your fun chores, and plenty more. That is what makes Ekone Summer Camps special and magical."

     - Kortney, Camper (12 yrs)

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Dear Trail Bosses,
 
I had the great pleasure of watching my 9 year old granddaughter Paulie develop an earnest focus and concentration that was a wonder to me! And, she had such fun her very first week away from her family—with NO CALLS HOME! That is in itself a win—that she felt so safe, secure and assured in herself all week long. Thank you for your love and hard work.

     - Judy Todd, founder of NatureConnect Excursions

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The following is a letter from Nancy Pierce, 4th Grade Teacher at Portland Waldorf School, written after her class spent four days at Ekone Ranch.

Dear Ekone Staff and Residents,

Now we have been back at school a little more than a week from our Ekone Ranch visit and the fourth graders and their parents continue to talk about their time at the ranch.  The 4 days and 3 nights at Ekone effected each student deeply and probably each in a different way.  It has been such fun to hear them share their favorite memory with their parents and with their other teachers.  For most it was riding the horses, and for others it was the food and working in the cookhouse or the feeling of freedom that came from their truly free playtime (a rarity for city children).  A few simply state that "it was all perfect" when asked for their special memory.  The parents who accompanied the visit were just as positive and are hoping the class can return to Ekone in perhaps 7th grade for a different experience for the then-12-13 year olds.  I have received nothing but positive feedback from all families involved.

My favorite memory is the contrast of our first afternoon hike and the inability of any student to walk in silence for even a minute or two on that hike.  Each was so filled with city-life stimulation that quiet walking and simple looking was not possible. Then on the last morning the same request for a silent walk was completely successful.  By then the children had actually arrived at Ekone Ranch and could be there in completeness and have their senses open to that in-the-moment ranch experience.  That experience will live with them forever - even when it has been covered with more recent conscious thoughts, each will have a small part of themselves that connects with the beauty and freedom of a sacred spot.  And that is where true life-long love for our earth arises and the inner desire to help protect our planet lives. I have been a teacher long enough to recognize that it is these small seeds of true experiences that will live and flourish when the time is right.

Several of my students receive regular remedial assistance from other teachers at PWS and these teachers have also remarked on the increased self-confidence and focus that appears to have come from our visit to Ekone.  Whether this continues into the future remains to be seen, but each of the children and their teachers has now had a glimpse into a different way of being and we all know that this lives in the child. The day after we returned to school we spent several hours constructing dream catchers from the Ekone Ranch willow branches and feathers collected there.  Every student worked in such a focused manner to build a dream catcher - and it was not an easy project for many - and then took it home to hang over their bed.  It was a great way to connect the ranch experience to their home.

Our thanks to you and all your co-workers for a wonderful experience.  Best of luck as you plan for the future and envision  what the future for Ekone Ranch might hold.  I recognize it was a stretch to host our 31 students and the needed number of adults, but your willingness  brought the gift of Ekone to large number of people.  Please pass our appreciation and thanks on to all involved with Ekone Ranch.

Warmly,
Nancy