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2026 Program

This is very much a work-in-progress, not a final plan by any means! Your opinions and contributions are welcome.

Introduction

At the end of 2025 a lot of the public areas of the camp had been destroyed, and the sentiment among the campers was that certain parts of our public offering were at best boring and at worst inconsistent with their own goals and ambitions for the camp. As such in fall 2025 we started working on a new interactive program for the camp. This document is intended as a draft of how the camp layout will change so that we can start building anew for 2026.

    Public

  • PUBLIC
    The AREASCafe At Future Turtles 

    We will have one, unified public space called the Cafe, featuring:

    • bike parking
    • streetside lighting (24 whips)
    • bring back the antenna?
    • THE CAFE AT FUTURE TURTLES
      • The centerpiece of our space: a public-facing bar visible and accessible from the street
        • mostly non-alcoholic cold drinks
        • coffeecounter/bar
          • icedoffering coffeean interesting beverage program day and brewednight hotand coffeepossibly cansnacks belike available self-serveQuesadillas
          • espressobar drinksstools madeand bybistro baristasseating in the shade
          • turtle sign integrated into bar
        • newburn futurebarrel turtlesat signnight above
            the
          • wicker barchairs visibleand from the streetsofas
        • seatingLED aroundwhips severalto tablesdefine
            and
          • smaller,decorate intimatethe tablesspace thatat invite conversation
          night
        • nighttimebike burn barrel
        • activation area
          • Gaywatch
          • Small stage for acoustic music / lectures and talks / the rare DJed party
            parking

      Cafe will be multipurpose, suitable for programs like:

      • Observation decks
          • Saturday night welcome ceremony and party
          • Coffee bar
          • Cold drinks in the afternoons (mostly non-alcoholic, with themes)
          • Gaywatch sunscreen station
          • Quiet lounge music (conversation, not dancing)
          • A place for turtles to eat their meals

      Private

       

      Retired

      Some things are not coming back in 2026 to simplify the program and the camp, although they might be available in a reduced format if desired:

        •  Gayflower is kaput 

       

       

          • Available to check out the view but not requiring integration into the café
      • PRIVATE AREAS
        • No more dining room  in 2025 we will experiment with Turtles bringing their meals out to the café to eat, to encourage socializing with the public
        • The Turtle Tent (which can be closed for rain and wind protection)
          • Adjacent to the food fort
          • During lunch and any other camp meals, a serving line is put out where the chefs serve the meals
            • campers take their meals out to the café, weather permitting. In inclement weather we can move tables in from the café so campers can eat inside
          • Camper cubbies
          • Feed Yourself station
            • Cereal library and quick breakfast options 
            • Curated selection of snacks
            • Evening and overnight, pre-made meals are put out which can be heated in microwave
          • Ice water 
          • Ice gatorade 
          • Hand washing station 
          • Canteen filler
          • Silent Camp Meetings (actually a large whiteboard with required reading)
          • Trash sorting, with sign for detailed instructions
            • Compost
            • Special wood plates and wood cutlery containers
            • Crushed cans
            • Landfill
            • Extra garbage bags
          • Cleaning supply station
          • Lost 'n' Found shelves, with detailed instructions
        • Food Fort
        • Turtle Shade Structure
          • No ground tarps this year
          • All side slopes are mesh
          • Add lots of external sloped ratchet straps 
          • Wind facing shiftpods get extra bracing (guylines and ground pins)
        • Lotus Belle 20'
          • Consider draping dark fabric inside to keep it darker and cooler
        • Pillow Fort
          • Now for campers only
          • Designate some area for storage. Last year's 12x10 was great, maybe inside the turtle shade
        • Bike Fort
        • Tool Fort
        • Gayflower
        • Empire Fort