Queer Ecology

Teen Day Camp

Ages 13-17 | July 27-31
Registration Opens March 15th

Register Here

What can the forest teach us about being ourselves?

Queer Ecology is a camp for LGBTQIA2S+ teens and allies to spend time together outdoors—making friends, getting curious about the living world, and celebrating the wild creativity of being human. In nature, diversity is the rule: forests thrive through relationship, transformation, and endless variation. Together, we explore what it means to belong in that web of life.

While this camp is not a counselling-program (as it has been in previous years), it is held with care and intention. Our facilitators support a welcoming environment where teens can relax, express themselves, and draw inspiration from the living world around them. This space centers connection—with the land, with one another, and with the many ways we can show up in the world.

Come spend the day outside with us—where the moss is soft, the friendships are strong, and the forest reminds us that there are a thousand ways to grow.

Over the week we will have opportunities to:

  • Nerd out about queer creatures, behaviours & experiences in the natural world

  • Wildcraft with natural materials

  • Make herbal medicines to support our well-being

  • Wander through the woods and find the stories of queer creatures who have come before us

  • Explore identity and belonging through Dress-Up, Photoshoots and Dance parties!

  • Empower ourselves to hide & seek with choice — practicing stealthcraft as a realm of and safety-making wisdom

  • Play, Run, Jump, and cultivate deeper comfort in our bodies

  • Make plenty of time to simply just be in kinship together

  • Make new friends (human and non-human)!

  • Curriculum

    Take a more in-depth look at our forest school and wilderness awareness curriculum to see what skills and experiences your child can expect to learn.

    Learn more

  • Campus

    View our unique outdoor classroom. 50 acres of forest surrounded by park land. Seasonal creek, waterfall & yurt.

    Learn more

  • Mentors

    Get to know the team behind Thriving Roots Wilderness School and learn more about your child’s program mentors.

    Learn more

  • Summer Camp Parent

    “Thank you for all the thought and care you put into making this week so special for the kiddos. You went over and above and the extra attention you gave the kids was phenomenal. What you offer is a truly unique experience and so valuable. You gave them boundaries to keep their bodies and minds safe, but freedom to explore and express themselves. I am so grateful!”

  • Thriving Roots parent

    “This program lets [my daughter] be her wild self, without school teachers or parents. I really value the style of mentoring and the guidance it gives while still maintaining each individual’s needs and ideas.”

  • Thriving Roots Parent

    “My daughter’s confidence has really grown in the past few years in these programs. It has really helped her socially, in part because of the multi-age environment. Her knowledge of the outdoors becomes deeper each year, and her ability to express it and teach others is so amazing! This program let’s her be her wild self, without school teachers or parents. I really value the style of mentoring and the guidance it gives while still maintaining each individual’s needs and ideas.”

  • July 27-31, 2026. Monday, 9:30am - Friday, 3:30m @ Beaver Lake Ponds

  • Fee: $595 + gst. Price includes camp t-shirt.

    Cancellation & Refund Policy: Please note that your camp fee includes a deposit and is non-refundable. Please familiarize yourself with our Registration Policies before registering.

  • Alice and Corina will be your Queer Ecology mentors. They will be supported by Kip, who founded this program in the summer of 2023 and is ready to pass the torch - they may even come hang out a bit during the week :)

    The team may also be joined by an apprentice from our Tend the Fire Apprenticeship program.

    Read more about the Thriving Roots team here.

  • We are committed to offering needs-based Equity Fund Discounts to those who would not otherwise be able to attend our camps due to experiencing systemic barriers to wealth accumulation. Read more and apply here.

    If you are eligible for coverage for Registered Therapeutic Counselling, you may be able to submit your receipt for this offering to your respective benefit plans.

  • We have limited space available in our programs for students with high needs. (We define 'high needs' as any designation and/or behavioural or emotional need that would require extra support i.e. ADHD, Autism, physical disability, any need for 1:1 support.)

    To ensure our mentors have the relevant experience and capacity to provide the support your child needs, please fill out our Student Support – High Needs form before registering and make sure to familiarise yourself with our Registration Policies.

Camp Details

Register Here