As a number of Two Coyotes Wilderness School campers sat on the edge of a bridge Thursday, June 30, with their legs dangling over a stream at the school's Newtown location at Sticks and Stones Farm, tea was brewing just a few feet away.

The campers had collected black birch and sorrel to brew, and some of them were prepping to drink the tea from bowls they created in the school's Woodland Arts Camp.

Camp Director Karianna Rosenberg said the campers used a coal burn process to make the wooden bowls.

Two Coyotes Wilderness School is a nonprofit organization "dedicated to [nurturing] healthy, whole human beings through building self-awareness, community, and connecting people to nature," according to its website, twocoyotes.org. It offers programs year-round, and summer camp programs are offered at its locations in Newtown, Granby, and New Fairfield.

The Woodland Arts Camp at Two Coyotes is offered for two age groups, 7 to 10 and 11 to 14. The two groups work on different projects, but both learn about nature while exploring through the forest and along streams.

Depending on age, Woodland Arts campers work on learning primitive skill-based arts, according to Ms Rosenberg, like making pendants from found crystals, making natural dyes, using knives to make bow and drill sets to start camp fires, crafting their own paint brushes, making coal burned bowls, and making dreamcatchers.

Ms Rosenberg said Two Coyotes follows a mentoring philosophy - which she said is part of a global movement - that is applied to all activities and events at the school, and mentors were busy on Thursday, working on projects and applying the philosophy with the campers at multiple locations at Sticks and Stones.

Other camps being offered this summer in Newtown include "Forts and Shelters," "Feather, Fur, and Fin," "Wild Theatre," "Magical Forest Theater," and "Fire Wood and Stone," and "Advanced Survival."

"There are a variety of camps," said Ms Rosenberg, who said she started Two Coyotes Wilderness School with Executive Director Justin Pegnataro after the original founders handed over the effort.

"It's been fun," said Ella Cummings, holding up a piece of cordage she made from jute.

Noelle Aube demonstrated how the bow and drill she created could be used.

"It's how you start a fire," she said, moving the bow to create friction. The camp, Noelle said, "is awesome."

Her brother Camryn Gouveia said the group built forts a few days earlier and they roasted marshmallows by a fire.

After the group relaxed by the stream, they started working on lashing techniques with the jute strings.

Young Pups And More

Just down a trail the Coyote Pups Summer Program was underway. The program is for parents and children 5 and younger to experience nature together, according to the school's website. Ms Rosenberg said the program meets once a week, and as the weeks go on the group begins to bond more with nature and each other.

"It really becomes a little mini-village," said Ms Rosenberg. Adding that by the sixth class the group is "family."

On June 30, the Coyote Pups children were climbing through a fort of sticks gathered by parents.

Up a hill from the Coyote Pups, another Woodland Arts group was working around a fire under the guidance of lead mentor Karen Pettinelli. The campers gathered bark to make "tinder bundles," which they then used to practice starting a fire.

Ms Pettinelli said the group was learning the art of fire using the cedar bark.

More campers, just behind a few trees from Ms Pettinelli's group, were working on building structures with sticks.

As one camper went to put a stick in place for a tipilike structure, Ms Rosenberg gently asked what the camper believed the best fit would be for the stick in the structure.

Ms Rosenberg said part of the mentoring process at Two Coyotes is helping build life skills for the campers, and teaching them to be aware of their impact on nature and the people around them.

More information about Two Coyotes Wilderness School, including information on how to register for upcoming camps and programs, is available at twocoyotes.org or 203-843-3112.