BYM Camps and the Rolling Ridge Conservancy
Stony Run is fortunate to be part of an active, deeply rooted youth camping program. Baltimore Yearly Meeting launched its camping program more than 100 years ago. It has since grown into three separate summertime residential retreats for youth and a roving teen adventure program, each grounded in Quaker values and principles.
In 2023, Baltimore Yearly Meeting entered into a 40-year renewable lease for Opequon Quaker Camp at the Rolling Ridge Conservancy and Friends Wilderness Center outside Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Originally owned by a Quaker family, the 1,600-acre property was placed into a conservation easement in the 1990s. BYM holds the lease to 250 of those acres while maintaining access to the full 1,600 acres.*
Rolling Ridge Conservancy and Friends Wilderness Center host outdoor educational programs and events throughout the year, inspiring stewardship of our earth. As Quakers, environmental stewardship is paramount to our testimonies.
Now, Rolling Ridge is asking for our help. Its Ridge 2 River Ramble project is a yearlong effort to identify the species that call its campus home. The Conservancy is conducting an updated assessment of the species present at Opequon and across the greater Rolling Ridge landscape to guide future planning.
By the end of the summer, Rolling Ridge Conservancy's community of naturalists had achieved the following:
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Identified Over 1,000 Species: Documented a diverse snapshot of local biodiversity across the conservancy.
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Engaged 100+ Community Contributors: Enabled more than 100 naturalists to actively log observations and contribute to local citizen science.
How can you help? Sign up to receive updates on the Ridge 2 River Ramble here, and you will learn ways that you, as a citizen scientist, can document your finds at the home of our Quaker Camp Opequon.
*DiMenichi, Sharlee. "Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s Camp Opequon to Move." Friends Journal, October 18, 2023, https://www.friendsjournal.org/baltimore-yearly-meetings-camp-opequon-to-move/