By Taylor Shephard

Found right in Durham, NC, the exceptional Schoolhouse of Wonder takes all the highlights of childhood and packs it in to one spectacular program. The Schoolhouse of Wonder is a camp situated on the Eno River that hosts a summer camp, family events, and day-off school activities all throughout the year. Familiarizing myself with this program allowed me to see the intricate facets of the staff, activities, and vision they try to achieve: “through our hands on, nature based adventures we create kind, curious and confident kids.” Capturing the innocent and pure moments between simply the children and nature had been my intent from the beginning, but ultimately I became enthralled with the passion and excitement emanating from every counselor, staff member, kid and parent. Documenting the program itself that allowed such pure interactions transformed the brief moments caught on film into a dynamic and special storyline.

In the end, the relationship between people and the land they live on can be very intimate and the role the Schoolhouse of Wonder plays in integrating the people with the pure wild environment is one to be cherished. I want to thank the people who made this possible: the staff and counselors, children and families who allowed me to take their photos, as well as my teacher Susie Post-Rust.