Introducing: The Birchwood Wilderness Camp Scholarship Foundation
By now, you all know and love Ashley Bredemus, co-owner of Birchwood Wilderness Camp, bird whisperer, photographer, most stylish woman up the Gunflint, Mom to Arlo, engineer behind “White Lightening,” and outdoor extraordinaire. Her and her sweet husband live on the very edge of the BWCA with their lovable pup Arlo and jumbo-sized cat Moses. We love Ashley so much, we wrote about her last year for Women’s History Month here.
And guess what, we’re writing about her for Women’s History Month again this year!!! Why? Because Ashley, Victor, and Dan created a beautiful non-profit. We want to share this great news with you all, because we know this is JUST the type of non-profit the Boreal Bliss community would love to rally around.
You started a non-profit? Wow, this is amazing! What is the purpose of the non-profit?
For more than 50 years we have provided boys the opportunity to join our web of Birchwood family here in the beautiful wilderness of northern Minnesota. As a small, family-owned business, camper tuition fees
support Birchwood and all of the summer adventures we provide. However, we recognize that the cost of attending a session may be beyond the reach of many families. Our goal is to make it within reach for those families who might otherwise not be able to give their child a Birchwood summer.
As of 2022, Birchwood Wilderness Camp now operates a 501-C3 non profit foundation with the sole purpose of awarding scholarships to those campers who otherwise would not be able to attend.
With a focus on BIPOC and low-income families, we aim to award a handful of scholarships each year. This year, we are raising funds to award ten scholarships throughout the summer.
What types of skills and experiences do children learn while at camp?
At Birchwood, we keep our enrollment small by design so we can focus on the things we value most: connection, self-discovery, and a sense of shared purpose. All of the "hard skills" we teach - like canoeing, rock-climbing, and backpacking through our weekly wilderness trips act as the perfect vehicle to deliver lessons that develop "soft skills" - like communication, confidence, conflict resolution, and belief in oneself. Not to mention, the entire summer is spent in a screen-free environment so campers can focus on their most important task - being a kid!
What is the name of your non-profit?
The Birchwood Wilderness Camp Scholarship Foundation
Is there a way we can donate directly to help get more children to camp to explore the BWCA?
Absolutely!
Or via check, which can be made payable to the Birchwood Wilderness Camp Scholarship Foundation, and mailed to:
Birchwood Wilderness Camp
ATTN: Scholarship Foundation
12586 Gunflint Trail, Slip 85
Grand Marais, MN 55604
Is there anything else you’d like us to know?
Contributions to our Scholarship Foundation are tax-deductible and 100% of all donations will be applied to providing a camp experience for a deserving child.
Once you donate, you'll be given access to our camper welcome book where you can leave an encouraging/heartfelt message for the 2023 scholarship recipients. The welcome book is sent out to the campers in the weeks leading up to camp!
We hope you’ll join us in rallying behind this brand new non-profit to help bring more children to the Boundary Waters to gain invaluable life skills and experiences.
Want to retreat with us?
Our summer yoga retreats at Birchwood Wilderness Camp are sold out
we have a few remaining tickets available to our luxurious summer getaway to Madden’s Resort on Gull Lake!
June 2-4, 2023
Madden’s is home to four large pools (indoor and outdoor), including a brand new outdoor saltwater pool, a sauna, several beaches, kayaks, paddleboards, pontoons, pickleball courts and so much more. It’s the best way to kick off summer, and I sure think we deserve it after this VERY LONG WINTER. At this retreat we’ll be offering 17 hours of Continuing Ed credits are available for certified yoga teachers through Yoga Alliance, and any guests wishing to take a deeper dive into yoga can join us for the continuing ed hours, all for no additional fee.
