About our new session names
Over the past year, we have put a lot of thought into how we name our youth sessions.
This has been a community-wide conversation, and not without road bumps and disagreements along the way. The fact is, Unirondack has had the same names for its youth sessions for a very long time. The previous names, Barton, Channing, Parker and Ballou, were chosen in recognition of famous and influential Unitarian Universalists. The names have become emblematic of the camp experiences they label. These names are tied to countless positive memories that span decades. Having the same session names over the years has connected campers across time and generations. And letting them go has meant feelings of loss and grief for all of us who feel a connection to Unirondack’s past.
So why did they change? The truth is, our camper community has been pushing for this change for a long time. Our youth have asked for session names that better represent their experience at Unirondack today. Our camper population has grown and diversified, meaning fewer and fewer campers are familiar with and invested in famous Unitarian Universalists. They have also expressed valid critique of the practice of naming things after predominantly male, white, affluent historical figures. This naming convention, which is common in a lot of European and Western spaces, is deeply at odds with many of the values we hold as a community - values of uplifting marginalized voices, decentering dominant narratives, and challenging the status quo. The practice of naming things after influential people has also been identified as a deeply colonial practice that runs counter to the naming traditions of Indigenous peoples on this continent, and has been used throughout colonial history as a tool for erasing Indigenous place names, practices, and presence across the continent. Our youth are paying attention. They have noticed a place where our values and our practices don’t align. And they have called for change.
Last year, when we restructured our session age brackets and created three new session types, we realized we had an opportunity. One of the things that makes the Unirondack community unique is the way we hold the concept of tradition. Our traditions are meant to create meaning and bring us together. They enrich our experience at camp in so many ways. But many communities fall into the trap of holding traditions that no longer serve them. “Tradition for tradition’s sake” is a value that can harm communities. It can create barriers and exclusion. At Unirondack, we have decided that yes, traditions are important. But our people are more important. Above all else, we believe in creating a space that welcomes old and new community members in equal measure. We value the ways new voices can help us see the cracks in traditions that have started to do harm in small ways we couldn’t even see. So when we see that a tradition no longer fits our community, in all of the ways we continue to grow and change, it’s time to think intentionally about it. To ask challenging questions about what that tradition offers, and what it takes away. Last year, we saw an opportunity to have that kind of intentional conversation about our session names, and to decide whether or not it was time to consider starting a new tradition.
In keeping with our commitment to providing a youth-centered space where young people have the power to make meaningful changes to their camp experience, our 2026 youth campers participated in a democratic process to decide on the new youth session names. We realized that, at the end of the day, these are their sessions. Why should we let a bunch of adults bicker about what to name them, when these are blocks of time and experiences that really belong to our youth campers? So we let our youth decide. Campers of all ages voted using a ranked choice ballot to select their favorite session name themes. We were excited and honored to be able to trust this decision in their hands. Our youth are allowed to make so few decisions that meaningfully impact the world we live in - to make actual, real-time changes in the spaces they care about. This was a beautiful opportunity to let them take the reins, and when we see those opportunities at Unirondack, we take them.
While there were a couple close contenders (such as Unirondack pets, past and present!), in the end the choice was very clear. By a landslide, campers voted for the following theme. Here it is, as described on the ballot:
CYCLES OF NATURE:
“Session names would describe what is happening around us with plants or animals during the time the session takes place. For example, Session 6 would be named after blackberries because that’s when blackberries ripen. Session 5 would be named after loons because that’s when baby loons are starting to explore the lake. This naming scheme honors the traditions of the Oneida people, who took care of this land long before Europeans got here. In many Indigenous traditions, blocks of time (like months) are named after the cycles of nature in order to connect us with what’s happening around us.”
Here are our new session names for 2027. We put tremendous effort into selecting names that reflected natural phenomenon that campers can easily see and experience at camp. We also took care to choose names that mirror the developmental stages of our youth, so that campers may see and feel the connections between their own experiences and the natural rhythms all around them. Our goal was to create session names that remind campers to witness the interconnectedness of all forms of life during their time in the forest, and to remember that they are a part of that web, too!
Firefly
(Ages 8-12) This is the week when fireflies are at their peak of evening pyrotechnic activity. It’s a great time to search for their flickering lights all around the field and campfire circle on a quiet night, which is a very exciting game of patience and enchantment for our youngest campers. Fireflies often represent childlike wonder and the unbounded magic and freedom of summer evenings, which makes them perfect to symbolize this youngest session, where many campers are having their earliest meaningful experience with independence and exploration in the wilderness.
Bullfrog
(Ages 11-13) This is the week when bullfrogs are their loudest! During bullfrog mating season, these bold creatures use their powerful voices to chime in at our campfire circle each night. Sometimes this can alarm campers who are unfamiliar. We think making the bullfrog the namesake for this session and drawing attention to our amphibious friends is a great way to help campers make a connection here. And what great role models bullfrogs can be! Just when our 11-13 year olds are finding their voices and figuring out how to tell the world how they are, our froggy friends are out there singing their unapologetic hearts out, trying to stand out from the throng and be their truest selves.
Waterlily
(Ages 12-14) Waterlilies are in full bloom during this week of camp, and they always put on a breathtaking display for us. It’s a show you wouldn’t want to miss, which is a helpful reminder to our pre-teens who often feel the desire to curl up inside their own self-consciousness and hide from the world. But you can only enjoy the spectacle of waterlilies if you’re willing to venture out onto the lake. And risks often come with rewards. Like the reward of being reminded what a sight it is to behold someone blossoming open into a new version of themselves. We hope that waterlilies can help inspire young people as they continue on the journey of self-discovery.
Waxcap
Ages 13-15) Waxcaps are among the many vibrantly colored mushroom species native to our woods that experience a fungal explosion in late July, right around this session each summer. Our mushroom relatives are an often underappreciated but crucial and fascinating part of our Adirondack ecosystem. Many are familiar with the complex mycelium networks that tie mushrooms together in an underground web of interconnectedness. What could be more fitting for this group of young people, for whom friendships and social connectedness are becoming a top priority during this developmental stage? We hope our mushroom role models can help us all remember the value of community, communication, and collaboration.
Loon
(Ages 14-16) Camp would not be camp without the haunting loon call we all know so well, echoing across Beaver Lake. We are so grateful to be sharing our home with this incredible creature. We think that’s worth recognizing. Baby loon chicks begin to hatch in early July, and by the end of July when this session rolls around, loons are in the prime of parenthood with baby chicks starting to learn their way around the business of loonhood. That means that for us paddlers, this is a particularly important time to give loons extra space and respect the vulnerability of these animals during this period. Similarly, we are giving our young people a little extra space to find their independence at this age. And as they take on greater independence, we remind them how to remain responsible and compassionate members of their communities - starting by giving the loons a wide berth while they care for their babies.
Blackberry
(Ages 15-18) Blackberries are by far the most abundant berries that grow on camp, and by early August, everyone is taking notice. It is a time to practice gratitude for the incredible gifts that nature gives us for free everyday. It is also a reminder that life has much sweetness to offer. Youth at this age are often growing overwhelmed by the many opportunities and possible futures that are ripe for picking. Important life choices loom intimidatingly close. Moments of freedom and whimsy and childlike wonder are becoming scarce. Berries offer us abundance. But not the demanding, overwhelming abundance of too many decisions; Berries offer us the simple, sweet abundance of sticky purple fingers on a sunny afternoon. A reminder to slow down and taste the good things whenever the moment finds us.
Meteor
(Ages 15-18) Every year in mid-August in the Adirondacks, the night sky puts on the incredible show known as the Perseid Meteor Shower. For as long as camp has been around, campers during this session have revelled in the experience that is stargazing on the lower field to catch a glimpse of a shooting star. And you better have a wish ready, because you won’t have to wait long! They are as reliable as they are frequent this time of year. They are a symbol of future wishes for graduating campers, and a symbol of the electric, incendiary experience of the late teen years. This is a session of BIG feelings, some expansive enough to span the cosmos. This is the session of Rumpus, with campers screaming their explosive revelries loud enough to reach outer space. What a perfectly dazzling end to the summer. And what a beautiful way to reach back to the beginning, meteors to fireflies, both our youngest and our oldest, squinting into the enchanting darkness to catch sight of tiny lights in the sky.
We will not forget all of the beautiful and powerful ways that our previous session names have served us through the years and generations of Unirondack’s history. They are and always will be a cherished part of our story. They will forever be tied to a million and one memories. We’re proud of that. So much at Unirondack has stayed the same over 3 quarters of a century, and we think that’s amazing. We also think it’s amazing to see all of the ways it has changed and continues to change. Because ours is a place shaped and reshaped every summer by the many curious, creative, smart, compassionate, brave and incredible young people who find their way here each summer, and each leave their mark in turn. We hope that Unirondack always remains a place where anyone can feel empowered to make meaningful change. Where our traditions serve us, and not the other way around. A place that can grow and adapt to become exactly what every camper needs it to be. That’s a powerful thing. Let’s hold onto it.