Compiled by Louis Levin
This past year, Maggie did what I would consider the impossible – she followed through on a New Year’s resolution. Every day of 2025, Maggie has gone for a walk (or a run, but it’s the walks that we’re gonna focus on). And because I’m married to Maggie, I’ve gone on a good handful of her walks too.
Some of these walks were in truly special places, like the Boundary Waters, and Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks (I’m stretching the definition here a little… plenty of those “walks” fall more into the categories “hikes” or “portages,” but we’re counting it). Plenty were from our little cabin on the edge of Camp Nebagamon into camp proper to join the campers for lunch at the Rec Hall. And where we live in Chicago, nearly all of the walks have been through our neighborhood and in the forest preserve across the street from our house. While the geysers, mountains, and pristine lakes of the parks destinations we visited this year were truly spectacular, I’ve been consistently more surprised with the nature that is just outside our front door here within the city limits of Chicago.
Those who joined us at Wannado in the City in Chicago, Hill Games at Red Rocks in Denver, our reunion in Cleveland at Cuyahoga National Park got to experience that themselves. Actually, our Chicago event was at this exact forest preserve I live right next to… I got to pick where we hosted! One of the activities was a nature walk through the woods, and I led a handful of campers and parents around the trails with which Maggie and I have gotten so familiar. Campers from both the suburbs and the city alike remarked to me that they were so surprised we were within city limits – how could that be? Don’t you have to go to faraway places like Pictured Rocks to experience real nature? Turns out, there’s real nature all around us, even here in the city.
Last month during rutting season (well, Caretaker Andy told me it was rutting season), full grown bucks walked through our front yard as they grazed. As the first snow fell, all sorts of waterfowl hunkered down around the Chicago River – Great Blue Herons, ducks, geese, and the likes. And I am excited for Spring when the turtles will return to soak up the sun on the concrete bridges that span our nearby pond. The parks and forest near my house are bustling with activity all year round, and I’ve delighted in getting outside this past year to really enjoy all that our local nature has to offer.
Photos courtesy of my awesome wife Maggie
There is a park near your house, and I’m sure it’s overflowing with flora and fauna waiting for you to discover them. At camp, we spend our whole summer outside, immersed in nature, learning to appreciate its beauty. That appreciation is a skill, and just like all the skills we learn at camp, we should try to bring it home with us. So as you get a break around these holidays, take some time to learn about the migratory birds and native wildflowers that are just outside your front door, and go for a walk to really learn to love them. I promise you, you’ll be surprised by what you find.
If you happen to take any pictures of what you find in nature, this month, I’m bringing back our nature photo contest. Send me your nature photos from this off-season and we’ll publish them in an upcoming Arrowhead newsletter!
If you have news you’d like to share with the Camp Family, fill out the form here or send it along to my inbox at louis@campnebagamon.com and we’ll share it in a future Arrowhead!
IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW… We’ve got a few athletes in Middletown, CT – King Yarbrough is the QB for his championship tackle football team, Iker Vargas is playing lots of soccer, and Jo Vespry is running hurdles for his track team. In New York City, Jasper Teuscher is helping teach a coding class, working with kids learning Scratch, as well as playing lots of Dungeons & Dragons. Jacob Solomon is a guard for his high school JV basketball team, and Josh Jaen plays both sides of the football for his school as the nose tackle and right guard. Peter Zeitz is on the crew for his school’s production of Puffs. Lazer Rosenbloom’s club soccer team went undefeated and his JV team made it to the playoffs. Milan Bhaskaran is practicing his tennis swing, as is Ronen Brandler. William Brandler is working on his chess game, and Emmett Ordower is playing plenty of Magic the Gathering. Sagiv Siegel has continued to work on his sports photography, shooting many football and volleyball matches this fall, and has published photos in his local paper.
IN THE BIBS AND DIAPERS DEPARTMENT… It’s a boy, Reid Martin Hensel, for Joel Hensel (Northbrook, IL/Chicago, 2003-’07, ’09-’10, ’12-’13, ’15) and Caitlyn Bryski.
ENGAGEMENT CONGRATULATIONS GO TO… Sam Hensel (Northbrook, IL/Chicago, 2000-’01) and Hannah Vavrek.