When is it?
Camp is scheduled for August 18th-24th 2024.
Where is it held?
Camp Birch Hill in New Durham, NH
Where are the nearest airports?
1hr drive from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT)
1hr 45min drive from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
We frequently have people driving up from the Boston area for camp, if you are flying in you may be able to hitch a ride with another camper. We recommend that you post in the Camp Menagerie Facebook group with your flight info in the hopes that another camper could give you a ride. It’s a great way to make friends before even arriving!
How much does it cost per person and what are the deadlines to apply?
The costs include a single bed in a shared cabin (or you can choose to stay in your own tent or RV), all your food throughout the weekend and all activities. Beds can be pushed together and/or reconfigured as desired.
| Application Timeline | Opens | Closes | Decision By | Payment Due | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REGULAR | March 16 | April 15 | May 1 | May 15 | $695 |
| LATE | April 16 | May 15 | June 1 | June 15 | $795 |
What is the cancellation policy?
Once an application is accepted and payment is made, there will be no refunds. As in years past, if you cannot attend Camp due to a documented serious illness or unforeseeable family emergency, your registration payment will be rolled forward to the next camp year, one time.
What is the photography policy?
See the Camp Menagerie Media Policy
Is WiFi available at camp?
WiFi access is available only in common buildings like the Rec Hall and the Cafe. The access information is posted on the doors to these buildings.
Can a CPAP machine be accommodated?
Yes, the cabins have electricity.
Is there a social media group?
Yes, our community communications are primarily on Discord and we also have a secret Facebook group. Both are places where past and future attendees can discuss camp. You can indicate that you would like to be added to either/both groups during registration and we will send you an invite. If you do not receive an invite within a few days of registering then please contact the organizers at campmenagerie@gmail.com.
What about kids?
This is an adults-only event. You must be 21+ to attend.
What about pets?
Camp Menagerie is a human-only event. Please leave nonhuman animals at home.
Where can I find the schedule of events?
This is a participant-driven event so the schedule will be built from the skills and ideas that are offered by the attendees each year. For this reason, a firm schedule will be created after registration closes and emailed to registered participants. All activities, except orientation, are optional. If you just want to eat and swim and lay in the sun, you can do that! Check out the Activities and Events page to get an idea of the kinds of things that are typically offered. Or better yet take a look at previous year schedules on the Documents page.
What are the arrival and departure times?
Check in is between 10am and 1pm on Sunday. All campers MUST arrive by 1pm on Sunday and attend the mandatory orientation. Departure is by 3pm on Saturday and we encourage people to stay through Saturday morning as we do a closing exercise before lunch. Of course if your personal schedule makes it so that you need to depart early, we understand, but there is no discount for a partial stay.
What is the bathroom/shower situation?
Each cabin has a full bathroom with shower, sink, and toilet. Tenters are assigned an empty cabin for bathroom use and there are also shared bathrooms in the common buildings for use by anyone at anytime. There are also outdoor showers that are available for anyone to use.
Do I have to lead an activity or event?
Everyone is encouraged to share their interests and talents, but no one is required to lead an activity or event. Camp Menagerie is a participant-driven event. That means that Camp is co-created by everyone who attends. Our campers’ level of involvement varies from person to person and year to year. In general, people who attend more years tend to get more involved over time as they get more comfortable and become more invested in the community that we are co-creating. However, some level of service is expected from every camper. There are many other ways to contribute to camp culture that are not directly leading an activity such as supporting camp logistics (set up, clean up, operations, etc. In addition, consider sharing your talents at the Talent Show!. We’ll be updating this year’s registration form to capture all the ways to get involved. If you are new, please remember that getting involved is key to meeting people, making connections, and becoming a part of the community.
What kind of activity can I offer?
Activities at camp are a blend of classes and workshops related to relationships, sexuality, and personal growth, traditional camp activities, and community-building events – all created and driven by the unique blend of campers attending each year. Offering a class or activity is encouraged but not required. Each year, about 2/3 of our campers volunteer to lead an activity at camp and about half of these offerings are selected for the final schedule. Please take a look at our Activities and Events page to get a sense of the range we aim for and a listing of past activities from previous years can be found on the Documents page. Some events, such as the Talent Show, happen every year.
What can I expect if I volunteer to teach or facilitate an activity, event, or class?
So that everyone gets an opportunity to share their time and talents, we ask campers to keep their offerings to one activity that lasts about 60 minutes. Exceptions can be made if necessary. You will be asked, during the application process, to provide us with a catchy title for your activity, a detailed description, and any specific accommodations you need to make the activity a success – i.e., location needs, limits to the number of participants, scheduling requests, or materials required. Once the application period closes, we look at all of the offerings and put together a schedule. If we have more activities offered than time slots available, we may run a quick survey to gauge our campers’ interest in various activities.
What if more than one person offers a similar or identical activity?
If we have multiple activities that are very similar or identical then we contact the campers involved and they can work it out, either by working together, one of them choosing a different interest to share, or any other arrangement that works for all parties.
What if my activity has costs involved due to materials?
Most teachers donate the materials needed to make their activities a success. In some cases you can ask attendees to bring needed materials, for example, yarn and needles for a knitting class. If the costs make it prohibitive then please talk to us to see if a solution can be found.
Is camp a place to find new partners/dates?
The primary focus of camp is to build community and just have fun with like-minded folks. Like any social gathering, inevitably people find themselves attracted to others and there are no restrictions on what consenting people choose to do. We are strict about consent and have adopted Planned Parenthood’s FRIES as a guideline. We strongly recommend that you discuss boundaries and expectations with existing partners before camp begins.
Are day visits permitted?
No, we’ve contemplated allowing people to show up for just one day of the event, but we feel it would be jarring to have new people appear throughout the event. Some of these sessions can be quite intimate and the bonds formed over the event sometimes make the difference between opening up or not, particularly for people who struggle with that.
What is consensual/ethical non-monogamy/ flexogamy?
Consensual/ Ethical Non-Monogamy are terms that are frequently used interchangeably. They refer to relationships in which all parties knowingly consent to one or more members of the relationship having romantic and/or sexual experiences with other people. Check out this informative link
“Flexogamy” is a term coined by Laura S., one of the Camp Menagerie founders, who wanted a term that defines this relationship category by what it is (flexible) rather than by what it is not (monogamous.)
Do you require vaccination against COVID-19?
Covid vaccination is encouraged but no longer required or verified. Covid testing is also not required to attend camp. (A documented case of Covid within 1 week of camp start qualifies as a “serious, documented illness” eligible to have your registration rolled forward to the next year.)
Why isn’t my question answered here?
This is because we are not omniscient. Please email additional questions to us at campmenagerie@gmail.com.