he word caretaker brings to mind someone who gives emotional or physical support to someone, usually a child. In the capacity of the Squam Lakes Association (SLA), being a caretaker means providing this assistance to our three campsite areas: Moon and Bowman islands and Wister point in Chamberlain Reynolds Memorial Forest. Although my fellow AmeriCorps members and I visit these sites throughout the week, the weekends are special as we get to camp out for the entire time. Friday afternoon I was loading up bundles of firewood on the pontoon to be delivered out to the docks by the campsites. Saturday afternoon found me walking through the Chamberlain Reynolds swamp walk drenched in bug spray and sweat, battling the vines threatening to engulf the boardwalk. Sunday afternoon was spent cleaning the composting toilets, securing swim lines at the two beaches, and checking the sturdiness of our many structures. Being the weekend caretaker means covering a wide variety of duties that ensure the function and wellbeing of the area and its many visitors. Out of all these tasks my favorite is usually the last of the day: checking in campers.
Reservations for campsites tend to fill up fast with people often staking their claim months in advance. Every time I walk into a campsite is a surprise. Campers range in origins from throughout New England and beyond. The groups are families, friends, or combinations of the two. Some have made camping on Squam Lake a yearly tradition. There are the experienced pros making the trip every month or so and the novices excited for the new experiences to come. Getting a chance to talk to these people is such a highlight and learning experience. It’s such a loving feeling to be invited to a feast of smores and swapping background stories with welcoming strangers.
There’s something utterly wholesome about camping, the way it brings people together as we huddle around the fire telling stories. Or maybe it brings the joy of solitude and contemplation as we walk the trails and marvel at nature around us. It’s my firm belief that camping is for everyone, even those tentatively afraid of the outdoors. And although the real world still exists, patiently waiting at the edges, camping provides the space to let us explore what we need to recharge and center ourselves. Caretaker may be the official title we at the SLA wear, but really it’s all of our duty to emotionally and physically support these places in the same way that they help us.
Qiyah is an avid baker, dance-extraordinaire, and all-around positive presence at the SLA. You can read more about Qiyah here.