FAQ

Questions Parents Ask about Farm and Nature Camps at Devil's Gulch Ranch

These pages summarize information that is presented in more detail (and with pictures!) elsewhere on the web site. We hope you will explore some of the links provided here for more detail on specific topics.

How much does it cost and how do I reserve a place for my child?
Please go to the schedule and cost page of per web site. If you have other questions please contact the director.

What is the total enrollment of the camp?
We have grown from 15 campers each in 2003. We now currently limit the total enrollment to 25 basic students per week and 5 Leaders In Training.

What is the student-to-staff ratio?
For most activities, there are no more than 5 students to one adult staff person. For safety and optimum instruction, some activities are taught 1 to 2. Please see the Arts, Crafts, and Traditional Skills and Recreation pages for descriptions of some of the activities.

Are you accredited?
Yes with the American Camp Association. We have been running quality programs since 2003 and are happy to connect you with families who have been with us for years.

Do you butcher animals at the ranch?
This is not a petting zoo. We are a ranch and ranches produce meat.

It is our belief and mission that everyone should be connected to the food they eat and understand that the meat in the stores comes from animals. Young people have the opportunity here to learn about the entire process of producing meat. 

We do not push our views on anyone. But if you do not want your child to learn about where or how meat gets to the table there are plenty of other camps out there that would better serve your needs .  The meat that is processed for the restaurants is done so offsite.  Animals that were raised for our own consumption is very likely processed here.

Do you force the children to watch animals being butchered?
No.  We do not force the students to participate or watch anything. 

What the kids experience here is typical of what farm kids experience living on a ranch.  The students under the age of 9 are not allowed to watch the animal being put down, but may watch or participate in the rest of the process if desired.  The Advanced Animal science classes the students have more of an opportunity to participate with butchering larger livestock.

The following is typical hate mail I get on rare occasion

teaching children to care for, and then kill a companion animal like a rabbit is a great way to create a serial killer. Congratulations Katy

Hi Katy,
I do respect you and your beliefs. I would also expect you to show me some respect and read what I have to say. You think you know me and what I am about, but you have never sat and talked with me, you have not taken any of my classes, you have not lived the experiences that I have. I welcome you to read the works of Joseph Campbell, Randall Eaton, Michael Gurian, Jon Young, and others.  You will find that there is a direct relationship between the taking of life in a good and honorable way and developing a strong compassion for life.  I have known many who killed for food and grew  up doing the same, these same people are very compassionate and have much more respect for life than many that have not.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is a hunter and grew up hunting, please count the acts of compassion that he showed for the people of South Africa. Also look to  Aldo Leopold who was influential in the development of modern environmental ethics and in the movement for wilderness preservation. Leopold is considered to be the father of wildlife management in the United States and was a life-long fisherman and hunter. Please read his book a Sand County Almanac and tell me if he is a compassionate person or not.  Joseph Campbell was a hunter and progressive whom I have spent my life studying his work. Read the "Hero of a 1000 faces" or "Primitive Mythology" and tell me if the fact that he hunted to kill took the power out of his words. Everyone knows that Theodore Roosevelt was a hunter, if it was not for his love of hunting we would not have the National Park System.

Yes you can sight references that say that serial killers growing up threw rocks at birds, however, if you would study the development of play in primates (Please read "The nature of play: great apes and humans" by Anthony D. Pellegrini and Peter K. Smith) you will learn that it is in our DNA to play at hunting skills. To say that all serial killers grew up throwing rocks at birds makes as much since as saying that they all drank breast milk. You state "teaching children to care for, and then kill a companion animal like a  rabbit is a great way to create a serial killer" Jimmy Carter who grew up caring for animals.  He raised these as projects in the FFA then put them on the table as meat.  Do you believe that this Nobel Peace prize recipient has any serial killer tendencies?

I raise animals with respect and care, and show great respect in preparing them for the table. I thank each animal that I feed my friends, my family, and myself.  Yes rabbits are lovely and can be great companions as do pigs, sheep and cattle. All animals that I must kill for food I feel sadness for. I also see beauty in a field of wheat, a row of onions on the farm, a patch of carrots, a walnut grove and I am just as thankful for the sacrifice these plants make to feed me.  What I teach my students is to get connected to their food and nature, raise these animals in a good way, prepare them in a good way, and respect that life that was given so that we can live. I believe that if a person is to eat meat they should truly understand that sentient beings give the ultimate to put food on the table, this should not be taken lightly.  All of my students that have chosen to take the life of an animal, have a profound respect for life after that act.  If you read Randall Eaton's or Jon Young's books or take their classes you may get more of an understanding of what I do.

The bottom line is I teach kids to respect life, I teach students skills that will help them get into a pre-vet or pre-med program.  I trust that these kids will truly make a difference.
Brian King

Will my child be safe swimming in the reservoir?
Children love swimming in the reservoir, but many parents ask about safety. We take safety very seriously and want parents to be well informed as to the precautions we take.

There is risk involved with swimming anywhere, and it is understood that ponds, lakes and reservoirs are more dangerous to swim in than pools. This is because the water may cover a larger surface area and be deeper and more turbid. That being said, much can be done to reduce the risk and make the special experience of swimming in natural bodies of water as safe as possible. Here is what we do.

The pond is buoyed off to create a swimming area the size of a swimming pool. This limits the amount of space that the lifeguards must scan and the time necessary to respond to a swimmer who is in trouble.

Opposing corners have qualified lifeguards whose only task is to scan the water. Meanwhile, the rest of the staff watch the kids who are on shore so that the lifeguards can focus all their attention on the swimmers.

The registration packet includes a page on water safety. On this page, parents indicate whether they wish their child to participate in the water/waterfront activities. Parents who permit their children to swim then indicate their assessment of the child’s ability. This information becomes part of the staff’s camper profile, which is given to each staff person at the beginning of the week. Only those students with their parents’ permission are allowed at the waterfront.   

In order to swim or wade, campers must pass a swim test which includes swimming twice the width of the swimming area and treading water for 90 seconds.

To be able to use the zip line, the students must be able to do a chin-up, swim twice the length of the opposing corners and tread water for 120 seconds.

Although the total student body is 30 children, it is rare that more than 12 swimmers are in the water at any given time.  Because the water is cold, swimmers tend to divide their time between swimming and warming up on the dock!

The 2 lifeguards on duty are certified. There will be a PADI scuba Dive Master on duty.    

What medical staff are available?
Many of our staff are first aid/CPR trained or Wilderness First Responder certified and current.  Nicasio Firehouse is 2 miles from the ranch and is notified of our activity schedule.  

Are there accommodations for special needs students?
We will do what we can, and in the past have accommodated a wide range of needs.  Decisions as to whether we can make arrangements for a given camper are made on an individual basis.

Will lunches be provided?
Day campers must bring lunches from home. No lunch is provided for day campers. Because lunches and snacks from home are not refrigerated, please send sack lunches and snacks that are nonperishable! We provide bottled water.

What is a typical day like at Beginning Agriculture Camp?
The families meet by the baseball diamond in the town of Nicasio, where the students hop on a 150-year-old buckboard that takes them on a scenic ride up to the ranch.  The kids stow their lunches and other belongings in the crafts building, then meet in the horse arena to hear announcements. Morning chores follow, with campers shadowing a staff person.

On Mondays, we then head out on a hike to Samuel P. Taylor State Park to spend the rest of the day having fun, getting to know each other, and enjoying the area’s natural resources. The students have most the day for exploration and free play.

The staff assess the interests of the current campers in order to plan the best activities for the rest of the week. We consider this first day to be an important part of camp; please see our philosophy about Undirected Free Play.

Tuesday through Friday mornings after chores, the students collect into classes for skills or activities until lunchtime. After lunch, campers again choose activities. Many elect to swim and explore around the reservoir.

At the end of the day, the day campers load up on the buckboard and head back down to Nicasio to be picked up by their parents at 4:00 p.m.

How much choice do campers have about activities?
The staff plan the week on Monday night after finding out what the students are excited about, what their expectations are, and what is happening at the ranch with crops and livestock. 

The week’s plan incorporates many choices for the campers. There is some flexibility with the chores that start the day, but everyone can’t do the same thing— chores need to get done! Some of these are feeding pigs, weighing rabbits, collecting eggs, feeding and watering chickens and game birds, gardening, and tasks with chicks. moving day-old chicks into brooders. In general, we give first-time campers an overview of all the chores, while repeating campers may choose to specialize.

After chores come more choices, typically with five options each admitting about five campers. For example, in a given week, the Tuesday morning options might be pottery, archery, tanning buckskin, making soap, and gardening.

The registration form asks what the enrolling child wants, and they may express their interests personally on the Let’s Get Acquainted page. With our small student population, we have much flexibility to accommodate the campers’ wishes. At the same time, we can’t possibly do every one of our large array of activities in one week! Depending on the interests of the campers who come to us, we may go for weeks without making a friction fire, creating jewelry, doing photography, or rappelling. On the other hand, we may do all of these things in the same week. The needs of the ranch also have much to do with available options. Branding, surgeries, and other seasonal tasks will be featured in some weeks and absent in others.

Do you provide transportation?
We pick day students up each morning in the town of Nicasio and return them each afternoon.  Parents who would like to share their contact information with others to arrange carpooling are invited to do so on the registration form.

What are the drop-off and pickup times and location?
Regular drop-off is 9 a.m.; regular pickup is 4 p.m.  The drop-off and pickup location is the northwest end of the baseball field in the town of Nicasio. Our land use agreement does not allow parents to drop their children off at the ranch itself or to pick them up there.

Can I pick up my child early?
Our land use agreement does not allow parents to drop their children off at the ranch itself or to pick them up there. Trying to find a campers to get them down to the town is difficult and disruptive. Our staff is better used teaching a group of children not driving one child down the hill. Please do not ask.

Are there any discounts?
New campers pay the new camper rate for their very first week.  After this, any subsequent sessions receive a “returning sessions” discount. Discounts also are available for early registration. Sorry, we do not offer sibling discounts.

Are there camperships available?

We are a nonprofit cooperation and will take donations for our campership fund. Please email mark@devilsgulchranch.com for more details.

What is your refund policy?
A refund minus a $25 processing fee will be given on cancellations requested at least four weeks prior to the starting date of the session being cancelled. 50% refunds will be given on cancellations requested at least one week prior to the starting date of the session being cancelled. If you wish to cancel a session less than one week prior to its starting date, no refund will be given.

If you request to change session dates at least four weeks prior to the starting date of the session for which your child is enrolled, the change will be made at no charge, provided space is available in the session you wish to add. If you request to switch sessions later than four weeks prior to the starting time of the original session, a $25 fee will be charged.

Bullying of campers, cruelty to any animals, or failure to follow rules or instructions will terminate the child’s session. In such cases, the parent is responsible for immediately picking up the child, and no refund will be given.

How are you funded?
Mainly from tuition. DG Educational Services is a not-for-profit corporation separate from Devil's Gulch Ranch. DG Educational Services rents the use of the land, facilities, equipment, and livestock from Devil's Gulch Ranch.

Can I donate money to DG Ranch Educational Services?
Yes, please contact us.

Can parents come to camp?
We also welcome applications for volunteer staff! Please fill out a staff application and mark it as volunteer.  All volunteers must be screened and fingerprinted and go through the regular staff training.

We regret that we cannot accommodate visitors to camp; however, we do provide three open houses each spring.

Is there driking water?
yes.                    

Is the California Newt Poisonous?
The California newt is plentiful in the ponds and streams, and catching these is a favorite activity of the kids.  Be aware that the California newt is reported to contain the same toxin that is found in the puffer fish, but at a much smaller concentration. Your child should wash hands after handing these and any other animals at the ranch. However, no child we know has ever become ill from contact with newts. The only cited illness that we can find is of a child that ate the tail of a newt.

Is there poison oak? Should I worry about ticks?
Poison oak is abundant on the ranch and adjacent lands and is an important food source for deer and birds, which are not allergic to it as some humans are. Each week, the staff will point out this problematic native to the campers.  Young children tend not to be sensitive to poison oak, while teenagers are more likely to break out when exposed. Parents that are sensitive can get the rash from contact with their child’s clothing (keep this in mind when your child runs to give you a hug after an adventurous day in the forest!)  It is advisable that your children have long pants and shirts available for hikes and that the clothing be washed as soon as possible after returning home.  The rash may be slight, requiring little or no attention, but in severe cases it can require medical treatment.

Ticks may be present in the forest. You should check your child each night for ticks, not forgetting to look at ankles, behind the ears, and in armpit and crotch areas. If a fever or a bulls-eye rash develops within a few days of exposure, seek medical attention.                    

What is the background of the director?
Brian King is the founder and Executive Director of Devil's Gulch Ranch Camp. He holds an MS in Agricultural Science, a BA in industrial arts, and California teaching credentials in industrial arts, technology, and agriculture.  Brian started teaching in 1984 and has taught K-12, high school agriculture, biology, mechanics, and photography. Post-secondary teaching experience includes drafting, engineering, and Direct Digital Control. Brian has also lectured in China to teachers on experiential learning and has taught agriculture to farmers in Haiti.  Brian also is a Community Coach With US Archery trained under the US Olympic archery coach and is qualified to certify archery instructors. He is currently working towards becoming a PADI SCUBA diving instructor.   He is a professional member of the National Camp Association.   

Are there employment opportunities for youth at Devil's Gulch Camps?
Our Leadership in Training (LIT) program is for youth from 12 to 17 that are willing and able to accept responsibility to work for a portion of their camp fees. To be paid the employee must be 18 years of age. Contact the director for details and applications.