Camp Wanake

Garden History

The recent history of the Wanake gardens goes back to the 80's when a group from the Killbuck and from the Navarre Methodist Churches would spend a weekend tending the garden in front of the Inpost barn, camping and fellowshipping. This group originally put in this garden, replacing the bushes that were there for many years. This group included May and Lee Benjamin and family; Coppi, Dave and Millie Meyer; Barb Kenney; Dave Kennat and others.

Also, in the mid 80's, Outpost Director Michael Reitz began to dig up the area next to the small door in the Outpost Barn to make a wildflower garden. When Dave Kennat took over as Outpost Director, he continued Michael's work and expanded to both sides of the Outpost Barn. Both of these gardens became the service project of one person as well as other gardens around the camp. The How How garden on the road in to camp was put in as a service project under the direction of Jim Parkhurst. It is intended as a greeting to those who come to camp and included cut sandstone block from the old caretakers house foundation. Also, there once was a butterfly garden behind the Fellowship Hall planted by Day Camp Director Gail Barter.

New gardens in the last few years include: Both sides of walkway entrance of Savage Retreat Center. The area in front of the restroom entrance to the IP Barn. The big garden in front of the IP Barn (see pics on previous page) and shrub garden on the end of the IP Barn. The stones for the last two gardens on the IP barn came from the old "fiddlers barn" to the west and behind the road to the Pines shelter.

We are now hoping to assemble a group of people who could come to Wanake periodicially to clean the beds, plant annuals and/or perennials, spread mulch, weed, water and generally take care of the current beds. Please contact Dave Kennat to help.