Hello from Canaan Valley!  After a few days of relative quietness with all Four Trails villages in the field, the hustle and bustle has picked up again as trips come...

Hey there faithful readers, with villages returning from trail – it’s time for a Four Trails update! Little Haystack, finished their hiking trip in the Mahoosucs. They braved scorching heat...

One of my favorite times of the day at camp is called “Assembly.” We hardly ever mention it when we talk about the daily schedule; it’s such a short period...

Yesterday was another very golden day here in the Canaan Valley, but we’ve all hung in there with help of our very own hydration station (that’s the golf cart packed...

Hey folks – this is Joanie, the Community Coordinator here at Merrowvista, reporting live from the Canaan Valley. We had a very beautiful, very golden day here today. In just...

Temperatures were high in valley today, but so were the spirits of the young people here. And that was vital, because there is much to be done on the first...

Greetings all, from the Ossipee Mountains! We are off and underway! Today we had the privilege to welcome 238 young people and their families to Camp Merrowvista. The staff, our...

We are thrilled to share with the AYF community that Anna Kay Vorsteg has been awarded the Association for Experiential Education’s 2018 PICOUP Award. Each year, AEE Northeast members have the...

Jean Booker was a committed educator and fervent advocate for youth. Over her years with the AYF, she was the driving force behind efforts to give equal access to AYF...

In AYF programs we often speak about the power of enkindled spirits; how one enkindled spirit has the power to change the world by sharing their light and their gifts...

By Heather Kiley Vice President, AYF My own self, At my very best, All the time, especially when it’s hard. That’s what we practice in AYF. We acknowledge that the more...

“In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” -Albert Camus Margaret “Gigs” Hoerner is long-time Miniwanca Girl. A camper for eight years,...

Dear Friends, We write with great sadness to share that Steve Schrepper, Facilities Manager at Miniwanca, passed away on Monday morning from late stage stomach cancer. All of us remember Steve...

By Scott Myers I was out for a walk with my dog and my daughter the other day when I saw a young boy, no older than 10. He was...

This is the unabridged version of the article originally published in the 2017 Founder Fire, released in November. By Samme Orwig Whether you’ve attended camp for one season or twenty,...

2018 John Sterling McCarthy passed away on Monday, March 26, 2018. Full Obituary 2017 Marlene Pierce Marlene Pierce, wife of “Daddy Don” Pierce, passed away on December 17, 2017 in...

“We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well,...

I admit I am totally biased, but I believe AYF campers and staff are remarkable, and tonight we celebrated the remarkable group of campers who have made Merrowvista their home...