Camp Ondessonk Land Management: A Commitment to Connections
By Dr. Evan Coulson
When you ask people whose lives have been influenced by Camp Ondessonk what mattered most about their Camp experience, you’ll often hear them describe connections. They reflect on meeting people from different backgrounds who expanded their awareness of the world. They talk of experiences exploring creeks and canyons that expanded their awareness of the natural world. Connections can be found everywhere at Camp Ondessonk. A commitment to them can be seen in everything from how summer cabin assignments are made, to how activity areas are facilitated, and even to how the units and trails are laid out. People have opportunities to connect to animals in the Ondessonk Stables, to connect to their food as they enjoy fresh produce on a salad bar that was grown in the Camp Garden, as well as to connect to one another during summer overnights or Fall Family Camp Weekends. At Camp Ondessonk there is an understanding that many interconnected parts are essential for the cultivation of the whole. It makes sense, then, that Camp Ondessonk takes a connections-based approach to land management.
An ecosystem can be thought of as a community where animals, plants, air, water and soil are all connected, and all depend on one another. Land management at an ecosystem level considers how individual parts connect and approaches management decisions in a manner aimed at keeping the whole system intact to function and thrive. These values can be seen in Camp Ondessonk’s 2024 – 2034 Forest Management Plan, a land management strategy developed through a partnership with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Shawnee Resource Conservation & Development District (RC&D). Ondessonk’s plan utilizes an ecosystem-level approach to the stewardship of Camp’s natural resources and outlines management strategies for invasive species removal and mitigation, glade restoration, watershed conservation, habitat protection, and oak forest renewal over the coming decade.
Given Camp’s commitment to interconnectedness, the large scale of the property, and its direct connection to thousands more acres of US Forest Service land, land management agencies like the IDNR and the Shawnee National Forest (SNF), as well as conservation advocacy groups like the Shawnee RC&D and The Nature Conservancy, consider Ondessonk to be a high priority partner. These partners understand that land management practices implemented at Camp Ondessonk will have significant ecosystem-level implications, amplifying the ecological impact of these management practices. As such, Camp Ondessonk has been invited to participate in a prescribed burn of the East Branch Cedar Creek area in March of 2025. This collaboration will extend the SNF burn unit boundary to Pakentuck Road, providing Camp with an opportunity to gain training and mentorship in site preparation, planning, risk mitigation, and fire line management while implementing a slow moving, low-heat burn of approximately 50 acres of Ondessonk property. This collaborative burn will initiate invasive species management, habitat enhancement, and glade restoration efforts between Kane Gate and Morgan’s Field, providing valuable interconnected ecosystem benefits. It also provides Camp Ondessonk with a unique opportunity to further cultivate positive relationships with land management and conservation partners. As an example of these expanded connections, Camp staff and volunteers will receive training, mentoring, and boots-on-the-ground professional support on burn day provided by the Southern Illinois Prescribed Burn Association (SIPBA) and The Nature Conservancy’s Southern Illinois fire crew and Women in Fire program.
Camp Ondessonk’s approach to the stewardship of its natural resources is similar to how it approaches creating meaningful experiences for its campers and staff: understanding connections, acknowledging values, and supporting the ways in which these intersect. Over the next decade, Camp Ondessonk will not only improve its property – it will contribute to a healthier ecosystem for the entire region while continuing to bring people together in meaningful ways that can expand their connections to others and the natural world.
Click here to learn more about Camp Ondessonk’s Mission & Vision.