news article

Casowasco clean-up week

February 16, 2026 / By The Rev. Colin Kerr-Carpenter, Casowasco Site Director / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Casowasco is preparing for re-opening April 1, but to get there we need to call on interested Casowasco volunteers. Come for a day, a night or several days during the week of March 20-29, that includes two weekends. We have free beds available for those who want to stay for more than a day. And we can arrange meals for registered participants at a nominal cost (be the first to sample our chef’s culinary delights. Stay tuned for more information on this exciting new addition).

Our indoor clean-up includes:

• Changing linens in Galilee
• Vacuuming, mopping, and shampooing floors
• Cleaning bathrooms throughout the site (these have been unused for a year, so they need a bit of added sparkle)
• Painting (a few areas need attention, particularly a cabinet in Bethany)
• Dining set up and Kitchen clean up during Camp Clean-up Week
• Ongoing filing in the office

Our indoor clean-up includes:

• Weeding and cleaning up gardens and lawns:
  A Pollinator Garden with native plants will be added to the beautiful patio just off the parking lot near Galilee. If the weather allows there will be some concentrated work in that area, including a visit from Janice Wiles from Go Native. They will be advising us on the garden. Are you interested in a pollinator garden at your church or home or replacing lawns with native plants? You will not want to miss this visit.
• Changing and/or troubleshooting the lighting along driveway and on road-side signs (some investigation may be needed to determine why these bulbs are out)
• Removing brush from drainage along Casowasco Drive
• Cutting up logs stacked in Mt. Tabor lot and wood splitting

Tools and Supplies

We can provide everything that is needed for these jobs. The camp has many tools, but please indicate in your registration if there is a tool you will be bringing for the job.

For chain sawing, we ask only for experienced operators and that you have the proper safety gear including protective helmet, gloves, and chaps.

Maple Sugaring

Kathy and Colin Kerr-Carpenter are tapping the sugar maples along the road. If the weather allows, we will boil the sap sometime during Camp Clean-Up Week. This calls for 24+ hours of outdoor campfire maintenance for boiling the sap. So, ANY help will be very welcome (particularly between midnight and dawn).

For more information on Casowasco camp clean-up week and to register, visit the Casowasco Camp & Retreat website or contact the Rev. Colin Kerr-Carpenter, Site Director at (315) 898-2152.