SACO — The Ecology School, with the help of outdoor retail giant L.L.Bean, is launching this summer a newly imagined, ecologically-inspired River Bend Farm Family Camp in Saco. The program will welcome as many as 15-25 families per session to a newly unveiled 105-acre regenerative green campus on the shores of the Saco River in southern Maine, according to a press release from the school. The program has been designed to provide opportunities for families to unplug and enjoy the outdoors in an exquisite natural setting that includes farm fields, hardwood forests, streams, rivers, and is only a short distance from the ocean and sandy beaches.

Starting in July, River Bend Farm Family Camp will welcome families to its newly completed, award winning campus, which includes comfortable private accommodations in a modern green dormitory; locally sourced meals from a state-of-the-art Poland Spring Education and Dining Commons; and a  new L.L.Bean-funded waterfront area equipped with outdoor recreational equipment. River Bend Farm Family Camp will offer a blend of free time and curated activities guided by expert educators. For more information, to see a complete list of daily activities, and to register, visit www.theecologyschool.org/family-camps.

Dates, Prices and Details

River Bend Farm Family Camp will run over two sessions and can accommodate 50 participants (or 15-25 families) per session. Dates for 2021 are as follows:

A $500,000 charitable gift from L.L.Bean is supporting three major components of The Ecology School’s $14.1 million regenerative campus. The gift will be employed in the construction of a new arrival plaza, a new waterfront area for recreation and environmental education, and a three-year sponsorship of River Bend Farm Family Camp.

“We are so grateful for this generous gift from L.L.Bean and energized by the fact that they wanted to invest in our work,” said The Ecology School President/CEO and co-founder Drew Dumsch. “All of these important gifts have allowed us to fulfill our hope of creating a welcoming campus of national significance.”

“We know that time outside can have a tremendous impact on our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing,” said Shawn Gorman, Executive Chairman of L.L.Bean. “We’re proud to partner with The Ecology School as they focus on helping people of all ages learn about the world around them through an outdoor-first education approach.”