Machia Wilderness Camp (VT) Archery Photos

South Burlington, VT Photos - Machia Wilderness camp Archery Lessons. 

Machia Wilderness Camp archery lesson photos. 




The goal of the Machia Wilderness Camp is to introduce youth to the outdoor experience; to learn the life skills needed to survive in nature and learn to be productive keepers of  the earth. The instructors challenge the campers to carry their learned skills into everyday life, and teach others what they have learned.








The M.W.C. is open to youths age 11-18. All programs involve interactive classroom activities combined with hands on outdoor learning. At the conclusion of the camp, participants upon passing the test, receive required certifications needed to obtain VT hunting licenses. Included is the VT. State hunter safety certification, archery certification, and a Lets go fishing certificate.      

Camp Director: Bonnie Machia With years of teaching as her guiding experience Bonnie is an effective executor of a special *vision. Read more about the Machia Camp origination, the origin of the vision @ the *Machia Wilderness Camp website.

 Instructors or teaching staff include (among others):
Denis Briggs- retired Army colonel. He managed the competitive marksmanship program for the Vermont Army National Guard. Denis spent five years as a licensed big game guide in Wyoming. In his 27 years as a certified hunter education instructor, he trained over 700 youth in safe, responsible, and ethical hunting practices.
Paul Conover - Bio pending
Mike Menosky  - Bio pending           
Ally Degrassi - Bio pending
Chris Degrassi - Bio pending 
Lee Sienkiewycz - Bio pending
Tim Hawley-Hunter education instructor (10 yrs.), Vermont Let's go fishing program (8 years), Bow hunting instructor (6 yrs.).

Apprentices - campers selected from previous years, assist new campers in learning skills while expanding their own knowledge.
Liam, Chole, Jamie, Sterling, Brent, Kyle, Tyler, and Chase. 

Cooks - Gail and Fred Sanford

The Machia Wilderness Camp is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The camp is held at the Ethan Allen (National Guard) Firing Range and bi-athlete training center.

Participants learn the safe and responsible use of traditional and modern archery equipment. The program also covers attitudes, behavior, wildlife species, and the environment. Proper hunting ethics are strongly emphasized.  

Unlike the real deer, these targets do not come fully assembled.

Is this the left leg or the right leg?

      After determining right or left handed and right or left eye dominance, campers reviewed commands: Knock arrow, draw back, and release. Campers determined their individual preferred anchor point, for example drawing back thumb and bow string to chin. The key is a consistent anchor point. The arrow is set onto the string at the nock. Their arrows have three feathers (fletching). The cock feather (different color than the other two feathers) is always positioned away from the bow. Elbow needs to be bent out to help prevent the bow string from slapping the wrist or inner arm.

The next step to archery is practice, practice, practice.

Along with teaching skills and imparting ethical awareness,
the instructors, like Ally (seen here drawing back with the youth)
encourage, cheerlead, and help build self-confidence.

 

View more Machia Wilderness Camp photos @

• Survival Skills lesson photos
• Turkey call and map reading lessons.
• Fly Fishing lessons
• Hunter Safety

Bernie publishes short stories and photos reflecting Vermont values of Green and Clean and Community. He urges us all to pick up litter in order to protect our water, wildlife, and human health. 

Bernie resides in South Burlington, Vermont.