Hello, Teen Forest Adventures families,  

I’m excited your teen will be joining us on Fridays!  

Here’s everything you need to know for your teen to arrive prepared for their first day. 

Please feel free to reach out with questions or concerns at any time. 

Friday Teen Forest Adventures begins September 4.  

It runs every Friday through May 21 with a long Winter Break.     

Fall Session: September 11 - December 11

Fall Breaks:

October 23

November 27

Winter Break - December 12 - February 18

Winter-Spring Session: February 19 - May 21

Spring Break:

April 24

**Please review our Electronics Agreement and discuss with your TFA teen prior to the first day of attendance.   

Drop-off + Pickup: 

Drop-off WINDOW:  

9:00 - 9:15am

Drop-off Location: 

Carrier Park Shelter

220 Amboy Rd., Asheville NC 28806

Google Map

Pick-up WINDOW:

4 - 4:15pm*

Pick-up Location:

Same as Drop-off, Carrier Park Shelter Parking Lot  

*Teens are welcome to stay until 4:30, but our mentor team meeting begins at 4:15, so mentors will be focused on that and not available to hangout directly with the teens.

Sign In + Out

**Make sure to verbally check in and check out with the Teen Forest Adventure staff person with the clipboard.

-Let the staff person know in the morning if a different adult will be picking up in the afternoon.    

Coordinate Carpools:

I am including email addresses here so that families can feel empowered to coordinate carpooling, etc.  

Groups!

Teens will usually be in one of two groups roughly based on age and experience.

Groups will have the same mentor duo through the semester — except for Village Days which the mentors will explain on the first day!

Group 1 will be with Chelsea and Scotty.    Group A will be with Nico and Jen.

(Group 1) (Group A)

Alaya Anjali

Alec Atticus

Amber Fisher

Cali Kevin

Claire Liam

Darcy Lily

Dublin Nathan

Dutch Penelope

Justin Riley

Vera Rhys

Siri

Weston

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What to Bring:

Day pack - a small backpack that can fit over both shoulders

Notebook/ nature journal 

Pen/pencil 

FULL 1 liter water bottle

Packed lunch

Snacks for mid-morning or afternoon

Rain gear - always!  Even if it doesn’t look like rain!  

Layered, comfy clothing for varying weather + levels of physical activity - that you don’t mind getting dirty  

Close-toed hiking footwear

Extra pair of dry socks

Sun protective clothing such as hat and long sleeves and/or sunscreen when appropriate

Personal sanitary items such as: 

tiny bottle of hand sanitizer, 

tiny ziptop bag of toilet paper or wipes, 

female hygiene necessities

Optional but Recommended:

Umbrella highly recommended if it looks like rain 

X10 Magnifying glass/loop 

A pad or cushion or piece of cardboard to sit on

What NOT to pack:  

Electronics.  

 A whole lot of extra clothing and stuff.

Cold Weather Clothing:  

A reminder that below 55 degrees, wearing cotton clothing can be dangerous if it gets wet.

On days when the temperatures are expected to be below 55, teens should be dressed in wool, silk or synthetic, and no cotton.

Appropriate Clothing Includes:

Waterproof rain or mud boots

Wool socks (plus an extra pair just in case)

Wool or synthetic top and bottom underlayers 

Raincoat AND rain pants 

Wool or synthetic hat that covers the ears

Warm mittens or gloves 

(thanks to Forest Floor’s registration email for their helpful lists!) 

Electronics Agreement:   

Teen Forest Adventures is a screen-free program. 

This is an important policy not only to facilitate a full and focused group experience, but also to give teens a break from the addictive draw of the device.   

Phones will be collected at the beginning of the day and returned upon arrival at the pickup location at the end of the day.  

Teen Forest Adventures Mentors 

We are fortunate to have a team of phenomenally skilled mentors this season -

Nico Piedrahita and Katie Costanzo on Wednesdays, and Nico Piedrahita and Jen Friedman, and Chelsea Spitzer and Scotty Greenheart on Fridays. 

We also have a list of top-notch subs who fill in for us for the occasional mentor absence.  

Communications  

In Case of Emergency

Call Tiffanie Pope - (916) 601-0632

As we all know, service can be spotty-to-absent in these lovely mountains, so contacting a mentor in the field is not guaranteed.    

In Case of Lateness or Absence the Day of Program   

Contact Tiffanie - 916-601-0632

In Case the Groups are Late Returning to Pick-up

I will set up a text thread for each group which will include the mentors. We will hear from one of them on that group thread in case of the occasional late return.

Last Minute Announcements

That group text thread will also be the place we will share last-minute announcements such as weather cancellation.

Weather Cancellation, Sick + INJURY Policies

WEATHER: We will follow Buncombe County Schools’ lead on cancelling program for the day.  If they cancel, we’ll cancel.  However, considering our staff are spread across ridges and counties, we might choose to cancel on a day that Buncombe County decides to meet.  

ILLNESS: If your teen has a fever, is coughing or sneezing from an active illness, OR has vomited (or pooped!) from a Gastro-intestinal illness in the last 72 hours, please keep them at home to rest and recover, and to prevent the spread of illness. 

INJURY: If your teen has an injury and you are unsure they can participate, CONTACT THEIR MENTOR to see if the day’s activities will be possible.

Chelsea: 443-602-5764 - point person for Group 1

Nico: 828-649-5343 - point person for Group A

Financial Agreement and Refund Policy:  

-Deposit, and balance of payment in full or first installment of prearranged payment plan is due no later than a week before the first program day - August 28 this semester.  

-If you are new to Nature Connection programming and this program turns out not to be a good fit, you may cancel participation for a full refund minus $100 deposit until October 2. 

-Refunds will not be given for days missed.  

Payment Plans:

If you have a payment plan agreement, monthly invoices will be sent via email, and you should have already started receiving them for this semester.  

TFA Overnight: Date coming soon!

Every semester, TFA mentors facilitate a fabulously fun and potentially challenging overnight experience for TFA teens. 

We’re asking for a sliding scale exchange of $20-40 this semester for the overnight. I will send out a separate email soon with the link to register.

Please let me know if you have any questions! 

Thank you! 

~ Tiffanie Pope 

(she/her)

Director, Teen Forest Adventures 

   tiffanie@teenforestadventures.com

(916) 601-0632 

My office hours are between 12-4, Monday - Thursday.  

I do not have email on my phone.

If you need a quick reply, text is best.  Thank you!

“Time in nature is not leisure time; 

it’s an essential investment in our children’s health.” 

~ Richard Louv 

☽☼☔︎☾♢☆♡