Going to Girl Scout camp is great. There are no strangers, only friends you haven’t met.”
- GSWNY Camper
Summer Camp at GSWNY
In this issue: CEO’s Message
Camp Windy Meadows
Camp Piperwood
Camp Timbercrest
Camp Seven Hills
Each summer, something magical happens across the woods, fields, and waterfronts of Western New York – youth from across our region gather at Girl Scout Summer Camp. You can hear the laughter echo through the trees. You can feel the energy as campers conquer their fears on the ropes course, paddle across the lake for the first time, or sit quietly under the stars with newfound friends. For generations, our camps have been more than places to pitch tents or roast marshmallows. They are places where girls discover who they are, who they want to become, and grow their confidence. As I have gotten to know our community, it’s astonishing how many incredible local leaders vividly recount their time at camp and the precious, lifelong friendships that those summer weeks have given them.
I remember my own days at Camp Seven Hills. I didn’t know it then, but learning how to build a fire, find my way in wooded trails, and experience peace in nature with my friends was preparing me for a life of leadership, compassion, and resilience. Now, as a mom of a Brownie and CEO of Girl Scouts of Western New York, I see those same lessons unfolding again and again for thousands of Girl Scouts. Our outdoor programs offer youth an unparalleled environment for learning and exploration, free of screens, fostering growth through adventure and play.
Camp is where young people find their voice.
Camp is where confidence grows.
Camp is where belonging begins.
and for
In this issue of Raising Change, you’ll hear about the power of camp through the eyes of our Girl Scouts, staff, parents, and even our Girl Advisory Board members. Their stories are joyful, moving, and a reminder of how deeply this experience shapes lives.
Like many cherished traditions, Girl Scout summer camp is facing rising costs - from maintaining properties and providing safe programming, to ensuring no one is turned away due to financial hardship. We are committed to keeping our camps open and thriving - not just for this summer, but for the next generation of Girl Scouts and beyond.
We need your help to do that.
When you give to Girl Scouts of Western New York, you're giving more than just a summer experience. You're giving a girl her first chance to lead. Her first chance to try something new and exciting. You're giving her a community that believes in her and compassionate friendships that will lift her up. Whether you’re a former camper, a parent, a troop leader, or someone who simply believes in the power of youth development, we invite you to be part of this mission. Your support helps us make camp accessible, inclusive, and deeply impactful.
Because every girl deserves the chance to paddle that canoe, sing around that fire, and return home just a little braver than she left. Thank you for standing with us - to protect this tradition, to nurture our youth, and to build a future full of confident, compassionate leaders.
With gratitude,
Cara Biddlecom CEO, Girl Scouts of Western New York
If you’d like to see the magic of camp firsthand and witness the impact your generosity makes, we’d love to show you around. Reach out to Jerilyn Hickey at jerilyn.hickey@gswny.org or 716.935.6047 to schedule a summer camp tour.
There is no better way to experience Girl Scouts than through Girl Scout Camp! My name is Linda Zakrzewski and I am the camp director at Windy Meadows Volunteer Day Camp. We run a four week summer day camp program at Camp Windy Meadows in Lockport. The neat thing about our program is that it is all volunteer run. We have volunteers from all walks of life from young adults, Girl Scout Leaders, teachers, Moms, retirees, health care professionals, and business owners. We all come together every summer to give the girls the best possible experience at camp. The secret is is that we probably have more fun than the girls!
The true strength behind our camp is the dedicated volunteers. We look forward to coming together each summer to celebrate each other and the girls. We are a true camp community. We have been doing this for over 10 years and have been able to see our campers come in as Daisies and Brownies and stay with us as volunteers. To watch the evolution of the girl to young adult is one of the most rewarding aspects of our camp.
Our program is strongly girl led where we teach our high school campers leadership skills. They plan and implement program such as crafts, outdoor education, outdoor skills, and cooperative games. We also bring in experts in the community for outreach programs to enhance our program. Past and future programs include The Zoo Mobile, The Aquarium of Niagara, Niagara Climbing, Hawks Creek, and Nickle City Reptiles and Exotics. We also have visitors from the community such as The Ladies from The Niagara Falls Airforce Base and the Niagara County Sheriff.
We love traditional camp activities at Windy such as our opening and closing flag ceremonies, skits, and songs. We have also started some of our own traditions at Windy such as singing One Voice, hula hoops, glow parties, and pierogis on July 16 (716).
Windy Volunteer Day Camp has been in operation since 2015. It evolved from a four day program in 2015 to a full four week summer program. Each year, we are committed to giving back to Girl Scouts and to Camp Windy Meadows by purchasing equipment that will improve the camp. We also give back by doing service on camp property such as trail improvement, gardening, and cleaning.
We are so excited for camp this summer!
— Linda Zakrzewski
Camp Director, Windy Meadows Volunteer Day Camp
Camp Windy Meadows, owned and operated by Girl Scouts of Western New York, has been a cherished day camp site for over 50 years. Established in 1952 on farmland in Cambria, NY, the camp features lodges, living units, picnic shelters, and nature trails. The program is planned and led by dedicated volunteers from multiple service units and is open to all registered Girl Scouts entering Kindergarten through 12th grade in Fall 2025.
—GSWNY Camper “
Girl Scout summer camp is all the awesome things people say it is.”
Exploring the outdoors! Taking a hike! Spending the night in the lodge or a tent! Meeting other Girl Scouts! Camp Piperwood gives girls a chance to experience camp with their troop, with a parent/guardian or even on their own. What an honor it is to be a part of this special place.
Summer camp at Piperwood allows girls to gain confidence to be on their own, try activities like archery, arts and crafts, the ropes course, cooking over a fire and meeting new friends. The greatest part of each day is seeing girls just have fun - playing games, singing songs, and being outdoors! Over the years, I’ve seen girls become part of the camp family while discovering their talents and even becoming counselors! Many of the summer camp counselors agree that camp is a place to be yourself and help others know that they belong too. Personally, Girl Scout camp has shaped my life over the decades. My experience really began as a camp counselor many years ago! Although I worked at different types of camp, I found myself coming back to Girl Scout camps as they truly felt like home … Beech-Wood, Bonnie Brae, Seven Hills and now Piperwood. Memories of campfires, camper smiles, singing songs, being silly, sharing successes, cookouts, dress up days, and even rainy days all help me appreciate the magic that can only be found at camp. Entering my 13th year at Piperwood, it’s not one memory that stands out but just the daily joy of sisterhood and seeing girls and staff grow to be their best authentic selves. There’s no other place like camp.
How I love to see Girl Scouts at Piperwood all year long. It’s a place where girls come to day events, troops come to spend the night and Service Units spend the weekendall to experience the magic of camp. Working on badges, creating their own adventures, experiencing the seasons and building a love of camp makes Piperwood a special place all throughout the year!
—
Mary Beth Sullivan Camp Director, Piperwood Day Camp
You’re invited!
My daughter has special needs and the Piperwood camp staff is amazing with her. I am so grateful Camp Piperwood is a place she can go and enjoy all the fun of camp. Thank you to an amazing staff! You are making a huge difference in my daughter’s life.”
—GSWNY
Camp Piperwood 55th Anniversary Celebration Saturday, June 21, 2025 ~ 1-4 p.m. Scan QR Code to register or contact our customer care at customercare@gswny.org 1-888-837-6410
In 1959, following the merger of the Jamestown Area, Northern Chautauqua County and Salamanca Area Girl Scout Councils, the new Chautauqua Area GS Council owned 4 camps totaling 232 acres. A “dream” soon began to evolve that envisioned just one centralized camp. This “dream” included at least 700 acres of land not more than an hour drive for any G.S. member and would feature a lodge, troop, day and residence camping, room for training opportunities, a lake for aquatic activities, a large wooded area for camping and hiking and a home for a “Camp Ranger/caretaker” and her or his family.
Esther “Skipper” Keyser spearheaded the creation of this “dream” and in 1962 it began to be realized when 750 acres were purchased near Randolph, NY. Construction began and in 1963 Day Camp started while in another part of the property buildings, roads, tent platforms, latrines and a 33-acre lake were completed in 1967.
After 62 years the camp continues to be a wonderful place to learn and have fun exploring nature using hands, eyes, ears and sometimes taste buds. You may cook your meal over a fire you built or learn how to canoe or kayak. You may see red efts, bunnies, birds of all kinds, deer or perhaps a beaver swimming in Keyser Lake. Many who have camped at Timbercrest can attest that Camp Timbercrest is a beautiful “wilderness” camp where you can learn about yourself, enjoy personal growth, appreciate and learn “outdoor” skills as a team and leave with life-long memories and new friends. Everyone is welcome and often both young and adult Girl Scouts “meet as strangers and leave as friends”!
Camp Timbercrest is a “second home” to many where value building is common and where the friendship and comradery enjoyed one or 20 or 50 years ago is very evident when “camp friends” see each other after being apart for a while. Camp Timbercrest with its views and vistas and magnificent forests will always be “a piece of heaven on earth” for many Girl Scouts as well as community members who have enjoyed the roperty. The Friends of Timbercrest, a volunteer corps that includes past campers and counselors, continues to have fun while working “to preserve, enhance and promote Camp Timbercrest in partnership with GSWNY” because they know what a powerful and positive impact camping has on young girls. The first Camp Director, Skipper, said “Camping and outdoor living can provide children with tremendous opportunities for learning and growth” just as the “dream” that came true has proven.
—
Joanne “Jo” Nelson Life Member and Camp Timbercrest Director 1969 - 1978
—Jo Nelson “
Camp Timbercrest belongs to everyone who believes in the power of nature to heal, teach, and connect.”
As I sit down to write this, I can’t help but smile and reflect, thinking about how much Camp Seven Hills has meant to me over my 38-plus years. I grew up here—I was a ropes course camper. How much this shaped who I am today as a Physical Education Teacher and Camp Director! My counselors, Sponda and Junior, believed in encouraging me and gave me leadership roles from a young age. They allowed me to help one of our international counselors and be her voice as she was learning. I remember sleeping out under the stars at Hunter's cabin—I still can take myself back among the pines, beside the pond, and under the stars. This place has shaped me in more ways than I can count, and I know I’m not alone in that. I started out on staff as a Kitchen Aide. Looking at our staff, the majority have grown up at camp. I have been privileged to watch them grow from first-year, wide-eyed, nervous campers to the moment they first wear that staff shirt for the first time and some have moved up to assistant camp directors. This place has been more than just a summer escape; it's been a second home for many campers and staff. It's where we learned to be brave, to be silly, to lead, to lift each other up, and to be ourselves. It’s where we found pieces of ourselves we didn’t even know were missing. Our international staff, who come and join us, add another dimension to that layer of home. This summer, we have six internationals who are returning, and four of them are in their fourth year with us—this is the love of camp.
Being on staff means giving back to a place that gave us everything—and doing it alongside others who feel exactly the same way. The bond that forms here is unlike anything else. Whether you’ve been here for one summer or ten, you’re part of a family that cheers each other on, picks each other up, and knows exactly how powerful this camp is to our lives. It’s in the silly songs, trying something new, the late-night stargazing, the tears at closing campfire, and the candlelit friendship path. It’s in the way we show up for one another, day after day. That’s what makes camp a home. The smell of a campfire or hiking brings back those memories of camp and the people who become your family. Campers and staff all make this place magical.
So thank you to all the parents and guardians who allow their campers to join us every summer. For those who come to camp, the energy, the care, and the love you pour into each moment here are invaluable. Whether you grew up at camp or are just beginning your journey, know that you’re part of something truly special and magical.
Happy Camping and Singing,
— Goofy, AKA Carolyn Camp Director, Seven Hills Day & Overnight Camp
Camp Seven Hills, owned and operated by Girl Scouts of Western New York, has welcomed thousands of girls since opening its doors to 50 campers in 1930. Nestled on 620 scenic acres in Holland, NY—originally established by the Buffalo Council in 1920 on 200 donated acres—this beloved resident camp offers woodland trails, meadows, ponds, a lake, pool, stables, ropes courses, and more. Girls in grades 1–12 can enjoy swimming, boating, horseback riding, arts and crafts, outdoor skills, and off-site adventures. It's the perfect place to build confidence, make new friends, and return summer after summer for that “special something” Camp Seven Hills is known for.
Whenever I’m asked about my favorite thing I’ve done over my 12 years of Girl Scouts, the answer, every time, is always Camp Seven Hills. From the High Ropes to a floating lunch on the lake, Every part of it makes the perfect summer. Camp is perfect for making new friends, finding new opportunities, and discovering hobbies and skills you may not have known you have! Since starting at Seven Hills five years ago I developed a love for nature and conservation through my experiences at camp and in the Nature Center. This led me to join the Girl Advisory Board, the Board of Directors, and apply to study abroad for Conservation. Camp has been a huge impact on my life, and without it I wouldn’t have realized my love for conservation! So If you’re considering Girl Scout Camp for yourself or a loved one, take my story to heart and join us this summer!
— Ainsley Cousins Grade 10, Girl Scout Senior
“
Amazing
experiences in previous years!
And the best part about GS camp is that it is a place where everyone can just be themselves without judgment.”
—Girl Scout Parent
I have been attending Camp Seven Hills for eight years, as a camper, Counselor in Training (CIT), and Camp Aide. Throughout the years, nothing has ever really changed but the seasons. I remember my first year at camp, I did the sneak a peek program, which is only three days at camp. I went home ecstatic, knowing I’d want to go back the next year. Each year I returned, I could always count on seeing smiling faces, some new, and some old. Part of the fun of camp was coming back excited to see old friends and counselors, but also meeting new ones during the week or two weeks the campers were there.
You’re invited!
Camp Seven Hills 95th Anniversary Weekend
Some of my closest friends and fondest memories have stemmed from camp, many from my year as a CIT, staying the longest I’ve ever stayed at camp, the full duration (5 weeks). My CIT year was hands down my favorite year at camp, because I learned so much, and made friendships I still value today. Camp Seven Hills has so many different programs to offer, such as adventure camps, horse camps, and cooking camps, but those are only a few. My camp experience has mainly been more adventure camp centured, beginning with Camp Adventure Girl, my second year at Seven Hills. My experience at Seven Hills is something I’ve always been grateful for, and I think it’s something every Girl Scout should get to experience. It’s extremely fun, and it’s a great opportunity to learn new things and meet new people, especially for young girls who wouldn’t have that same chance elsewhere in their lives. The programs are only one week, but they create a lifetime of memories for the girls.
Scan QR Code to register or contact our customer care at customercare@gswny.org 1-888-837-6410 y
July 25-27, 2025 (formal Program Saturday July 26 @ lunch)
Two of my favorite memories at camp have been from two very different points in my camp career. The first was during my second year, during the camp adventure girl program. One of the things we had to do was build a shelter in the woods using various branches, moss, whatever we could find, and a tarp. The catch was, when we finished construction, our counselor dumped a bucket of water on us while we sat underneath it, to test if it was waterproof. My group, of course, got soaked. My second favorite memory was from when I was a CIT, during week four, when we smuggled garlic knots from the kitchen and decided the bathroom was the best place to hide from the campers so nobody saw we had garlic knots. This was not a wise decision, as a group of campers had just showered, so we just ended up eating room temperature garlic knots in a hot and steamy bathroom (ick). Either way, whether we were getting water dumped on our heads, or eating garlic knots in a soggy bathroom, my favorite memories of my life have come from my experiences at camp. I’m so glad I’ve had the opportunity to attend camp as a camper and a counselor, and I’m beyond excited to be able to continue working there as a counselor in the future.
— Jillian Sears Grade 12, Girl Advisory Board member
4433 Genesee St., Suite 101
Buffalo, NY 14225
3495 Winton Place, Building C, Suite 2
Rochester, NY 14623
2661 Horton Rd. Jamestown, NY 14707
5000 Cambria Road Lockport NY 14094
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Telephone: 888-837-6410
Website: www.gswny.org
