Together A-Loon
Plants and singing at Kettle Pond with Kelly McCarthy and Emily Bate
Kettle Pond on film, July 2024
What is it?
A group camping trip at Kettle Pond, a glacial pond in Groton State Forest in Central Vermont, co-led by herbalist Kelly McCarthy, and songleader Emily Bate. Enjoy three days of plant connection and singing with others, in a beautiful state forest on a lake with loons!
When?
Thursday evening June 12 (5pm) - Sunday morning June 15th (11am), 2025
Who are we?
In case you only know one of us, Kelly McCarthy is an herbalist; Emily Bate is a singer & songleader; we are sweethearts. This trip is an experiment in combining our respective passions and skills into a gathering centered around connection, play, and nature.
What’s the idea?
We envision a weekend of rest, exploration and connection, in dialogue with this beautiful corner of the world, the plants and animals who live there, and a sweet bunch of weirdos (you). Our gathering will be around 20 people. We’ll have a mix of (optional) scheduled activities and down time.
From Kelly: plant/ecosystem identification walks; slow, deep plant connection with one plant at a time; a field trip to Peacham Bog.
From Emily: learning songs about nature; guided group vocal improvisation time; goofy campfire singalongs.
This is an experiment, and we’re starting small - this is an invitation-only gathering, sent first to the people we would be so excited to spend this time with. If you’re excited to attend & want to bring friends, let’s talk!
More about Kettle Pond:
Expect gorgeous water, hemlocks, moss, loons, bunchberry flowers, and quick access to several hundred acres of state park with hiking trails, mountains, lakes, a beach, and swimming if you dare!
We’ve reserved one group camp site with plenty of space for individual tents, and room to hang out. If you are new to camping, check out our packing list and reach out with questions!
Kettle Pond is remote - the closest grocery store is about 30-40 mins away and cell phone service is not usually happening in the state park.
The closest airport is the Burlington Airport and it's about 1 hour and 20min by car.
Food:
There are two options for food.
- You can bring and cook your own food.
- You can pay an extra $85 for 8 meals (3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners)
Accessibility
The group camp site we’ve reserved is L17-21, on this map. The site is close to parking, and less than 150 ft from a bathroom, on uneven ground. There is no running water at our camp sites. The bathrooms are outhouses, so no sinks or showers.
If you're new to camping, a list of gear you need is below. We might be able to help you borrow gear you don't have already.
In June, temperatures range from 40s-70s.
If you have specific accessibility needs, let us know on the registration form!
Cost
$300 // add $85 if you'd like us to provide you with 3 meals a day!
Fine print: Full refunds are available up to 3 weeks before the start of the trip, May 22. Up to 1 week before the start of the trip, 50% refund is available. After June 4, no refunds are available.
Registration deadline is May 15 and is first come first served.
Camping Gear You'll Need
Gear
Food:
- tent
- sleeping bag that goes down to 32 degrees (or so) - it's terrible to be cold when you're camping!
- sleeping pad (or two for max comfort :)
- headlamp to see at night (not just the flashlight on your phone :)
- warm clothes - average temps are in the 40s at night
- boots / shoes good for walking in the woods (sturdy hiking boots would be ideal!)
- raincoat
- tarp (for putting above your tent if it rains) + rope to put it up
- camping chair / blanket for sitting on the ground
- bug spray
- sunscreen
- personal dishes (mug / cup, bowl, plate, utensils, napkin)
Food:
- one gallon of water for personal use (drinking, hygiene)
- snacks to keep you going (stuff that doesn't need to be refrigerated. if it's not packaged, you'll need to have an airtight container so animals don't get into it)
