Programming

During Mountains to Sea¸ our teen campers took a trip to Borestone Mountain. These intrepid hikers summited Borestone Mountain and admired the views while learning about geology and birds. Campers in Arts & Birding learned different art techniques and used specimens from tidepools and taxidermy from the lab as hands-on models! Photographers honed their skills, capturing images of birds in flight, sunrises, and more during the photography session.

Finally, everyone on Hog Island was inspired and motivated by the energy from educators that flocked to the island from around the country. Here to learn ways to connect their students to nature, campers participated in workshops like climate change education, nature journaling, pond study, and more, and had the opportunity to hike all the way around Hog Island! We had great weather for an evening campfire and s’mores, a trip to Eastern Egg Rock, and a visit to Harbor Island. We shared important conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion and how educators can bring nature to all students.

Moments in Nature

As spring migration wrapped up, we have had more time to focus on other creatures that call Hog Island home! Campers especially enjoyed watching our resident mink visit the bird feeders and water feature. Additionally, a family of recently-fledged blue jays are frequently spotted around the Porthole. You can hear the youngsters begging for food and catch a glimpse of them hopping around and practicing flight if you’re lucky. Baby blue jays have not yet developed their crest or tail, which makes them even more adorable! 

A favorite of campers and staff alike, red squirrels have frequently been seen around the main camp, especially near the bird feeders. You can spot the young-of-the-year who are smaller and less afraid of campers walking nearby. Many of us have shared laughs during meals under the tent while watching one of these young squirrels trying (and failing) to climb over the squirrel baffle to get to the bird feeder. 

The touch tank has been bustling with exciting marine life! During Arts & Birding, campers found a live horseshoe crab in Porthole cove, as well as many lobsters of various sizes (one as small as a pinkie finger!) and of course, many, many hermit crabs. Campers also examined specimens of sponges, tunicates, and a live sea squirt attached to rocks in the touch tank. 

From the Kitchen

Coconut Tres Leches Cake 
(adapted from NYTimes Tres Leches)

This is a South Asian inspired take on a Tres Leches cake. Tres Leches means “three milks” in Spanish. In this cake, we’ve substituted three coconut milks for the dairy. We’ve been delighted to find new dairy-free ingredients that work just as well as their dairy counterparts. We use the Violife or Trader Joe’s brands Coconut Heavy Cream. It whips up to make an excellent whipped cream. We found coconut sweetened condensed milk at our local grocery store. These products have a mild coconut flavor, which is a lovely addition to this cake. For this recipe you can substitute dairy back in for any of the coconut products, if you can’t source them.

It’s a refreshing treat for this summer! This is best served with a side of fresh fruit.

Ingredients:

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour (substitute in coconut flour or almond flour for a gluten free version)
• 2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 1 cup whole milk
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed coconut milk
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups heavy coconut cream
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly coat a 12” cake pan with vegetable oil
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. 
• In an electric mixer on medium-high, beat the egg yolks and ½ cup of the sugar until the mixture is  pale and thick (about 3 minutes). Beat in ½ cup of coconut milk. By hand, mix in the flour mixture just until combined.
• In another bowl, with clean beaters, whip the egg whites until foamy and the yellowish color has disappeared, about 1 minute. Slowly add the remaining ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar while beating. Continue to beat the mixture until you have shiny, medium-stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Stir a big scoop of the egg white mixture into the batter to loosen it, then, using a spatula, gently fold the remaining whites into the batter without deflating them.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer cake to a rack to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup coconut milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla. Using a skewer or a toothpick, poke holes about ½ inch apart all over the cake. Cut the edges of the cake from the sides of the pan. Pour the milk mixture evenly over the cake, about a cup at a time, allowing 5 to 10 minutes for it to soak in before adding more. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 36 hours).
• To serve, whip the cream and confectioners’ sugar to soft peaks. Top the cake with the whipped coconut cream. Garnish with toasted coconut flakes and serve with fresh fruit.

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