Dear Friends of Hog Island,

Since our last update at the end of May, camp has been buzzing with life! As always, FOHI’s work behind the scenes is what keeps it running smoothly. Week after week, our dedicated overnight volunteers have shown up with smiles on their faces excited to work. And kudos to the amazing Desperados, local volunteers who jump in whenever needed, specifically during the whirlwind of turnover days between sessions. Hard work and big hearts are what make the Friends of Hog Island so very special.

Our Annual Appeal has been especially strong this year, and thanks to your generosity, FOHI was proud to present the camp with a $50,000 gift in June — a meaningful investment in the next chapter of this special place, right as we head into its tenth decade.

If you haven’t heard, the 90th Anniversary Celebratory Weekend is just around the corner in August, and the schedule Audubon has arranged looks fantastic. If you haven’t signed up, reach out to Rosy Tucker to find out if there is space. I’ve heard the Friday night FOHI appreciation dinner is full—unsurprisingly!

Read on for a special request for archive materials during that weekend, as we work to preserve Hog Island’s history. Also, note the deadline of this Sunday, August 2nd, to place your order for exclusive 90th Anniversary merchandise. And be sure to have a listen to FOHI board member James Li’s beautiful new folk album, inspired by the rhythms of island living, and in support of FOHI.

There’s a lot to celebrate this summer — thank you for being part of it!

FOHI’s Check Presentation at the Field Ornithology Camp, Pictured: FOHI Board Members Anthony Hill, Sara Morris, and Scott Weidensaul, FOHI ED, Deana Cavan, and Audubon’s Laurie Bragg, Don Lyons, and Amy Simmons.

Help us Expand the Hog Island Archive

As part of Hog Island’s 90th Anniversary Celebration, we invite you to help us grow the Hog Island Archive. FOHI has already compiled an impressive collection of approximately 35 linear feet of archival artifacts relating to the history of the Hog Island Audubon Camp, but we know there is more out there to document.

Hog Island was Audubon’s first Nature Study Camp — and it’s also the only one still standing — so every photo, letter, or keepsake you can share helps preserve a piece of history that exists nowhere else. If you have photographs, letters, documents, scrapbooks, slides, negatives, postcards, or other items of historical significance from before 2010, please bring them with you for the weekend. Our team will scan or photograph each item on-site and return the originals to you before you leave.

To help preserve the full story behind each item, please be prepared to share necessary metadata — date, photographer, names of people pictured, and a brief description of what it depicts. If there are people in a photo who are still living, we’ll also ask for their contact information so we can request permission before posting it to the archive. Archiving unknown subjects in photos is legal when used in a historical context.

Every item you contribute helps build a fully searchable, digitally preserved record of Hog Island’s history — one that will engage and educate campers, alumni, and the public for generations to come.

Thank you for helping us preserve the story of the Hog Island Audubon Camp!