What is Lark Camp?
It’s an unparalleled weeklong world music and dance event that takes place in three different camping areas within one park – The Mendocino Woodlands. Each has a musical theme, and hosts workshops, sessions, and dances. Campers choose one of the camps to “live in” for the week, but may attend workshops and events in any camp, traveling by free shuttle, walking, or your own bicycle. Most campers prefer to camp for the whole week, but you may also come for “half-camp”, either the first four days, or the second four days.
Workshops are offered for a variety of levels for adults and young adults; families with young supervised children are welcome. In Camp One, there are kids’ programs that include instrument making, art projects, and a wonderful Kid’s Play that is rehearsed, costumed, and performed on the last night of camp. (The Mendocino Woodlands Camp Association also offers environmental education programs for children.)
Camp Themes
There are three camps divided roughly by the following criteria. Each has workshops, sessions, dances, and events related to these themes.
Camp One
IRELAND, BRITISH ISLES, GREECE, EASTERN EUROPE, AND SWEDEN
Camp Two
LATIN AMERICA, NORTH AMERICA, SPAIN, AND FRANCE
Camp Three
THE MIDDLE EAST, GREECE, ASIA, AND AFRICA
Decide which camp is for you based on your workshop preferences:
Check out the list of workshops & instructors. What interests you? A particular instrument, or style of music? If you lean toward one style, you might like to choose the camp dedicated to that theme. (Hint: The themes are listed above!)
Then choose how you’ll camp:
The Mendocino Woodlands is a WPA-era campground with rustic wooden cabins. Each of the three camps has cabins or tent-cabins and in most cases are shared by four people. All are equipped with cots and mattresses, but no bedding and none have electricity. Each camp has designated tent camping areas for a pre-assigned number of tents. Each camp has limited, designated space for camping vehicles.
Getting to Lark Camp
Lark Camp’s weeklong home is the Mendocino Woodlands State Park in California. It is located about nine miles east of the town of Mendocino via Little Lake Road.
Camp Layout at the Mendocino Woodlands
Lark Camp Rules & Restrictions
- THE CAMP ONE MEADOW (Tent Area A) IS THE EMERGENCY HELICOPTER LANDING AREA — In the unlikely event of a medical air evacuation, it has to be cleared. Available campers/staff must pull all tents and their contents to the side of the Meadow within 15 minutes.
- STATE PARK FIRE RULES — You may only cook if you’re camping in a vehicle with a built-in kitchen. NO portable white gas or propane stoves or lanterns are allowed in the park. NO cooking is allowed in cabins. These are State Park fire rules; if you break them, you’ll pay a $250 fine and be ejected from the campground!
- ALCOHOL, SMOKING, & DRUGS — You may only bring alcoholic beverages for your own consumption if you are 21 or over. All smoking or vaping is strictly allowed only in designated areas. If a participant is found taking, selling, or possessing any illegal drug or substance, or if they supply such drugs, substances, or alcohol to minors, they may be fined and/or expelled from the event without warning or refund. LTA will report such action to police if required by law.
- CODE OF CONDUCT — Lark Camp does not tolerate any form of harassment. Please read our code of conduct so you understand what constitutes harassment and how to help anyone who is being harassed.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lark Camp family-friendly?
Workshops are offered for a variety of experience levels for adults and young adults; families with young, supervised children are welcome. In Camp One, there are kids’ programs that include instrument making, art projects, and a wonderful Kid’s Play that is rehearsed, costumed, and performed on the last night of camp. The Mendocino Woodlands Camp Association also offers environmental education programs for children.
Can minors attend?
Minors (anyone under 18) must attend Lark Camp with a parent or guardian who is at least 21 years old. Special paperwork is required for minors who attend with a guardian rather than a parent or legal guardian. It must be filled out by the parent, guardian, and minor.
Are my fees refundable?
Deposit payments are not refundable. Please consider purchasing trip insurance if something could prevent your attendance. We cannot refund your deposit (see Register for more information), you cannot sell the deposit to any other camper, and it cannot be applied to make up the balance on another deposit for a friend or family member. Deposits cannot carry over to the following year.
Is there phone reception? Wifi? Electricity?
Phone receptivity is extremely limited at Lark Camp; some Verizon customers may be able to get a phone call out, but there’s not enough reception to read email. There is NO Wifi at all. There are outlets in most camp common buildings (but not cabins) where you can charge a device, but they’re popular; some folks bring battery chargers or solar chargers to avoid discharging devices that double as recorders. If you know you need to phone home, you can search online for “domestic calling cards for pay phones” to purchase phone cards and use the pay phones in Camps One and Two. (The Administration Office has resources for real emergencies.)
Can I carpool to Lark Camp?
The Mendocino Woodlands asks us to carpool when possible to reduce the number of cars in the park. If you have need of a ride or have one to offer, use the rideshare board to post your request/offer and check back frequently. Lark Camp & Lark Traditional Arts make the rideshare board available to you, but are not responsible for finding rides or monitoring the board. Once you’ve made your ride connection, let us know so we can remove your rideshare board post![LINK]
What discomforts & health hazards should I know about?
Life at Lark Camp is rustic and hilly. The Mendocino Woodlands have mosquitoes, dust, and poison oak. Bring whatever repellent works best for you, allergy medication if you have dust allergies, and learn how to identify poison oak. Nothing in the State Park is paved – be prudent and bring comfortable footwear for walking on dirt paths! Contact registration@larkcamp.org if you have questions.
Is it true that I can get a massage at camp?
YES! Each year, several fine certified massage therapists offer massage at camp. You can find their charges and schedules at each of the dining halls and on the Facebook Group page.
What if I can’t afford camp?
We offer a limited number of work-trade positions – where campers work in exchange for some portion of their camp fees. We have positions on the registration crew, setup and teardown crews, or cleaning crew. Contact volunteer@larkcamp.org if this interests you for more information. You can reduce meal cost – trade work for eats in one of our kitchens doing food preparation, service, or dishwashing. Contact larkkitchen@gmail.com for more information.
Lark Traditional Arts
In 2019, Lark Traditional Arts was formed as a nonprofit organization to manage Lark Camp. Thanks to its Board of Directors, you can look forward to many more years of music in the redwood forest of the Mendocino Woodlands! Donations to Lark Traditional Arts will help the organization build programs for scholarships and bring instructors from far away to enrich our workshop program.
Mendocino Woodlands
Located in traditional Pomo territory near the village site Bu’ldam, Mendocino Woodlands National Historic Landmark State Park is a year-round group camping facility and environmental education center nestled in the heart of the redwood forest, just northeast of the town of Mendocino. The Mendocino Woodlands Camp Association nonprofit runs the campground; its mission is to ensure a Mendocino Woodlands experience for future generations.
History of Lark Camp
When Mickie Zekley’s annual music party grew to more than a hundred guests and outgrew his house, he rented Camp One at the Mendocino Woodlands for a weekend, and shared the cost with his friends. Starting in 1979, the “party” gradually took on an educational bent, and grew to occupy all three campgrounds at the Woodlands – a National Historic Landmark with rustic redwood cabins built during the WPA era.
What started as a Celtic and American flavored musical weekend retreat, evolved into a weeklong, educational “world music” event that includes traditional dance, instrumental, and vocal music. For many years, Mickie also ran Lark in the Morning, an instrument store located in Mendocino and San Francisco that boasted an exhaustive catalog of instruments from around the world. Mickie no longer owns Lark in the Morning – it is now located in Berkeley, CA – but our camp borrowed its name from the store. Most recently it has become known simply as Lark Camp.
Mickie always kept a Lark Camp Music Library. You can find recent PDFs of music taught in our workshops.
Lark Camp T-Shirts!
Each year, we have a special Lark Camp t-shirt, created for us by long-time Lark camper and designer, Jack Gilder. This year’s t-shirt is no exception to the marvelously quirky designs. Order t-shirts when you register and pick them up at camp.
