General Camp Information and Guidelines

Welcome to Born To Drum '24 - CAMP INFORMATION letter 08.10.2024

What To Bring:

Your camping equipment, and if you are staying indoors, enough bedding or extra bedding to make sure you are comfortable at night. If you like a softer bed, you might consider a foam or camping pad.
Prescription Medications
Your drum(s) or percussion instrument(s)! Check class descriptions for instruments, equipment, and clothing recommended for various classes. In addition, please note:
- If you have a Chekere (beaded gourd), be sure to bring it, as we will have several classes that will use the gourd; i.e., Amy Vitro’s Chekere class and Carolyn’s Güiro class.
- Bring your dancing tights and shoes because we have 4 amazing dance teachers this year!
We will have plenty of chairs, but if you have a stool or a favorite chair, feel free to bring it.
A recording device with extra batteries, a notebook and pens (Voice recording only)
Still Camera (no videos of classes please!)*
Masks for indoor events/classes
Sunscreen (#15 +)
Hat
Sunglasses
Water bottle with your name on it!
Refillable spray bottle if you want to really stay cool
Clothing for hot days
Clothing/layers for cold mornings, evenings, and overnights
Good walking shoes/boots
Stretchy/loose clothes for dance classes (jeans not recommended)
Swimsuit for pond swimming Saturday & Sunday
Towel or two
2+ Flashlights, with backup batteries. The campus is dark at night.
Bedding: required if you're in a dorm, optional if you're in a lodge (anything you like from home to add to your comfort)
Phone charger
Toiletries in a portable bag: you will not be able to leave toiletries in the bathrooms/showers
Contribution items for the community altar
Cash or checkbook for tee shirts and vendors! (Electronic payments are not reliable due to lack of cell service!)

What Not To Bring

Valuables. Women Drummers International assumes no responsibility for loss of or damage to personal property.
Video camera/recording device. Video recording of your classes is not allowed.
Portable speakers. Recorded sound is strongly discouraged at camp. We encourage you to take this opportunity to have 2.5 days of only live sounds. If you do want recorded sound for yourself, headphones are strongly requested.
Recreational Drugs

CAMP GUIDELINES. All are welcome at Walker Creek Ranch! Below is helpful information from Walker
Creek to orient and prepare you for your stay.
Meals  Meal service is buffet style. Please bring your plates and cutlery to the bussing station.  Staff will clean the dining hall promptly at the end of the meal service.  Standard mealtimes are 8 am breakfast, 12 pm lunch and 6 pm dinner. Meals last one hour. 
Service requests/housekeeping  Staff are available in the dining hall from 8 AM-8 PM.  After 8 pm, please call the on-duty manager from your lodge phone in case of an emergency.
Water  The water is safe, delicious, and minimally treated. Please enjoy from any faucet, fountain or spigot.
Critters  Please close doors to lodges and meeting rooms to keep animals out.  Please give space to the animals and remember we share a home.  Please keep food in the dining hall, in the lodge refrigerator, or stored safely in your car.
Smoking  Smoking is only allowed on patios where an ashtray is located. Walking around while smoking is a fire hazard and is prohibited.
Emergency phone  2 landline phones are available – in Willow and Teachers lodges. To use the phone, dial 2, the area code, then the phone number to reach an outside line. The number to give your family/friends for contacting you is on page 3 of this letter.  If you need after hour emergency assistance between 9 PM and 7 AM please call the scheduled on-call manager at the number on the placard by the telephone.  In the event of an emergency dial 911 from emergency phone. The Ranch address is 1700 Marshall Petaluma Road, Petaluma CA.
After you have contacted emergency services, alert a Ranch team member.
First Aid/Safety  Your group is responsible for injuries, illness, first aid and the safety of your participants. Please inform your group of the location of your first aid supplies and appoint someone to handle injuries and illnesses.  The AED is located in the Dining Hall.  In the event of an emergency or evacuation you will hear an alarm sound. Please gather your group in the ball field at the entrance to the ranch.  If you need additional first aid resources, please speak to a Ranch team member.
Fire emergency  Alarm will sound  Gather in basketball court  Establish incident command and take roll 
Establish search and rescue Internet  Password for guest wi-fi network: wireless
Parking  Parking is allowed in the following designated areas: o Main parking lot by the Ranch Office o Next to
many of the lodges o Additional parking is behind the Dining hall o Limited parking by the barn.
Campfire  Please thoroughly extinguish the campfire using the water hose. Wildfire season. Please be mindful. PLEASE NOTE CAMPFIRES MAY BE CANCELLED DUE TO RED FLAG WARNINGS. Check with Ranch Staff.
Hiking trails  Please stay on designated paths to avoid poison oak.
Swimming at the pond  Please only use the pond when a lifeguard is on duty. Pond can be reached from the organic garden bridge and making a left. Please bring water. Swimsuit is required.
Check-out  At the end of your stay please leave comforter, pillow, and linens on bed.  Check out time/out of lodges: 10 AM – ALL PERSONAL ITEMS AND LUGGAGE OUT OF THE DORMS AT THIS TIME  Check out of meeting rooms: 1:30 PM.
Stewardship  Please be good stewards of Walker Creek Ranch and leave this special environment better than you found. We kindly ask that you:  Stack all chairs at the end of your stay  Throw away trash and recyclables in appropriate containers  Turn off thermostats and lights in your lodge

Accessibility

All buildings at Walker Creek are accessible and some have been adapted for disabled access.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations until JULY 22 are subject to a $50 cancellation fee.
Cancellations between JULY 22 until AUGUST 7 are subject to a 50% cancellation fee.
After August 7, fees are nonrefundable.

(Posted April 29, 2024)

Cell and WIFI Service at Walker Creek Ranch

There is NO cell reception but there is WIFI. If your cellphone has WIFI calling (not iPhones is our understanding), you will be able to use it.
We will have our own phone extension in Teachers, where Mar Stevens, one of our WDI Board members and camp managers, is staying. There is also a landline in Willow.
- The number for urgent calls from family/others: 415 419 6600 ext. 385. If no one answers, call the main number (415 419 6600) to reach a Walker Creek staff person.
- To use the phone to reach an outside line, dial 2, the area code, then the phone number.

Children at Born To Drum 2024

Children and teens are welcome at Born to Drum if accompanied by an adult who is a registered and paid attendee at camp. Children under 4 attend for free. Children between 4-10 attend for approximately 50% of the adult fee. Please read carefully the following safety information:
Walker Creek is a 1700-acre property with many buildings, a pond, creeks, and wild animals (both day and night sightings of coyotes, foxes, and raccoons).
Boys 10 years and younger are welcome to come to Born To Drum.
Teens who can attend classes independently, or with their moms, and who can safely navigate Walker Creek Ranch, are welcome.
Given the size and nature of this year’s location, children under 12 or any youth who need supervision, will need to be under the supervision of an adult. We have a separate waiver for children and will ask on the registration form what adults will be taking care of the children.
Thank you for understanding the limitations on our ability to accommodate children this year.

(Updated on April 29, 2024)

Covid Policy

We are not requiring vaccinations this year, but we strongly recommend them. Please take a look at current CDC and WHO guidelines as we get closer to camp. We will recommend wearing masks at all indoor events.