Nine girls completed a five-day camping trip July 27 at two Boothbay Region Land Trust preserves. The trip was sponsored by Hearty Roots, an esteem-building outdoor adventure program for girls ages 9-15. Hearty Roots was founded two years ago by Edgecomb Eddy School counselor Haley Bezon. Campers spend time outdoors swimming, hiking, paddleboarding, meeting new friends, learning about nature and writing about their newfound experiences in a journal.

From July 23 to 27, the campers spent time on Porter Preserve in Boothbay and at Oak Point Farm in Boothbay Harbor. Camper Angelina Patriotti, 10, of Wiscasset has participated in five Hearty Roots sessions in the past two years. In February, she attended the inaugural winter session. Campers spent five days sledding, tubing, skiing and snowshoeing. In July, Patriotti and her eight fellow campers enjoyed other Maine outdoor adventures.

“It’s a lot of fun. We learned about paddleboarding,” she said. “We have a lot of fun here and I made a lot of new friends.”

Her grandmother Karen Dalton was one of several relatives at the closing ceremony July 27 at Oak Point Farm. The campers read shared adventures from the session by reading from their journals. Dalton said Hearty Roots has been a wonderful experience for her granddaughter.

“I’m so proud of her. I see how much she’s grown from the experience and it’s wonderful to see her make so many good friends,” she said.

Hearty Roots offers five-day sessions in February, April and three times during the summer.