- April 26, 2024
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Lakewood Ranch's Phil Thibodeau takes his wife, Nicole, 7-year-old son Lochlan, 5-year-old daughter Zolana and 4-year-old son Dexon camping at the Adventure Park.
Photo by Liz RamosLakewood Ranch's Lissa Nugent, Connor Nugent and Dylan Glover use the Community Campout as an opportunity to introduce children to camping.
Photo by Liz RamosFirst-time campers Leigh Sierra and her 4-year-old daughter Weslyn Sierra, of Harmony, look forward to the nature walk.
Photo by Liz RamosGreenbrook's Katerina Vergnais tries on a pair of solar eclipse glasses. "This is amazing," she says.
Photo by Liz RamosGreenbrook 11-year-old Olivia Blitz gets cozy on an inflatable couch.
Photo by Liz RamosLakewood Ranch's Nick Sutera pitches his tent. Although it's his second year at the Community Campout, he said he's still a novice when it comes to putting up his tent. "After a lot of trial and error, we're getting the hang of it," he says.
Photo by Liz RamosParrish's Ismael Tanon looks forward to a night of father-son bonding with his 8-year-old son Cameron Tanon, starting with a game of catch.
Photo by Liz RamosKrista Carpenter with Wildlife Inc. talks about the habits of a tortoise.
Photo by Liz RamosE.T., a barred owl, makes an appearance at the Community Campout. Barred owls are one of the more common owls in the Lakewood Ranch area.
Photo by Liz RamosJustin Layman sings a song from Disney's "Moana."
Photo by Liz RamosThe McDermott family, Caiano family, Reed family and Sierra family, who all are neighbors in Harmony, participate in the Community Campout to have a new experience together.
Photo by Liz RamosDozens of families pitch their tent at Lakewood Ranch Community Activities' sixth annual Community Campout.
Photo by Liz RamosLakewood Ranch's Nicole Thidbodeau and her husband, Phil Thibodeau, get help putting up the tent from their 5-year-old daughter Zolana and 4-year-old son Dexon.
Photo by Liz RamosFor 13 years, Lakewood Ranch's Nicole Thibodeau has been asking her husband, Phil Thibodeau, to take her camping.
To celebrate her birthday Feb. 24, Phil Thibodeau made Nicole Thibodeau's wish come true.
The Thibodeaus took their kids, 7-year-old Lochlan, 5-year-old Zolana and 4-year-old Dexon, to Lakewood Ranch Community Activities' annual Community Campout at Greenbrook Adventure Park.
Nicole Thibodeau said she loved camping as a child when she and her dad would go to Mount Washington in New Hampshire in February to brave the cold weather.
"We would spend a couple of days out there, and it was absolutely freezing, but it was nice to be close to nature," she said. "The conveniences of life make it so easy. Camping includes good skills for my kids to learn."
Harmony's Leigh Sierra participated in the Community Campout for the first time with her husband, Eric Sierra, and 4-year-old daughter Weslyn Sierra. They decide to go to the campout after hearing their neighbors Daniella and Andy Caiano had a great time with their family at last year's campout.
This year's campout became a neighborly adventure as the Sierras and Caianos pitched their tents next to their neighbors Lisa and Jimmy Reeds' family and Melissa and Paul McDermott's family.
Andy Caiano said he helped each of the families with pitching their tents.
"I didn't come here as the expert (in pitching tents), but I'm leaving here as the expert," he said.
