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The low turnout seemed to be more related to the weather, however, than the pro-clothing theme, according to co-owner Peg Kercher. "The weather man kept saying it was going to rain."
Dorene Schumacher, public relations coordinator for the 65-acre nudist campground, said the wearing of clothing at the event was a nod to those who may be too shy to show up at a regular day at Juniper Woods. For those who call the campground home, for much of the summer, living without body cover is the ideal.
"Living life in the all-natural way that we do, as being nudists, we kind of feel more secure there than in a regular-style campground," Schumacher said.
Given enough experience with clothing-optional campgrounds, Schumacher said she believes many more people would come to prefer living without clothing as much as possible, especially as they recreate.
"I have four kids and I have four grandchildren," Schumacher said. "I have taken kids to a textile park and I have taken them to a clothing-optional park. People actually come to your campsite and talk to you at a clothing-optional park, where at a textile park they're a little more stuffy."
Now in its third year, the campground is associated with American Association for Nude Recreation, a network of campgrounds that embrace the nudist lifestyle in a family way, she said.
"Every campground, in order to be affiliated with AANR, are guaranteed to be wholesome, family nudist parks," Schumacher said.
In addition to clothing, most AANR campgrounds do away with the public use of cameras, according to Schumacher. Juniper Woods has a slightly more open policy (see rules box.)
Some of the rules involve supervision of children, but Schumacher said that is no different from other campgrounds.
If anything, she finds the absence of clothing makes for less dysfunction and unease.
"A lot of people, especially women, but men too, say that their self-esteem is much greater when they realize that they don't have to be covered up by clothing to feel good about themselves," she said.
Some who live alternative non-hierarchical lifestyles, such as religious folk who live in communes, do away with signs of wealth by wearing similar clothing and shunning even the use of pockets - pockets which could be used to show off objects of value.
At Juniper Woods, the pockets disappear with the shirts - and most everything else. Nudity is a sort of equalizer, Schumacher said.
"There's no social structure," she said. "You don't know if you're a doctor, lawyer, very poor, very rich. Everyone is considered the same in a nudist environment."
According to Schumacher, there isn't a lot of staring at nudist parks. Interviewed by telephone from her home in Candor, N.Y., she said, "If you were sitting right here and we were completely nude I'd be looking at your face and talking to you. A lot of people say it's easier to talk to a nudist. If you're a non-nudist, people are looking you up and down and if you're a nudist they look you in the face and they get to know you for who you are. They don't judge you."
Throughout the warm season, Juniper Woods officials are planning a series of 50-50 raffles and fund-raising events to raise money for the Reach Center of Catskill, a center that helps victims of abuse.
"They're going to be doing some seminars at our open house in June on safety and stuff," she said. "They're going to be talking on self-protection, tolerance, acceptance, abuse and assault, self-esteem and prevention."
The Reach Center did not return telephone calls for comment.
Schumacher said she hopes more people will come by and investigate the park, even if only at "textile" days, where everyone will be wearing clothing.
"I think once people come see the park - even if people are dressed - just so they can see the layout of the park and the location and what they have to offer, then they'll be more likely to - try."
The next open house planned at Juniper Woods has been scheduled from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. June 11. That event, however, will not be a "textile day."
For more information about Juniper Woods, call (518) 945-1399 or visit the Web site at www.juniperwoods.com. Don't worry, the Web site is visually modest, with only mildly alarming drawings of the sunburned behind of the camp's mascot "Barey" to raise eyebrows. The AANR Website, www.aanr.com, also has information about clothing-optional campgrounds.
