Camp Green Pine

**Camp Green Pine** was an "intentional community" featured in Showtime's *Yellowjackets*, overseen by Lottie Matthews. She described it as being a community of love and healing, and its members are offered a number of therapeutic treatments. It was located in a wooded area with a lake off of Route 19 in Cherry Hill, New York. It is also often referred to as "Lottie's compound."

## Background

Lottie Matthews is one of the few survivors alive following the crash of Flight 2525 carrying the WHS Yellowjackets all-girls soccer team. Lottie was seemingly a "troubled" child and (at some point) had been on medication (a psychotropic anti-psychotic medication, "Loxipene;" a medication known to have the common side effect of worsening psychotic episodes, symptoms, and psychotic tendencies, when stopped abruptly) due to schizophrenia. She ran out of this medication within days following the plane crash the spring of 1996.

During their time in the wilderness, Lottie, along with others who survived the plane crash, committed various horrendous and unspeakable acts, including the ritualized killing and cannibalism of other survivors of the plane crash, including some of their own Yellowjackets teammates. It is believed that upon rescue and in the aftermath of the plane crash and attempt at reintegration into their pre-crash society, a traumatized Lottie would not talk to her parents, Malcolm and Emilia; she barely slept or ate. In an attempt to help his daughter through this obvious trauma, Lotti's father sought the help of a psychiatric professional. Eventually, as treatment for her condition, Lottie received electroconvulsive therapy (an acceptable scientifically and evidence-based practice in the 1990s, due to it's showing positive results for a variety of psychiatric disorders, which were not well managed by mediations and behavioral therapy alone).

In or around 2011, Lottie left the mental institution, either of her own accord or because it was determined that she was well enough to no longer require institutionalization. She moved to New York and later founded Camp Green Pine as a residential wellness center; and, began accepting residents. Lottie's fellow communal residents knew her as "Charlotte."

The mysterious symbol encountered in the wilderness by the survivors of the crash of Flight 2525 was writ large upon the landscape of Camp Green Pine. Members of the community can be seen wearing pendants featuring this infamous symbol.

In the final episode of season 2, some of her fellow survivors (and former Yellowjackets teammates) believe that Lottie's present condition, once again, requires institutionalization, resulting in the shuttering of her intentional community at Camp Green Pine.

## Protocols and customs

According to Lisa, Charlotte's acolytes, membership within the community was completely by choice. Their participation was completely voluntary, requiring no commitment or surrender; residents were free to leave whenever and for as long as they wanted. Still, there were specific customs and protocols within this society; residents regularly followed, without question. Upon joining, would-be residents were expected to surrender all personal assets, financial records, electronic devices, including smartphones. Additionally, each provided to Charlotte detailed personal information. Her acolytes all wear simple clothing dyed in the color heliotrope, a shade of purple; a dye extracted from crops of heliotrope produced within the compound. Charlotte, as their spiritual guide and leader, can be distinguished from other members of the community, wearing long flowing dresses and robes of other colors, most often a distinct golden yellow, reminiscent of the sun/sunshine.

Community members attend regular activities, including a variety of support groups. They are largely a self-sustained community, raising a number of farm animals and bees/hives, which are used to make their own brand of honey that they sell at a farmer's market located near the compound, under the label "Sunshine Honey." Upon arrival, guests normally undergo therapies. These therapies include, but are not limited to, any of the following:

* Forage - The details of this therapy are unknown. After choosing this treatment, Van decided to "forage" by retrieving a bottle of booze from her truck.
* Guidance - Sitting inside a sensory-deprivation water tank. The tank has no lock and clean swimsuits are provided for those who aren't comfortable with nudity.
* Renewal - Painting the side of a barn using a make-up brush.
* Self-Care - Taking care of a baby goat for the day. This is said to be in order to discover all of the personal discoveries and sacrifices that go along with doing so. Those who choose to opt out of this are instead required to muck out the barn all day. Regarding this treatment, Lottie said that she finds it gives a person clarity to have to care for something so innocent, and they are not required to harm the animal in any way.
* Burial - Not on the list of therapies provided by Lottie to pick from, but witnessed by Natalie and described by Lottie as being a therapeutic treatment. It involves burying somebody alive during a ritual conducted while wearing animal masks.

## Easter egg

It can be seen in an episode of *Yellowjackets* that Lottie's community has an emergency phone line. The number, 607-478-1033, can be called by American fans and a voicemail, recorded by cast members while in character, is played. The message was consistently updated while season 2 aired. First, although glitchy and ominous, was an introduction to the community from Lottie herself, and last, following the finale, was an announcement from a distressed Lisa that the community would be closing its doors.

## Trivia

* Camp Green Pine has never been named in dialogue on *Yellowjackets*, but the name is seen by Natalie on a sign just after escaping the cabin she was brought to upon arrival.
* A running gag throughout the second season of *Yellowjackets* is other characters, including Natalie, Misty and Taissa referring to Camp Green Pine as being a cult and Lottie insisting that it is an "intentional community."
* While preparing for the role of adult Lottie, Simone Kessell says she studied footage of controversial spiritualist leaders such as Teal Swan.
* The scenes set at Camp Green Pine were filmed at Camp Howdy of Belcarra, British Colombia, Vancouver, Canada. Once a YMCA camp, it is now a popular wedding venue.
* It was initially theorized by many viewers that Camp Green Pine might be set at the same place where Flight 2525 crashed, due to it being set within a wilderness with a lake. This was later proven false when it became clear that it was in easy driving distance from New Jersey.

## Gallery

Misty and Walter, looking at a sign for Camp Green PineThe symbol upon the beach of Camp Green Pine
## References

1. ↑ Want to Join Lottie’s Cult? ‘Yellowjackets’ Lures Viewers With Easter Egg
2. ↑ Surviving Womanhood and Hollywood With *Yellowjackets* Star Simone Kessell
3. ↑ Gittins, Susan (March 26, 2023). YELLOWJACKETS 2×01: Where Is Lottie’s Cult Compound Filmed in Vancouver?. Hollywood North Buzz. Retrieved on June 10, 2023.