2017 Summer Nature Day Camps

Transcription

1 Green Valleys Watershed Association s 2017 Summer Nature Day Camps Weekly Outdoor Adventures June 19 through August 11 Youth ages 4 through 7th grade

2 Nature Camp encourages a healthy connection to the natural world through outdoor play and environmental and science education activities. Each camp week includes nature discovery hikes, explorations of forest, meadows, and waterways, wildlife study, art projects and games, and more! Green Valleys Watershed Association is a member-supported, non-profit organization whose mission is to protect, preserve, and restore the natural waterways of northern Chester County. We inspire, educate, and involve our community to make a difference for this generation and for generations to come - and have since 1964! Our headquarters,welkinweir, is a 197-acre oasis of natural beauty in East Nantmeal Township, where we offer a range of educational programs. Please visit our website to learn more and to support our important mission through membership: What makes our Camp special? A 12:2 camper-to-staff ratio that allows for hands-on learning. Special guest presentations that complement each camp week s theme, including live animal demonstrations, outdoor skills and games, and more. Optional programs at Welkinweir for 4th through 7th graders on select Thursdays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Each program includes dinner, games, a nature walk, and campfire. Every Friday, campers gather at the campfire to make s mores. At the end of the day, campers present the highlights of their week for their families. Nature Camp Staff Counselors-in-Training (CIT): Students entering Grades 8-12 Training: June 15 & 16, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Ideal for teens who enjoy the outdoors and working with young children. CITs are trained by the Education Coordinator in building skills in childcare, education and natural history. CITs then volunteer for at least two weeks of Camp, working under and being mentored by senior camp staff. This program has limited availability. For fees, requirements, and application, please visit our Camp website: greenvalleys.org/summer-nature-day-camp. Junior & Senior Camp Counselor Positions: Please contact the Education Coordinator at dwhite@greenvalleys.org for details Nature Day Camp Programs Dragonflies - Children age 4 & entering Kindergarten Big on Bugs: June Be a bug detective and use your senses and different tools to investigate the world of insects and their cousins. Craft a spider; listen to stories about fireflies and butterflies; and sift through soil for millipedes and pill bugs to find out more about these creatures interesting features. Trail Trackers: June Follow the trails and learn outdoor skills using your senses, binoculars, magnifiers and other tools. Uncover animal tracks, build a fort, and discover new plants while you play in water and on land. Lenape Life: Imagine you lived long ago to learn about the Native Americans who made their homes here. Make crafts, play games, and search the streams and forest for animals as the Lenape did. See p. 7 for Monday Mini-Camp option! Habitats in my Backyard: July Explore the different places that plants and animals call home. Wander the woods, explore the gardens, and search the stream and soil to discover buds, birds, and other wildlife. Share your fun findings while learning about what all living things need in their homes. Birds of a Feather: July Flutter around the fields and pond to investigate the birds living around us. Look and listen for our feathered friends on nature walks and in books. Play games, make nests and craft feeders for the many birds you learn about this week. Animal Antics: July Discover the features and functions that animals use to protect themselves, find food, and live where they do. Search the woods, stream, and meadows. Play games, touch feathers and furs, and make your own crafty creatures. 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. only Nature s Artists: July 31-August 4 Create and play with the artists of the natural world! Detect patterns, colors, and textures in the animals, flowers, rocks, and other things you discover; then color, paint, tie-dye, and make musical works of art inspired by wildlife you find this week. Water Safari: August 7-11 Water, water is everywhere! Learn about the birds, fish, insects and plants that live in water. Explore the ponds and stream to catch and observe animals. Make boats to float, play water games, and learn how important water is! $115 $125 Before Care 7:45-9:00 a.m. Full Week Daily Rate $70 $80 Before Care 7:45-9:00 a.m. /Day After Care not available for Dragonflies

3 Bullfrogs - Children entering Grades 1 & 2 Going Buggy: June Visit the fields, forests and waterways to capture and examine bees and butterflies. Listen to stories and search for manylegged critters with lenses and microscopes. Build a beetle and play insect games to learn about the many different bugs that live around us. Kids Go Wild: June Explore and play while learning basic outdoor skills. Use your own sensory tools, build a shelter, and fish the pond. Use field guides to examine wildlife, and go on scavenger hunts to build your skills. Land of the Lenape: Discover trails, follow animals tracks, and find out how to hunt, gather and fish like this local Native American tribe. Wear the clothing, play games, and fashion your own totem to find out more about the Lenape people. See p. 7 for Monday Mini- Camp option! Space is the Place: July Roam the watery, grassy and hilly homes of wild plants and animals. Seek out furry, scaly and slimy animals. Collect critters, paint with plants, play with food chains, and read stories to learn about the needs of wildlife in their homes. Backyard Birds: July Flap and soar on the trails to find the many birds living in your community. Peer about the ponds, play bird calls and scope out the fields with binoculars. Craft a field guide to study and connect with your feathered friends. Creature Features: July Discover the adaptations animals use to survive and thrive! Play games about camouflage and migration, and learn other behaviors of different animals. Find, examine and compare creatures of the air, land and water. Then, get crafty fashioning your own survival features. Wild Art: July 31-August 4 Get creative with nature s patterns, colors, and melodies! Sculpt, tie-dye, and paint with natural and recycled resources. Scavenger hunts and other adventures will reveal the animals and plants you seek for your artistic inspirations. Watery World: August 7-11 Meet many aquatic creatures as you explore ponds and streams this week! Pursue frogs, search for signs of beavers, go fishing at the pond, and catch caddisflies in the stream. Play games during a quest to learn how to take care of our water; and construct boats to float in the annual Boat Race. $220 $230 $135 $145 Turtles - Children entering Grades 3, 4 & 5 Bug Fest: June Investigate soil, stream and meadows for the many unique insects, spiders and other bugs that live there. Use nets, scopes and magnifiers to observe these creatures. Go fishing, play games, and conduct science experiments to learn about their importance to the natural world. Optional Thursday for 4th and 5th graders. Into the Wild: June Hit the trails for wild adventures! Learn outdoor safety skills as you explore lands and waterways. Test your ability to stalk animals and ID plants. Build a shelter, and fish the pond as you hone these and other outdoor skills. Live Like the Lenape: Go back in time to learn about Lenape culture. Try your hand at gardening and crafting, and learn how to hunt and fish. Examine other Native American lifestyles through different games and explorations. Optional Thursday Nature Camp at Night for 4th and 5th graders. See p. 7 for Monday Mini-Camp option! Habitat Detectives: July Hike through different habitats to discover their features and the wildlife that inhabit them. Wade through a stream, stalk the meadow, and keep your eyes peeled on a soil dig. Go fishing, create food webs, and examine live critters as you explore the wildlife and habitats in your community. Avian Adventures: July Explore the world of birds! Bird callers and binoculars will help you investigate dozens of species. Migrate through the fields on scavenger hunts; inspect feathers and taxidermy; and construct your own flying objects as you find out more about the importance of the birds around us. Optional Thursday Nature Camp at Night for 4th and 5th graders. Amazing Animal Adaptations: July Investigate the many methods animals use to adapt to their habitats. Search the waters and woods for animal shapes, life cycles, and hunting behaviors. Set up experiments to study nocturnal animals; play the ultimate hide n seek game; and design your own wildlife models. Eco Art: July 31-August 4 Art comes alive in the outdoors! Scope out colors, textures and patterns from the natural world to create your own works of art through painting, tie-dyeing, and more. Play games and conduct artful experiments inspired by the flora and fauna you find this week. Optional Thursday program for 4th and 5th graders. Water Sleuths: August 7-11 Enter the world of water to see aquatic habitats and the weird and wonderful wildlife within them. Hike a stream and probe the ponds in search of amphibians. Hunt for herons and the elusive beavers while learning about the pond food web. Conduct experiments to learn how and why we conserve our water resources. Then, build a boat to compete in the annual Boat Race. $220 $230 $135 $145 Program Fees 5:30-8:30 p.m. select Thursdays

4 Herons - Children entering Grades 6 & 7 Wild Survival: June Discover new abilities and build survival skills when you take on various quests this week. Track animals and identify native and edible plants. Fish the pond, create a campfire, and assess your tool-building capabilities. Field trips will offer team-building activities and canoeing to help you survive and thrive in the outdoors. Optional Thursday Nature Ecosystem Expeditions: July Investigate the features of forests, meadows, gardens, and streams, and the wildlife living in each. Create a field guide, conduct experiments to study nocturnal life, and compare the behaviors of diurnal animals while bird watching and fishing. Enjoy games and activities to learn how people affect the natural environment, and discover ways to restore habitats. Embark on field trips to explore natural areas in our community. Optional Thursday Nature Birding Excursions: July Practice skills in identification, songs, calls and behaviors of birds as you encounter a variety of species this week. Study birds in action and examine feathers and taxidermy. Design your own bird; map out migration routes; and play games to reveal the amazing survival strategies of birds. Observe waterfowl and raptors as you visit local sites to roam their trails and visit with live birds. Adaptation Investigations: July Explore the behaviors and features of local flora and fauna to discover their survival strategies. Track down bugs, snakes, and other animals to study mimicry, hunting and hiding techniques. Encounter aquatic life while fishing the pond; and examine plant structures and colors. Travel to local sites to explore, climb and play through different habitats. Optional Thursday program The Art of Nature: July 31-August 4 Observe nature s artwork in the patterns, textures and colors of its wildlife and water. Use binoculars and microscopes to examine different plants, insects, reptiles and more. Develop a different perspective on the natural world when you work beside a professional photographer. Also, take part in a 2-day, 1-night trip to NorthBay, a state-of-the-art education facility on the shores of the Upper Chesapeake Bay in Elk Neck State Park. Campers and staff will take part in environmental science research, as well as team-building activities such as zip lines, high ropes courses, and hiking. NorthBay s mission is for students to realize that their attitudes and actions have a lasting impact on their future, the environment, and the people around them. Aquatic Explorations: August 7-11 Explore your watershed and its abundant wildlife through aquatic adventures each day. Navigate the stream in search of aquatic insects and conduct water quality tests. Fish in the ponds, observe waterfowl, and find out how you can protect and restore your local streams. Design a boat to compete in the Boat Race, and embark on trips to paddle and float your way down local waterways. Optional Thursday Nature June 26-30; July 10-14, 17-21, $260 $270 July 31-August 4 Week Fees $360 $370 Program Fees 5:30-8:30 p.m. select Thursdays Animal Engineers Mini-Camp Ages 4 through 5th Grade Learn about construction from nature s expert animal builders. Discover the functions of animal homes in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Encounter odd and interesting wildlife, and play games to learn about their amazing building abilities. Use your ingenuity to construct your own nature-inspired masterpieces in which to hide out, catch food, or snooze! Before & After Care Before and After Camp Care is available for children in grades 1 through 7. Activities are not structured around camp and include reading, board games, or outdoor play. Parents should pack extra snacks for children attending Before and/ or After Care. Before Care 7:45-9:00 a.m. Before Camp Care: 7:45-9:00 a.m. Full Week Daily Rate After Camp Care: 3:00-5:15 p.m. $60 Full Week 4th-7th Grade Campers A great opportunity for campers to experience Welkinweir at night - and for parents to enjoy a night out without the kids! Activities are not structured around camp, and include a pizza dinner, snacks, games, a nature walk, and campfire. Registration Details Camp enrollment for each week is limited. Forms and full payment are due by the Thursday prior to chosen camp weeks. Registration remains open throughout the summer as long as spaces are available. Early Bird Discount: Register by April 24 and receive 10% off total camp week fee. Sibling Discount: After April 24, register your child and one or more of their siblings and receive 5% off total camp week fee per child. Scholarships Monday, July 3 rd 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Mini-Camp Fees $55 $15 After Care 3:00-5:15 p.m. Early Registration and Sibling discounts do not apply to Monday Mini-Camp. $15 Daily Rate 5:30-8:30 p.m. select Thursdays Includes dinner, snacks, and activities. Registration opens February 3 rd for GVWA members. General registration opens March 3 rd. The Summer Nature Day Camp Scholarship Fund supports families who cannot financially afford to send their children to camp. To support the Fund, please see the Camp Registration Form. To apply for a one-week camp scholarship, submit a completed application to the Education Coordinator at dwhite@greenvalleys.org. Summer Camp Open Houses Walk the grounds, see our facilities, and talk with the Education Coordinator to answer your questions and ease campers apprehensions. March 12 and May 21, 2:30-4:30 p.m., at the Education Building and grounds near Visitor Parking Lot. Online registration, forms, scholarships, and applications available at

5 Register now for 2017 Summer Nature Day Camps! Member registration begins February 3 General registration begins March 3 Discounts and scholarships available If you do not have camp-aged children at home, please share this brochure with a local family who does. Thank you! Address service requested NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID POTTSTOWN, PA PERMIT NO. 82