NEWS: 2013 SUMMER NATURE CAMPS AT THE OGDEN NATURE CENTER

If your kids love animals, spending summer days in the great outdoors, exploring open spaces and --shhhhh!-- learning some science just for fun – then check out the summer camps at the Ogden Nature Center.

The Ogden Nature Center’s summer camps were voted Best of the Beehive by Salt Lake City Magazine and the education director, Stefanie Miller, was dubbed “Miss Campfire!”  For 2013 the Nature Center’s education team has drummed up some creative themes and topics for summer camps.

The Ogden Nature Center is offering a variety of camps designed for specific age groups.  There are age-appropriate experiences for ages 2 all the way up to 16. There are week-long day camps (with one night spent under the stars), single day adventures with imaginative themes, little mini camps for toddlers and overnight family campouts.  There are also openings for teenage camp assistants.  The choices are many! The Ogden Nature Center’s summer camp options are all listed at http://www.ogdennaturecenter.org/education/summer-camps and explained fully below.

The Ogden Nature Center has a highly qualified, fun team of teacher/naturalists.  With degrees in natural science, botany, environmental education and other related fields, the teachers have varied expertise and they all love spending time with children in the great outdoors.

Scholarships are available for children needing financial assistance.  Please contact Stefanie Miller regarding scholarships at 801-621-7595.

For more information, or to register for camps, please call the Ogden Nature Center at 801-621-7595.

OGDEN NATURE CENTER SUMMER CAMP OFFERINGS:

Week-Long Camps
Become immersed in the outdoors with a week-long nature camp!  Held from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm Mon. – Weds. with an overnight campout starting at 6 pm Thursday and ending at 8 am Friday morning. Dinner and breakfast are provided.  After-hours care is available until 5 pm Mon. – Weds.  Tents and sleeping bags are available for students who do not own them. Tents are shared with same gender campers only.
$165 members -includes camp T-shirt
$200 non-members–includes T-shirt

X-treme Eco-Expedition
Ages 11-14
June 10th – 14th
Think you know what it takes to survive in the wild? Challenge yourself in the ultimate nature adventure. Learn how to read nature and prepare yourself for survival using basic first aid, map reading, fire starting, leadership, tracking and shelter building skills learned along the way. Conquer the compass, and GPS and put your skills to the test in an all-out, end of camp treasure hunt. Who will win in this wild adventure?

Creepy Crawly Critters
Ages 7-9
June 17th – 21st
Would you like an up-close and personal encounter with the creepy crawly critters that are moving around the nature center?  Dig through pond muck and search fields high and low for snakes, lizards, insects, spiders and more. Play games and enjoy activities that help us understand and appreciate the creepy crawly critters all around us.

Monsters and Myths
Ages 9-11
July 8th – 12th
From fear of the dark, to freaky flocks of birds to a porcupine’s quills, help us explore the truth about nature’s scary side. Play games and investigate the myths and stories behind our fears.

Wildlife Detectives
Ages 8-10
July 29th – August 2nd
Investigate the wild side of nature! Solve clues, decipher codes and interpret maps as you spend the week exploring the mysterious world of animals. Nature crafts, animal games, hands-on investigation activities and an overnight campout make this an adventure you won’t want to miss.

Single-Day Adventures
Single day adventures are great for those interested in specific topics and they are easy to squeeze in to busy summer schedules.  After hours care is available until 5 pm for an additional fee.
$35 members / $40 non-members
$6 for a camp T-shirt with registration

Eco-Art / Ages 7-11
July 1st, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm
Let nature be your nurturer and muse as you create art in an outdoor setting with a natural theme.  Enjoy replicating the natural world through drawing, painting, sculpture, and installations. Get outside and get inspired!

Water Wizards / Ages 7-9
July 2nd, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm
Flowing, floating, freezing and falling, water seeps into and out of our daily lives in so many ways. Plan to get wet as we dive into the wonderful world of water in the desert, discovering what it can do and who lives in it.

Fantastic Forts / Ages 7-10
July 3rd, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm
Lodges, nests and dens are fine for critters, but what kind of home would you make if you lived outside? We’ll explore the kinds of homes animals make, then get to the task of creating the perfect shelter among the trees and trails of our 152-acre nature preserve.

A Day in the Life of a Wildlife Specialist / Ages 12 – 16
July 26th, 9 am – 3 pm
$40 – members
$45 – non-members
Get real-world experience in this hands-on animal adventure. Get up close and personal with our resident animals as you learn what it takes to keep them happy and healthy.  Learn about radio-tracking, food preparation and race your fellow campers in tying a proper falconers knot.  Get a sneak peak at wildlife care usually available for volunteers over the age of 18.  This class has very limited space.

Diggin’ History / Ages 9-12
August 12th, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Campers will spend a day in the life of an archaeologist as they learn how scientists unearth facts and treasures about the lives of those who existed hundreds, thousands or even millions of years ago.

Micros and Minis / Ages 7-9
August 14th, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
So much of the life around us is very small. Using hand lenses and microscopes, we’ll delve into the world and work of bugs, buds and other miniature beings.

Fun for Fledglings
Perfect for the littles who are able to be at the Nature Center without mom or dad! Ages 4-6.  Pick one day or stay for the whole week.
Mon. - Fri., 9 am – 12 noon.
$ 18/day or $80/week - members
$20/day or $95/week - non-members
Full week registration includes a T-shirt.

Animal Explorers
June 24th - 28th
We will travel to wild places around the Nature Center as we search for and explore the wonderful world of animals.  Campers are sure to have a blast learning and visiting with animals that are cute and cuddly, soft and fuzzy, scaly, hairy and sometimes even a little scary.
• Mon., June 24–The Bear Necessities
• Tuesday, June 25–Stinky Tails
• Wednesday, June 26–Fintastic Fish
• Thursday, June 27–Antlered Friends
• Friday, June 28–Miniature Monsters

Sense-sational Nature
July 15th - 19th                                
See, smell, hear, feel, and taste your way through the fascinating world of plants, animals, dirt and rocks.  Use your five senses to explore nature’s mysteries, play crazy games, and uncover how animals sense the world around them.
Monday, July 15th–Look who’s hiding
Tuesday, July 16th–Whiffers and Sniffers
Wednesday, July 17th–Musical Nature
Thursday, July 18th–Soft, slimy and spiny
Friday, July 19th–Sweet and Sour

Toddler Tracks
Outdoor learning for the tiniest tots. Ages 2-3.  Guardians must accompany children.  All Toddler Tracks camps are from 9 – 11 am
$12 parent/child pair - members
$15 parent/child pair -non-members
$6 for a camp T-shirt with registration
Toddler Track Series – All 4 classes plus a camp T-shirt:
$45 parent/child pair –members
$58 parent/child pair – non-members

Nature’s Palette
July 23rd
Dress in your not-so-best and join the Ogden Nature Center staff in a messy art exploration day. Play with paint, dirt, leaves, sticks and more as you use nature’s palette to create works of art.

Animal Superheroes
July 25th
Look to the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a bat. No! It’s a toddler dressed as a dragonfly? From beavers that build their magnificent homes with no glue guns, nails or hammers to falcons that dive out of the sky at over 300 miles an hour.  You and your child will have fun playing games and exploring as you learn about survival tactics in the animal kingdom.

Mudpuppies
August 13th
Join us as we get our hands dirty for some good old fashion mud fun. Find out why dirt is so important as we dig holes, find worms, make animal track and hear stories about animals in burrows. Dress for the mess!

Trail Tales
August 15th
Cozy corners out-of-doors are the perfect places for sharing stories!
Come walk with us on our trails as
we make story stops at our favorite natural hidden spots! Strollers are
encouraged for this activity.

Family Camp
Songs, Skits, Stars, and Smore’s – Family Camp
July 26th – 27th – 6 pm Friday to 9 am Saturday
$45 /family of 4 –members
$50/family of 4 –non-members
$ 5 each additional family member

Camp under the stars with your family at the Ogden Nature Center’s Dumke Picnic Grove. Take a guided hike through the center and learn about the nocturnal creatures that inhabit the preserve at night. Songs, skits and s’mores will cap off the evening before you slumber under the stars. We will provide the entertainment, drinks, s’mores and breakfast. Bring your own tent, sleeping bags, mess kit and a picnic dinner. Space is limited to 8 families and registration is required.

More information http://www.ogdennaturecenter.org