Camp Themes

Welcome to Nature Adventures Camp 2025

From the Camp Leadership Team

We are excited to have another incredible summer at Nature Adventures Camp and are counting down to the warm sunny days until campers arrive! At camp we are focused on safety, engaging science education, and fun! Camp is a place to learn, grow, and foster new friendships.

To those who are coming back for another summer, welcome back! We are excited to see you. To those who are coming to camp for the first time we are excited to see you and provide your camper with a memorable, fun, and science-filled experience!

• Rachel Bond, Nature Adventures Camp, natureadventurescamp@ssymca.org

2025 Camp Themes

Our exciting nature-based weekly themes emphasize fun, hands-on experiences for campers to discover the natural world around them through age-appropriate activities. Campers at each age level develop skills and knowledge that encourage confidence, cooperation, curiosity, and compassion for the natural world. Each week we feature a different camp-wide theme.

Week 1: Flora, Fauna, and Fungi – Oh My!

Our natural world around the Nature Center is teaming together with wondrous, varying walks of life. From the woodland animals to the flourishing flora, fauna, and fungi friends that call our woods home. Did you know that mushrooms can talk to each other or that trees of the same species in the forest are connected by their root systems? What are those colorful, unique looking species that we pass by every day on the trails or out on an adventure? Who lives within the leaves and foliage? Who eats them and why are they here? How are different species helpful or harmful? Come discover the amazing world of all things plants.

Week 2: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Pallooza!

Help us uncover the prehistoric past! The world of dinosaurs will come to life through fossil hunts, mock digs, and engaging, hands-on activities. Did you know that chickens are distant relatives of dinosaurs? How did Dinosaurs survive in the ancient world? We will explore the lives of dinosaurs, the Big Bang, and other ancient organisms, as we learn about the evidence that scientists use to uncover and bring back to life these prehistoric creatures!

Week 2: Vet Camp (Grade K)

Join us at Nature Adventures Camp to learn basic animal care skills and explore the world of veterinary science. Campers will interact with animals who call the Nature Center home to learn about anatomy, gain important observational skills, and learn how to use various scientific tools! Vet camp will take trips to Jacobs Pond, explore the Nature Center campus, and feed the animals who live in the Ecozone. We may even get a special visit from real life, expert vets and animal care professionals!

Week 3: Colors of Nature

Join us to create beautiful, sustainable pieces of eco-art inspired by the many colors, textures, and patterns found in the outdoors around the Nature Center and our local environment. We will experiment with materials and methods, all while being inspired by the natural world around us. Using a variety of natural mediums, we will explore many forms of art including sculpture, architecture, painting, and sketching.  Let your creativity shine and trust the process!

Week 4: Shark Week (Who Ha-ha)

Explore the extraordinary world of sharks, dolphins, whales, and all things under the sea with hands-on activities and discovery. Did you know the deepest part of the ocean is about 7 miles down to the ocean floor? Or that the ocean is home to approximately 1 million volcanoes? How about that blue whales are the largest animal to live EVER (yes, even bigger than dinosaurs) or that there is a Greenland Shark that is estimated to be around 400 years old swimming in our ocean at this very second?   Become a marine biologist to uncover the incredible adaptations that make ocean megafauna and their relatives unique and help them survive in their ocean habitats. Come investigate and dive into the world of our planet’s heart!

Week 4: Marine Biology (Grades 1-2)

Join us at Nature Adventures Camp to learn about and explore the underwater world! Campers will interact with the aquatic animals who call the Nature Center home to learn about anatomy, gain important observational skills, and learn how to use various scientific tools! Marine Biology camp will take trips to Jacobs Pond, explore the Nature Center campus, help feed the animals who live in the Ecozone, and be immersed in ocean based and age appropriate curriculum.

Week 5: Things with Wings

Take flight and explore the plants (yes – plants!) and animals with wings! Experiment with how wings work, make flying crafts and discover how high and far your creativity can go. What makes an insect an insect, do they need to have wings? Did you know there are more than 1 million insects living in our world, with scientists estimating there are up to 10 million undiscovered species? We’ll use magnifying glasses, bug catchers, and frolic in Woodchuck Field to get a closer look at our 6 legged friends. We will also turn our eyes towards the skies and tree tops in search of those who ride the winds!  Investigating the many bird and winged creature species that call our camp home, as well as pay a visit to our Nature Center’s very own raptors, Rusty (Red Tailed Hawk) and Elliot (Great-Horned Owl) and our chicken flock! Things with Wings also includes the investigation of how nature has inspired modern inventions such as helicopters, planes, and gliders. Come take flight!

Week 5: Vet Camp (Grades 1-2)

Join us at Nature Adventures Camp to learn basic animal care skills and explore the world of veterinary science. Campers will interact with animals who call the Nature Center home to learn about anatomy, gain important observational skills, and learn how to use various scientific tools! Vet camp will take trips to Jacobs Pond, explore the Nature Center campus, and help feed the animals who live in the Ecozone. We may even get a special visit from real life, expert vets and animal care professionals!

Week 6: Galactic Blast Off!

Blast off into space! Come explore the vastness of the solar system with us as we discover the mysteries of the universe! What causes an eclipse? Why is Pluto no longer a planet?  What is happening in our night sky this summer? How do you become an astronaut and how do you get to space? We will uncover the answers to these and other space curiosities that have mystified humans for years. Learn about space ships and other space technologies, what it would be like on each planet in our galaxy, about the stars and moons, and everything out of this world!

Week 6: Vet Camp (Grade K)

Join us at Nature Adventures Camp to learn basic animal care skills and explore the world of veterinary science. Campers will interact with animals who call the Nature Center home to learn about anatomy, gain important observational skills, and learn how to use various scientific tools! Vet camp will take trips to Jacobs Pond, explore the Science Center campus, and feed the animals who live in the ecozone. We may even get a special visit from real life, expert vets and animal care professionals!

Week 7: Fresh Water Finds

From rivers, wetlands, and swamps to lakes, ponds, and vernal pools, we will dive into the world of freshwater! These waters are full of mysteries and wonders too. Did you know every living being needs fresh water to survive or that in just one single drop of pond water can be millions (yes, millions!) of microorganisms? Bring your muck boots, as we will investigate Jacobs Pond with our nets and visit the many vernal pool sites around our Nature Center grounds, home to fairy shrimp, fingernail clams, and a plethora of nymphs and larvae. We will experiment, craft, and play with water all while learning about its great importance and value. Learn to read clues in the landscape and discover the amazing world of water!

Week 7: Marine Biology (Grades 1-2)

Join us at Nature Adventures Camp to learn about and explore the underwater world! Campers will interact with the aquatic animals who call the Nature Center home to learn about anatomy, gain important observational skills, and learn how to use various scientific tools! Marine Biology camp will take trips to Jacobs Pond, explore the Nature Center campus, help feed the animals who live in the Ecozone, and be immersed in ocean based and age appropriate curriculum.

Week 8: Creepy Creatures of the Night

What creatures wake up when we go to sleep? Come discover all the different nocturnal creatures through hands-on activities, games, and experiments!  Learn about why these creatures sleep all day and what they do at night. Discover their special abilities to see, communicate, and hunt in the dark. What creepy crawlies and nocturnal friends live around the Nature Center and at Jacob’s Pond? We’ll use magnifying glasses, binoculars, bug catchers, and frolic around our woods to get a closer look at our nocturnal friends. We will even get to meet and visit our nocturnal Great Horned Owl, Elliot, that calls our camp home! Explore with us as we discover all the night-time dwelling creatures and creepers that call the Nature Center home!

Week 8: Vet Camp (Grades 1-2)

Join us at Nature Adventures Camp to learn basic animal care skills and explore the world of veterinary science. Campers will interact with animals who call the Nature Center home to learn about anatomy, gain important observational skills, and learn how to use various scientific tools! Vet camp will take trips to Jacobs Pond, explore the Nature Center campus, and help feed the animals who live in the Ecozone. We may even get a special visit from real life, expert vets and animal care professionals!

Week 9: Geology Rocks!

Animals, flora and fauna are major staples of the natural world, but what about the abiotic parts? Rocks, crystals, and minerals help make our Earth the fascinating, strong, and wondrous home it is. What kinds of rocks are there? How do rocks form? Do we need rocks and what if we didn’t have them? Use your imagination to hike a glacial esker or explore remnants of a boulder field.  Crack open a geode and be a rock hound. We will use various tools to investigate the rocks around our grounds, create and experiment with rocks, and visit The Pits where glaciers created deep divots in our camp grounds thousands of years ago.  Learn about volcanoes and mountain high peaks, and discover how nature’s incredible forces shape our landscape and our lives.

Week 9: Adventure Skills (Grades 4-5)

Could you survive in the wild? What skills do you need to spend a night outdoors without the convenience of electricity? Join us to learn how nature provides everything we need, from fire building and orienteering to water collection techniques and shelter creation. We will use our very own Nature Center grounds to set the stage and root us in a world of pure imagination and exploration.  Ready yourself for your next adventure!

Week 10: Go Green!

Come join us for our ‘Go Green’ themed week in celebration of our home planet, Earth! Learn about the many ways in which we can do our part in taking care of her. From recycling and reducing/reusing materials to conservation and care for our world’s natural treasures, there is SO much we can do, and it starts with reigniting our love for the natural world around us.  What do you love most about the outdoors? Do you have a favorite animal, element, or feature like mountains or a special tree?  We will work together to brainstorm and practice ways in which we can keep Earth green and clean, learn about environmental scientists and technologies, celebrate our beautiful planet and what we love most about her, as well as participate in Earth themed games, experiments, and projects, and more! Nature is at the heart of what our camp is all about, so let’s celebrate and work together. Come reconnect with, explore, and celebrate the great outdoors!

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Leader-In-Training

The Leader-In-Training (LIT) program is an excellent opportunity for youth ages 12 to 15 to develop leadership skills while becoming role models for young campers in a fun and engaging atmosphere. They will be supervised, coached, and evaluated by the Leadership-in-Training Coordinator.  LITs will build their confidence, independence, and self-esteem through problem-solving, taking initiative, and being “solutionaries.” LITs will use these newly acquired skills to develop and lead camp activities alongside experienced counselors in the second week of their session gaining real life counselor and leadership skills, while also still enjoying their time as a camper.