Now Enrolling for Hawk Mountain’s 2022 Summer Nature Camps

It is not too early to look forward to how to spend summer vacation! Join us at Hawk Mountain this summer and grow your relationship with nature at our 2022 Summer Nature Camps. Campers can choose from 8 fun and educational themes or join us for many! Our Summer Nature Camps are designed for young nature enthusiasts entering grades 1 – 6 with separate camps available for grades 1 – 3 and 4 – 6. Teens ages 14 – 17 are welcome to join the Sanctuary for the Counselors-In-Training (CIT) program to gain leadership training and experience.

“We are so excited to welcome our campers and CITs back to the Mountain for our 2022 Summer Nature Camps! Our education team puts so much work into developing camp curriculum so that is impactful and enriching to all of our participants,” says Riley Davenport, Educator and Raptor Care Specialist. “Each week of camp, we hold up a magnifying glass up to different nature-focused themes, including outdoor skills, animals, art and its connection with nature, an inside look into becoming a young naturalist, and more! While our camp is jam-packed with many fun activities, we are also encouraging the next generation of conservationists.”

All camp sessions take place daily, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Camps begin June 20 and run until August 12 for a total of eight possible weeks of outdoor adventure and education. Camps are led by professional environmental education specialists, and group sizes are limited based on optimal teacher-student ratios.

Campers’ days will include meeting live animals, hiking woodland trails, role-playing, making art and craft projects, learning from scientists and special presenters, exploring natural areas, telling and listening to stories, and conducting experiments. Some days may include off-site trips to study water creatures or explore regional highlights.

Pricing is $265 per camp session, and a discounted $215 for Mountain Members. An additional $50 discount off one week is available to those registering for 4 or more weeks, which can also apply to 2 campers attending 2 weeks. A non-refundable $50 deposit is due at registration. The remaining balance and all necessary forms and waivers are due 2 weeks before the first day of camp. Visit hawkmountain.org/summercamps to register, pay, and find the forms and waivers.

Register now before the spots fill up at hawkmountain.ticketleap.com!

Counselors-in-Training (CITs) are volunteers who will support the staff by being role models for campers, helping campers with activities, leading games, assisting with supervising, setting up, and cleaning up. We equip CITs with the ability and experience to practice age-appropriate teaching methods, activity planning, emergency training, and leadership skills. CITs may receive a letter of recommendation, certificate of completion, and approved community service and/or volunteer hours. Training of 1-2 days prior to the beginning of camp is required for CITs. Visit hawkmountain.org/CIT  for more information and to submit an application.

Advancing access and inclusion in outdoor spaces, the IDEA Fund Nature Camp Scholarship will help remove barriers by covering the full tuition costs of Summer Nature Camp for each scholarship recipient. Partial aid may also be awarded. Visit hawkmountain.org/education/idea-fund for more information on submitting an application and project idea for a group that could benefit from the outdoors.

The full 2022 Summer Nature Camp line-up is as follows:

Creative Creations Summer Camp
June 20 – 24
This theme is designed for campers entering 1st – 3rd grade. Nature will inspire campers’ imaginations through art, music, movement, role-playing, sculpture, and more! Each day campers have fun exploring the sanctuary, meeting live animals, and being creative.

Art of Nature Summer Camp
June 20 – 24
This theme is designed for campers entering 4th – 6th grade. Campers combine creative expression and exploring nature through art, music, movement, and role-playing. They will learn about the natural world and meet live animals to inspire imagination and creation.

Wild Survivors Summer Camp #1
June 27 – July 1
This theme is designed for campers entering 1st – 3rd grade. Campers will learn about people of the past and what techniques they used to survive in nature. They will also discover how plants and wild animals from years ago survived in the forest. Meeting some LIVE animals, they will learn how they stay safe and find food, water, and shelter.

Surviving the Wild Summer Camp #1
June 27 – July 1
This theme is designed for campers entering grades 4th – 6th. Learning techniques that people utilized hundreds of years ago in order to live off the land, campers will learn survival skills through hands-on experience. They will discover how past humans, plants, and wild animals survived, and listen to stories of the past. Campers will safely build shelters, learn basic way-finding skills, procure food and water, and cook on a fire during this week of adventure. Meeting some LIVE animal ambassadors, they will learn how they survive in the wild.

Fascinating Creatures Summer Nature Camp
July 4 – 8
This theme is designed for campers entering grades 1st – 3rd. Whether they have fur or feathers, crawl or fly, hop or swim, the wild animals of the world have always captured camper’s imaginations. Which animal is the fastest, biggest, or strongest? Campers will meet some of the coolest LIVE animals this week.

Predators & Prey Summer Camp
July 4-8
This theme is designed for campers entering grades 4th – 6th. This week campers will learn about the ancient relationship between predator and prey! They will explore survival strategies like camouflage while searching for predators and their prey throughout the sanctuary. Campers will get up close and personal will some LIVE predators and prey animal educators, too.

Wild Survivors Summer Camp #2
July 11 – 15
This theme is designed for campers entering grades 1st – 3rd. Campers will explore how humans, plants, and wild animals survive in the forest. They’ll learn what to do when encountering wildlife, build emergency shelters, role play getting lost, and stay safe. Meeting some LIVE animals, they will learn how they stay safe and find food, water, and shelter.

Surviving in the Wild Summer Camp #2
July 11 – 15
This theme is designed for campers entering grades 4th – 6th. Campers will discover how humans, plants, and wild animals survive. Learning, survival skills through hands-on experiences, campers will safely build shelters, learn basic way-finding skills, procure food and water, and cook on a fire during this week of adventure. Meeting some LIVE animal ambassadors, they will learn how they survive in the wild.

All Creatures Big & Small Summer Camp
July 18 – 22
This theme is designed for campers entering grades 1st – 3rd. Each day, campers will investigate a new type of animal group found at the sanctuary using everything from field guides to bug jars. Campers will explore insects, birds, mammals, and more during this week dedicated to the animal kingdom. Activities will include LIVE animal encounters, stream study, hiking, games, and more. An off-site stream study is included this week.

All About Animals Summer Camp
July 18 – 22
This theme is designed for campers entering grades 4th – 6th. Campers will learn all about reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals, fish, insects, and spiders during this week of animal adventures! Campers will practice using tools by professional scientists. Activities will include LIVE animal encounters, stream study, hiking, games, and more. An off-site stream study is included this week.

Wild Discoveries Summer Camp
July 25 – 29
This theme is designed for campers entering grades 1st – 3rd. Campers will discover nature in the strangest places! Looking under logs, splashing in a stream, and searching through a puddle, this week is all about nature exploration. Campers will see the natural world from different perspectives as they scan the treetops and examine the stones beneath their feet. They’ll uncover how the sanctuary’s LIVE animal ambassadors would live in the wild. An off-site stream study is included this week.

Nature Scene Investigators (N.S.I.) Summer Camp
July 25 – 29
This theme is designed for campers entering grades 4th – 6th. Who left that track in the mud? Who made that nest? Who is swashing in a stream? Who lives there? Campers will be a Nature Scene Investigator by exploring clues in nature during this week of exploration and sleuthing. They’ll uncover how the sanctuary’s LIVE animal ambassadors would live in the wild. An off-site stream study is included this week.

Nature Games Summer Camp
August 1 – 5
This theme is designed for campers entering grades 1st – 3rd. Campers will discover the natural world, and more about themselves, through interactive games and activities. Animal encounters, hiking, stream study fun, teambuilding, scavenger hunts, and more will make up this week. An off-site stream study is included this week.

Woodland Games Summer Camp
August 1 – 5
This theme is designed for campers entering grades 4th – 6th. Campers will have the opportunity to learn by playing outdoor games, splashing in a stream, doing scavenger hunts, and tackling teambuilding challenges. Activities will include animal encounters, hiking, games, and so much more! An off-site stream study is included this week.

Young Naturalist Summer Camp
August 8 – 12
This theme is designed for campers entering grades 1st – 3rd. Campers will start their path to becoming naturalists by tracking wild animals, identifying trees, and learning some of the basic tools of a naturalist firsthand in nature. Campers will meet LIVE animals and learn how to identify them. An off-site stream study is included this week.

Nature Adventure Summer Camp
August 8 – 12
This theme is designed for campers entering grades 4th – 6th. Campers will put on their “naturalist hats” and explore their environment! Learning all about Appalachian plants and animals, campers will have fun hiking, doing a stream study, encountering LIVE animal ambassadors, seeing raptors up close, dissecting owl pellets, being part of a team, and more. An off-site stream study is included this week.

All information regarding the 2022 Summer Nature Camps and associated programs can be found at hawkmountain.org/summercamps. For information on other upcoming events and programs, visit hawkmountain.org/events.