Boston Nature Center Camp - Design For The Future

Weekly themes (below) will be explored in a multitude of meaningful and interesting ways to ensure that each camper ends the week with a well-rounded understanding of the overall theme, in addition to a better understanding and appreciation of nature in general. The weekly theme is explored through a combination of the following activities: close observations, investigations, simple projects, nature journals, walks on the trails, art activities, related group games, songs, and more. The open house… Show more on the last day of every week invites campers to share their understanding of the weekly theme with their friends and families.
Week 1 - June 25-June 29: Green Thumb (Plants & Gardening)
They make their own food, prevent floods, provide shade and continuously pump life-giving oxygen into the atmosphere. All in a day's work for a plant! Explore the mysterious powers of plants in the garden, forest and fields of the BNC. We will color fabrics with plants dyes we've made, and harvest the season's delights from the garden.
Week 2 - July 2-July 6: Tooth & Nail (Animal Adaptations)
It can be a dangerous place out there for plants and animals. What kinds of "tricks" do they have up their sleeves? Survival can sometimes come down to being lucky, but living things have developed certain traits to survive in their environments. Come find out what animals and plants have the "right stuff" to live in our city.
Week 3 - July 9- July 13: "X" Marks the Spot (Maps & Orienteering)
Solve clues, decipher codes, and interpret maps as you wind closer to the secret destination during this amazing week at the BNC. What is waiting for you at the end of your quest? Come learn more about finding your way around this world and use some cool tools to find new places at the Boston Nature Center.
Week 4 - July 16- July 20: Going Green (Stewardship)
In the past BNC campers have created their own solar cars, designed gardens, and created exhibits to teach families about nature in the city. When we work together we are incredibly powerful. During this week we will create some recycled art work, cook using the sun and work on a project to help the wildlife of the BNC. Come and learn what exciting new projects we have in store for this year!
Week 5 - July 23- July 27: Mad Science (Science Investigations)
Do you ever wonder what an ornithologist or an entomologist does? Or how botanists work to keep people healthy? This week, we will learn about the real lives of scientists by setting up experiments, using scientific tools and studying the habitats and organisms of the Boston Nature Center. Can you think like a scientist?
Week 6 - July 30- August 3: Leave No Trace (Outdoor Skills)
How can you have an adventure in nature and make sure you're taking care of the outdoors? Know before you go, choose the right path, trash your trash, leave what you find, be careful with fire, respect wildlife, and be kind to other visitors, for starters. Come learn how to tread lightly on the earth while having a great time exploring!
Week 7 - August 6-August 10: Watery Investigations (Water Investigations)
Track the cycle that a drop of water takes around the earth and its atmosphere. In this week we will investigate the properties of water and how living things interact with this liquid. We will explore watery habitats from small ponds to the edge of the ocean by collecting and comparing the living creatures in these habitats. Get your hands wet and discover what living things can tell us about the water we all depend on.
Week 8 - August 13-August 17: Insect Allies (Insects & Others)
With the help of bugs, we have fruits, vegetables, and fertile soil. Insects make our world more delicious and more interesting! Join us on the hunt for helpful insects. We will explore the garden for insects that feed on pests, we will search the meadow for pollinators and predators, we will dig in the forest for those bugs that turn leaves and twigs in to rich soil. Find out how butterflies and other insects enrich our lives.
Week 9 - August 20-August 24: Design for the Future (Design & Construction)
The world is ever-changing and humans must adapt to these changes. As we plan for the future, we must be resourceful and innovative. Right now scientists are inventing ways to turn our footsteps into energy, our shoes into soil and much more. Let's put our brains to work and invent our own "green" creations. Could we make houses out of newspapers? Get creative during this week of building and design.
Week 10- - August 27-August 31: Art's Alive (Art & Music)
Nature inspires art and artists inspire the world. Artists have used nature to connect people to the outdoors, to promote conservation and to help save endangered species. Don't think of yourself as an artist? In this week you will learn that everyone can be creative in the outdoors. We will paint and draw with plant dyes, fruit, veggies, and even soil. We will sculpt and build with natural materials. We'll be inspired by the sounds of nature to create our own music. Join us for this fun week filled with noise and hands-on projects.
Registration is on a first come, first served basis. Children can attend up to 4 weeks of camp. If additional weeks are desired, you may be put on a waiting list.
Instructions and Directions: Fees are based on a sliding scale. To request a registration packet, please call (617) 983-8500 or print registration forms from BNC's "Summer Camp" page.
Registration is required.
To request a registration packet, please call (617) 983-8500 or email bnc@massaudubon.org.
For your own security, DO NOT send credit card information via email.
For more information, contact:
Boston Nature Center
500 Walk Hill Street
Mattapan, MA 02126
(617) 983-8500
bnc@massaudubon.org

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