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  • Conservation
  • Education
  • Policy
  • Lands
  • Centers and Events
  • About Us
Search
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Nature Day Camp

Nature Day Camp

Hundreds of children explore the wonders of the natural world at NH Audubon’s summer and vacation camps.

For questions about camp at McLane Center in Concord and at Massabesic Center in Auburn, please contact Claire Adams by email or call 603-224-9909 x404.

NH Audubon Nature Camp

  • Enhance ecological awareness
  • Cultivate appreciation for, and stewardship of, our natural environment
  • Provide fun, safe, hands-on learning opportunities
  • Advocate inclusive learning environments
  • Build a sense of community and
  • Foster a collaborative, non-competitive atmosphere.

Financial Assistance is Available! NH Audubon is pleased to offer financial assistance to families who may be in need thanks to the contributions of members and past camp families, and generous donations from local organizations. Funding is available on a first come, first served and need-driven basis, with household income as a calculated factor. Please contact the camp office for an application.

Camp Discounts: NH Audubon Family Memberships include a 10% discount on camp rates for Explorers & Wonders aged campers. Become a member to help support NH Audubon’s mission and receive your savings.

Before and After Care: Before Care will begin at 8:00am and After Care will go until 5:00pm.

April Vacation Camp 

Date

April 22-26, 2024

Ages

For campers ages 6-10.

Type

In person April Vacation Camp is held at the McLane Center in Concord and the Massabesic Center in Auburn. Camp runs all day, from 9am-4pm.

Fees

Member: $60/Day
Non-Member: $66/Day

Sessions

9am –  4pm (Camper drop off begins at 8:45am)

Spring vacation camp is the perfect way to prepare for a season of outdoor exploration and discovery. Each day is designed to build the skills of budding naturalists through hands-on activities, storytelling, crafts, games, outdoor exploration, and live animal observation. Register for individual days or participate in the entire week. Children should bring lunch and snacks and be prepared to spend much of each day outside.

2024 Summer Camp

Date

June 24-August 23

Ages

For campers ages 4-15.

Type

This summer we will again be running our regular nature day camp, in-person at McLane Center in Concord and Massabesic Center in Auburn.

Fees

Wonders/LIT: $200 Member/$220 Non-Member
Discovery/Explorers: $300 Member/$330 Non-Member

Camp Programs

Wonders Camp (Ages 4–5)

9am–noon

Note: Wonders will be held at the Massabesic Center and the McLane Center for all nine sessions.

This half-day session gives your child the opportunity to begin experiencing the wonders of camp. Our instructors develop age appropriate activities that connect your little one to the natural world, with a nod to the weekly theme.

Discovery Camp (Ages 6–9)

9am–4pm

Discovery Campers spend their days exploring nature and making new discoveries. Activities include short hikes, pond explorations, craft making, storytelling, interactive nature-based games, and live animal presentations.

Explorers Camp (Ages 10–12)

9am–4pm

Explorer campers spend their days immersed in the diverse habitats and wildlife around the Centers. Together we’ll explore environmental conservation, sanctuary stewardship, and even how our Ambassador Animals are cared for.

*See special Conservation Quest filmmaking camp during Session 3 & 4 for ages 11-14, exclusive to Massabesic Center*

Leaders-in-Training (Ages 13–15)

9am–4pm

Participants work alongside camp educators to hone their skills as leaders. Learn how to plan the day’s activities and support the safety of your group. This is the perfect opportunity for those wishing to become future camp educators. Participants must complete an application process and have finished grade 7. Download the LIT application.

Conservation Quest (Ages 10–14)

9am–4pm, Massabesic Center only

Sign up for our special Conservation Quest filmmaking camp during Session 3 & 4, exclusive to Massabesic Center. We are partnering with Media Power Youth to bring you the excitement of filmmaking and nature exploration! We’ll get hands-on with cameras, learn the secrets of editing, and play with sound to make our conservation stories come alive. We’ll also have plenty of time to hike through the forest, explore grasslands and ponds, and have fun in the outdoors with new friends. Check out out blog to see campers’ films from last year.

2024 Session Themes & Dates

Session 1: June 24-28

Branching Out

Here in New Hampshire, we are surrounded by lush forests and beautiful flowers, but how much do you really know about plants? Learn how to greet the trees and flowers in our forests, meadows, and gardens by name while discovering more about their lifecycles and ecosystem value. This session is all about what makes plants so important to our ecosystems in New Hampshire and all over the world. You bring your hiking boots, and we’ll bring the magnifying glasses!

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Session 2: July 1-3

Natural Artistry

The beauty of nature has inspired artists all over the world throughout human history. Take part in discovering and capturing nature’s beauty during this short week of camp by taking art outside. Campers should be prepared to get messy while exploring different art media, including paints, clay, and natural artifacts. Campers will have an opportunity to showcase their amazing artwork in the centers all summer long, or they can take their pieces home to enjoy with their families!

Session 3: July 8-12

Creepy, Crawly Critters

Insects and other small, crawling critters are all around us and play incredibly important roles in nature. From pollination to decomposition, our world wouldn’t function without insects! Each day of this week will focus on one group of insects or invertebrates. Campers will learn what makes each group unique, including where they live, what they do for the environment, and why we should appreciate rather than fear them. We’ll dig in the dirt, use nets in the pond and in the air, and explore the gardens and trails to discover the creepy crawlies around us.

Conservation Quest Camp Session 1 **only at the Massabesic Center**

Lights, Camera, Action!” Welcome to Conservation Quest Camp, where we merge the excitement of filmmaking with outdoor adventures! As we explore the world of video creation, we’ll get hands-on with cameras, learn the secrets of editing, and play with sound to make our stories come alive. We’ll also have plenty of time to hike, explore, and experience nature. This unique blend of outdoor exploration and filmmaking culminates in a grand screening at Red River Theatres, where campers’ stories and passion for conservation take center stage. Join us for a summer where your imagination can run wild, all while making a difference for our planet!

Media Power Youth is a youth development organization that inspires young people to engage with media in thoughtful and creative ways that support well-being.

Session 4: July 15-19

Scales and Slime

Explore the natural world through the eyes of a herpetologist. This session is all about the reptiles and amphibians that call New Hampshire home. What makes reptiles and amphibians so unique? We will spend lots of time getting to know the ones that live in our centers. Then we will head out on adventures to discover how many we can locate in the forests, fields, and wetlands that surround us.

Conservation Quest Camp Session 2 **only at the Massabesic Center**

Lights, Camera, Action!” Welcome to Conservation Quest Camp, where we merge the excitement of filmmaking with outdoor adventures! As we explore the world of video creation, we’ll get hands-on with cameras, learn the secrets of editing, and play with sound to make our stories come alive. We’ll also have plenty of time to hike, explore, and experience nature. This unique blend of outdoor exploration and filmmaking culminates in a grand screening at Red River Theatres, where campers’ stories and passion for conservation take center stage. Join us for a summer where your imagination can run wild, all while making a difference for our planet!

Media Power Youth is a youth development organization that inspires young people to engage with media in thoughtful and creative ways that support well-being.

Session 5: July 22-26

Feathered Friends

Here at NH Audubon, we work to protect all of New Hampshire’s birds, both our year-round residents and seasonal visitors. We’ll learn what makes birds unique, while we explore bird behaviors and habitats through games, crafts, and plenty of time on the trail with binoculars. The week will culminate with a visit with an ambassador raptor.

Session 6: July 29-August 2

Survival Strategies

Exploring the outdoors can be tons of fun, but in order to have fun, be safe, and help protect the habitat you’re in, it’s important to learn how to be prepared. During our most popular session, we’ll learn compass and map making skills, how to build a lean-to (and knock it down), and become a knot-tying extraordinaire! We’ll provide all the tools you need to survive at camp, so please leave your pocketknives and fire starters at home. This session fills early. Register soon to ensure your space.

Session 7: August 5-9

Ecosystem Interactions

Did you know that everything in nature is connected? This week, we will dive into wildlife connections while playing games and searching for signs of different interactions in our forests, fields, and ponds. Learn the specialties of neat concepts like competition, camouflage, mimicry, decomposition, and parasitism and discover how wildlife (and humans!) use these interactions to survive.

Session 8: August 12-16

Wet and Wild Watersheds

Ever wonder where our water comes from? Let’s examine our local watershed and follow a drop of water as it falls from the sky and makes its journey through nearby waterways. We’ll explore the habitat surrounding Great Turkey Pond and Lake Massabesic in search of plants and animals. Games and activities will have you exploring our wetlands for aquatic creatures and playing watery games to cool us off in the August heat.

Session 9: August 19-23

Becoming Scientists

As we prepare to head back to school, let’s get our brains ready for learning with a week of STEAM-inspired fun! Run exciting experiments, use a microscope, and practice the scientific method to uncover mysteries happening right in our sanctuaries. All materials, tools, technology, and necessary safety equipment will be provided; all you need to bring is your curiosity!

February Vacation Camp 

Date

February 26-March 1, 2024

Ages

For campers ages 6-10.

Type

In person February Vacation Camp is held at the McLane Center in Concord and the Massabesic Center in Auburn. Camp runs all day, from 9am-4pm.

Fees

Member: $60/Day
Non-Member: $66/Day

Sessions

9am –  4pm (Camper drop off begins at 8:45am)

February vacation camp is a great time to get out and explore nature no matter what the weather brings! Each day is designed to build the skills of budding naturalists through hands-on activities, storytelling, crafts, games, outdoor exploration, and live animal observation. Register for the individual days or participate in the entire week. Children should bring lunch and snacks and be prepared to spend much of each day outside.

Meet Our Educators:

Our Peeps: Claire Adams

Claire Adams recently joined the New Hampshire Audubon education team in a brand-new role as Camp Administrator – Environmental Educator. Hailing from central New York, Claire earned a Bachelor of

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Camp is in Session – Sign up!

Nature Day Camp is overflowing with summer fun and we’ve only just begun. Camp is in full swing at both McLane Center in Concord (meet the camp staff, pictured here)

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Our Peeps: Shelby Morelli

Have you met Our Peep, Shelby Morelli yet? Shelby is a New Englander who loves spending time outdoors with her family. She grew up in Maine where her love of

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Our Peeps: Willa Coroka

Have you met Our Peep, Willa yet?! Willa Coroka (C as in “cinnamon”) is a wild child, her heart at its fullest while flitting through the New England forests amidst

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Our Peeps: Slater Roosa

We are pleased to introduce Slater Roosa, Massabesic Center’s new Education Coordinator. A born and bred New Englander, Slater received a B.S. in Biology from Salve Regina University, where he

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Photo, top: dip netting at Turkey Pond by Shelby Morelli, kids exploring the pond at Massabesic Center (staff photo), camp friends by Hilary Chapman.