SUMMER CAMPS
FENNER NATURE DAY CAMP – SUMMER 2024 – REGISTRATION
Registration opens MARCH 1 for Fenner Members
Registration opens APRIL 1 for Non-Members
*2024 Nature Day Camp Registration OPEN!
Summer is the perfect time to get outdoors and discover the wonders of nature. Fenner’s Nature Day Camp provides campers the opportunity to experience the great outdoors right in their own neighborhood. With a variety of programs ranging from Bugs & Slugs to Wilderness Skills, campers will have the opportunity to learn about wetland ecosystems, discover art in nature, explore slug slime, and much, much more. But most importantly, they will make new friends, try new things and develop confidence in their capabilities.
Fenner Nature Day Camp Weekly Cost – (M-F)
- $220 – Fenner Members (Family Membership or higher)
- $240 – Non-Members
Fenner Nature Day Camp Programs
Bugs & Slugs
Beetles and millipedes and worms, oh my! Bugs & Slugs will introduce your camper to the wide world of insects and invertebrates. If it’s creepy and crawly, we will investigate it. From essential decomposer bugs that live beneath our feet to high-flying, winged insect predators of the sky, your camper will follow the paths to some of Fenner’s creepiest and coolest critters.
Hook, Line, & Sinker
Whether your camper is new to fishing or a seasoned pro, Hook, Line, & Sinker will help them develop and master their fishing skills in a camp focused on water ecology, the Grand River watershed, and what puts the FUN in fundamentals of fishing.
Wilderness Skills
The wilderness is a WILD place. In Wilderness Skills, campers will learn a variety of modern and primitive methods used for backcountry camping and outdoor survival. They’ll learn the fundamentals of shelter building, fire starting, water purification, navigation, and much more, as they put their skills to the test in their local wilderness.
Eco Art
Do you like to create art inspired by nature? Well how about art created WITH nature? Eco Art will introduce campers to new ways of looking at and creating their art through the use of natural materials, inspiration from environmental landscapes, and imaginative design.
Gross Nature
Sometimes nature is downright gross. But where there is gross, there is FUN! Campers will get their hands dirty with the micro science behind slime, mud, muck, and other sticky and gooey natural materials, while learning how nature’s grossest residents survive and thrive within their environment.
NSI: Nature Scene Investigation
Tracks in the mud; a trace of fur; there seems to have been a struggle. But what has happened to the prey, and who is the predator? As NSI agents, campers will hone their detective skills as they forensically scour nature’s “crime scenes” and link the clues they find together to solve the mystery.
Urban Agriculture
Potatoes on the porch; tomatoes on the terrace; kale in a cup. Through hands-on discovery and experimentation, campers will learn what it takes to grow a variety of plants and food in small spaces, cityscapes, and sometimes even without soil at all. Your camper will get their hands dirty as we get up close and personal with plants, pollinators, and the science of growing food.
Scales & Tails
From snakes to salamanders and turtles to toads, Scales and Tails introduces campers to the fascinating cold-blooded world of reptiles and amphibians. Campers will learn how they survive in our northern climate, the places they call home, what and especially HOW they eat, as well as investigate some very common misconceptions about these scaly and slimy neighbors of ours.
2024 Camper Information Packet
2024 Weekly Schedule
K/1 Grade – Group 1 | K/1 Grade – Group 2 | 2/3 Grade | 3/4 Grade | 4/5 Grade | 5/6 Grade | |
| Week 1: June 10-14 | Bugs & Slugs | Hook, Line, & Sinker | Wilderness Skills | Eco Art | Gross Nature | NSI: Nature Scene Inv. |
| Week 2: June 17-21 | Hook, Line, & Sinker | Wilderness Skills | Eco Art | Gross Nature | NSI: Nature Scene Inv. | Urban Agriculture |
| Week 3: June 24-28 | Wilderness Skills | Eco Art | Gross Nature | NSI: Nature Scene Inv. | Urban Agriculture | Scales & Tails |
| Week 4: July 8-12 | Eco Art | Gross Nature | NSI: Nature Scene Inv. | Urban Agriculture | Scales & Tails | Bugs & Slugs |
| Week 5: July 15-19 | Gross Nature | NSI: Nature Scene Inv. | Urban Agriculture | Scales & Tails | Bugs & Slugs | Hook, Line, & Sinker |
| Week 6: July 22-26 | NSI: Nature Scene Inv. | Urban Agriculture | Scales & Tails | Bugs & Slugs | Hook, Line, & Sinker | Wilderness Skills |
| Week 7: July 29-August 2 | Urban Agriculture | Scales & Tails | Bugs & Slugs | Hook, Line, & Sinker | Wilderness Skills | Eco Art |
| Week 8: August 5-9 | Scales & Tails | Bugs & Slugs | Hook, Line, & Sinker | Wilderness Skills | Eco Art | Gross Nature |
Camp Schedule
Fenner Nature Day Camps operate M-F from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and are open to campers who have just completed Kindergarten through 6th grade at the start of camp. Extended care is available from 4:00 – 5:30 pm for an additional fee.
*Camper grade groups are determined by the grade that the student has completed in spring 2024.
For example; if your student is completing 2nd grade in spring 2024, they would be registered in the 2/3 Grade Group. If your student is completing 3rd grade in spring 2024, they could be registered in either the 2/3 Grade Group or the 3/4 Grade Group.
Deposits and Late Fees
We require a minimum 50% deposit of your total camp fee due at the time of registration, with the remaining balance due by June 1st. Late payments will be charged a $10 late fee. Registrations made after June 1st must be paid in full at the time of registration.
Cancellations, Changes, & Refunds
Cancellations received by June 1st will receive a 50% refund of their previously paid deposit. We cannot offer any refunds after June 1st. If spaces are available, registration can be changed to a different week for a $10 camp change fee.
Cancellations due to illness or COVID-19 after June 1st will not be refunded, but reservations can be changed to a different week for a $10 camp change fee if space is available.
Norris Ingells Education Fund
Scholarships are available for those who demonstrate need. Awards may be up to 50% of your total registration fee, and are distributed based on the availability of funds. There is a $500 maximum scholarship award per family. We cannot accept scholarship applications without a completed registration form and paid deposit.
Norris Ingells Individual Scholarship Application
For more information, contact camp@mynaturecenter.org or 517-483-4224.
