We're excited to offer six weeks of summer camps to nurture your child's inner naturalist. Amber can definitely add more information here! See below for more information about each week of camp.

W1: Notice Nature

Session 1: Jun 27-Jun 30 @ San Dieguito Park

Drawing on students’ innate curiosity for our natural world, teachers will introduce developmentally appropriate outdoor observation techniques and useful tools for practicing mindfulness. To experience the power, beauty and splendor of the great outdoors, one must first learn the art of stillness.

W2: Nurture the Inner Naturalist

Session 2: Jul 4-Jul 7 @ San Dieguito Park

Satiate an innate curiosity and love for the outdoors as we explore, observe, and map our journeys along beloved trails. A guest speaker will highlight the importance of conserving our protected spaces.

W3: The Unspoken Language of Nature

Session 3: Jul 11-Jul 14 @ San Dieguito Park

In today’s busy world, many of us have forgotten that the land and her animals are always talking to us. Sure, we can make more time to slow down and get quiet enough to listen, but we also need to know what to look for and how to interpret our findings. In this session, students will study the movements and patterns of wildlife. They’ll learn to identify alarm calls from native birds or defensive growth patterns of native flora and interpret what these things might be telling them about their surrounding environment. These valued skills will serve them well on their wild explorations, whether camping in the wild or simply exploring their own neighborhood!

W4: Nature as Your Muse

Session 4: Jul 18-Jul 21 @ San Dieguito Park

The natural world is full of recurring patterns, colors, and textures that appear in different contexts. As co-learners, teachers and students will study nature and take inspiration from her patterns, symmetries, trees, spirals, meanders, waves, foams, tessellations, cracks, and stripes, weaving them into a creative journey that includes both group and individual works of art.

W5: Budding Botanists

Session 5: Jul 25-Jul 28@ San Dieguito Park

Want to know how to treat a bee sting, rash, or other naturalist hazard of the job with plants you can find in your own back yard? Explore the trails of San Dieguito Park or the Batiquitos Lagoon, and identify and get to know the local flora and their uses across different cultural contexts. This class is an introduction to local plants and their properties, indigenous traditions, and herbalism. An indigenous guest speaker will inspire us to create from what surrounds us in nature.

W6: The Art of Dramatic Play

Session 6: Aug 1-Aug 4 @ San Dieguito Park

Long before humans read or wrote, they shared their history and stories orally, through the art of oration. In this class, children will bring stories to life through dramatic play. They’ll have the props and costumes to take their play to the next level. Children will be encouraged to act out a scene from their imagination, both individually and in groups. They’ll explore the depths of dramatization and narration, while also engaging with new means for self-expression.