We envision a world where children have access to nature…
Welcome to the world of staying healthy by spending lots more time outdoors and loving it! One of the many things we learn at Summer Nature Camp for Earth Heroes is how NATURE takes care of itself and all the critters who depend on it, including us!
At our Summer Nature Camp, we have scavenger hunts, art projects, garden projects, and pizza cook-offs. We work on the farm, harvest our food, cook, and eat what we grow.
Our campers will learn about the importance of California native plants, as well as ways that we can live in harmony with the diversity of life that mother nature supports. Campers will engage in activities that teach them about the role we play in creating and tending to natural areas around our homes, in our cities, and the larger environment. Each week will culminate with a field trip to a local nature preserve, connecting what we’ve learned and experienced in the garden and our farm to the larger environment.
All this while earning EARTH HERO badges for learning skills, such as growing trees, harvesting veggies, keeping bees and making compost. We discover how NATURE survives in spite of concrete and asphalt and we imagine a city that will make us healthier.
Most of all, we have a lot of fun and find interesting ways we can stay healthy. We learn how we can take care of NATURE. And if we do, we’ll find out that SHE will take care of us!
Watch for the 2025 schedule, which will be published in March ’25!
Nature camp typically runs from late June thru early August, Monday–Friday from 9 am to 3 pm, with an option for early drop-off at 8:30 am and/or extended care until 5 pm.
The 2025 schedule will be similar to the 2024 schedule, which looked like this:
Week 1:
Local Ecology
Evolution
Life Cycles
Analyze Soil
Friday Field Trip to Alum Rock Park
Week 2:
Keep a Journal
The Water Cycle
Indigenous Ways
Reuse and Renew
Friday Field Trip to Los Gatos Creek Trail
Week 3:
Compost and Propagate
Grow Trees
Grow Native Plants
Vertical Gardens
Friday Field Trip to McClellan Ranch
Week 4:
Harvest Grey Water & Storm Water
Build a Rain Garden
Aquaponics Farm
Recruit Friends
Friday Field Trip to Hellyer Park
Week 5:
Recycle Plastics
Keep Bees
Plant Veggies
Children’s Herb Garden
Friday Field Trip to Ulistac Natural Area
If you are interested in next summer’s Earth Heroes Nature Camp and would like more information, please contact earthhero@cngf.org.
Sliding-scale Scholarships
- Sliding-scale scholarships for campers are offered on a first come, first served basis for one week of camp.
- Our goal is to welcome as many children as possible, so if you select more than one week, you may be added to a waitlist for additional weeks when camp becomes full.
- Scholarship applications will be available when registration opens in March 2025.
