Join us for summer camps at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve! Do you know a child who would benefit from spending time discovering nature and wildlife, exercising creativity, and learning to care for our environment? The Friends of Boyd Hill Nature Preserve are pleased to offer full summer camp scholarships for families in need of financial assistance. Any adult (parent, guardian, teacher, pastor, mentor, Big Brother/Big Sister) can nominate a child for a Friends of Boyd Hill Nature Preserve Camp Scholarship. Scholarships cover the full cost of camp. Also, Friends of Boyd Hill members (not applying for a scholarship) can get a $20 discount on each camp led by a ranger instructor. Fee-based instructor camps not included in discount. In order to be eligible for a full scholarship, the nominee must meet the following criteria:
Applying is easy:
Parent/guardian(s) will be notified of selections by April 18, 2024. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scholarships are available for the following camp dates and types: 2024 Boyd Hill Summer Camp Dates: Week 1: June 3 - 7, 2024 Week 2: June 10 - 14, 2024 Week 3: June 17 - 21, 2024 (4 days, no camp on 6/19) Week 4: June 24 - 28, 2024 Week 5: July 1 - 5, 2024 (4 days, no camp on 7/4) Week 6: July 8 - 12, 2024 Week 7: July 15 - 19, 2024 Week 8: July 22 - 26, 2024 Week 9: July 29 - August 2, 2024 Week 10: August 5 - 9, 2024 2024 Boyd Hill Summer Camp Types: Note: Camps instructed by ranger staff are offered all 10 weeks. Specialty camps taught by fee instructors are for limited weeks and marked as such. CAMPS OFFERED BY RANGER STAFF ALL 10 WEEKS Sprouts Instructors: Ranger staff Ages: 3 – 4 Time: 9 AM - 12 PM, All 10 weeks Kids grow better outside! Join us for Sprouts Camp, a week filled with songs, stories, games, and nature walks! Each week is a different theme with habitat investigations and activities that will demonstrate environmental concepts. Children must be potty trained. Young Naturalist Instructor: Ranger staff Ages: 5 – 6 Time: 8 AM - 5 PM, All 10 weeks This camp is filled with a variety of exciting activities including nature hikes, games, animal and plant studies, crafts, and wildlife watching. The goal is for campers to explore and learn about their natural world, encourage personal creativity, and learn to share discoveries by working together and having fun. Themes will change weekly. Wild Florida for Kids Instructors: Ranger staff Ages: 7 – 8 Time: 8 AM - 5 PM, All 10 weeks This unique camp is focused on introducing campers to the diverse ecosystems found in state parks found throughout Florida. Each week, campers will take a field trip to local destinations to help reinforce learning and to give campers hands-on experiences in various ecosystems. Please note that the campers will go on a field trip to local and county parks. Nature Adventure Instructor: Ranger staff Ages: 7 - 13 Time: 8 AM - 5 PM, All 10 weeks Campers learn about Florida's unique habitats and their inhabitants, get dirty during dip-netting, observe wildlife while hiking preserve trails, and acquire basic birding skills. Designed with new themes and guest programs throughout the summer, every day includes relevant natural history topics and exciting adventures, crafts, and activities. Pioneer Camp Instructor: Ranger staff Ages: 7 - 13 Time: 8 AM - 5 PM, All 10 weeks Campers will experience a time when family, friendship, and character were as important as food, water, and shelter. Activities are adapted from the Association of Experiential Education to foster team building, leadership, and self-esteem. CAMPS OFFERED BY FEE INSTRUCTORS FOR SPECIAL WEEKS Elemental Seasons Ages: 6 - 9 Time: 8 AM - 5 PM, Week 3: June 17 - 21, 2024 and Week 9: July 29 - August 2, 2024 Instructor: Ruth Glass Join Ruthie for a week of studying seasonal changes and the accompanying traditional celebrations found around the world. Campers will take daily hikes, participate in homemade celebrations of nature, and create take home crafts. Songs and Sounds Ages: 6 - 9 Time: 8 AM - 5 PM, Week 6: July 8 - 12, 2024 Instructor: Ruth Glass Children spend the week learning about music and handcrafts in all shapes and sizes. Find art and melodies in the trees, plants, critters, and bumblebees to create and play! Wild Stuffed Animals Ages 6 - 11 Time: 8 AM - 5 PM, Week 7: July 15 - 19, 2024 Instructor: Ruth Glass Learn about common mammals found at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve and each day create a homemade stuffed animal to take home. Participants will go on daily hikes, have naturalist lessons, and interactive activities. Rocks, Shells, and Fossils of Florida Ages 6 - 11 Time: 8 AM - 5 PM, Week 8: July 22 - 26, 2024 Instructor: Ruth Glass Calling all rockhounds! This is your chance to learn the basic types of rock found in Florida as well as fossils from animals that roamed Florida long ago! Campers will go home with daily crafts and go on daily hikes.Surviving the Wild Ages 6 - 11 Time: 8 AM - 5 PM, Week 10: August 5 - 9, 2024 Instructor: Ruth Glass Children will spend the week learning how to identify and collect wild edible plants as well as how these plants were traditionally used in Florida. Herpetology Ages: 7- 11 Time: 8 AM - 5 PM, Week 4: June 24 - 28, 2024 Instructor: George Heinrich Campers explore the fascinating world of amphibians and reptiles. Through up-close encounters with a variety of animals, such as gopher tortoises, frogs, lizards, and snakes, campers learn about ecology and conservation. Wildlife Ecology Ages: 7 - 11 Time: 8 AM - 5 PM, Week 5: July 1 - 5, 2024 (4 days, no camp on 7/4) Instructor: George Heinrich Campers will explore the ecology and conservation of Florida's wildlife and wildlands. A blend of classroom and field sessions will include hands-on activities, guest presentations, and exploration of the preserve's diverse habitats where campers will practice their nature detective skills. Please note that the campers will go on a field trip to local and county parks. Raptor Camp Ages: 8 - 12 Time: 8 AM - 5 PM, Week 1: June 3 - 7, 2024 and Week 2: June 10 - 14, 2024 Instructor: Amy DePalma Enter the world of raptors! Campers have up-close encounters with live birds of prey including owls, hawks, vultures, and a bald eagle. Learn the important role these apex predators play in the environment as well as how to care for and train them. ----------- These scholarships are made possible by the Friends of Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, Inc. through generous contributions from local businesses, organizations, and private donors. Donations for the camp scholarships are still being accepted and can be made online at www.friendsofboydhill.org/donate. Checks should be made payable to Friends of Boyd Hill and can be dropped of at the Lake Maggiore Environmental Education Center (1101 Country Club Way South, St. Petersburg, FL 33705). Should you need additional information, feel free to contact email the Friends of Boyd Hill Nature Preserve or call the Education Center at (727) 893-7326. Images by Peli Productions |