2023 SUMMER NATURE CAMP

For kids entering grades 1-5

See you next year!

EVERY WEEK will include some of these favorite camp activities!

• Hiking to viewpoints and old ruins
  
• Forage for berries, mint and other wild edibles
  
• Explore the babbling Blue Mine brook
  
• Learn how to 'Leave No Trace'
  
• Get creative making nature art
  
• Practice our shelter building and fire making skills
• Learn to ID local plants & animals
  
• Understanding lifecycles & metamorphosis
  
• Tending the vegetable, butterfly, and sensory gardens
  
• Special conservation projects
  
• ​Bird-watching
  
• Sit spots and nature journals
  
• Time spent in the secret "Hamlet"
  

Weekly Themes

Jul 17-21:  Backwoods Survival

Everyone’s favorite: learning and testing our knowledge of how to live through a forest survival situation. We'll pretend we are lost in the woods for the week while we learn and test some of the essentials of survival: water purification, shelter building, foraging, fire building, navigation, preparedness and safety.

Jul 24-28:  Forest Detectives

There are many familiar animals we see and hear on our forest adventures, but what about those animals that are not so noticeable? This week we’ll use learn about camouflage, movement and awareness in nature, and use our senses and observation skills to become investigators, as we search for signs and hopefully glimpses of the secret life of the forest.
Aug 7-11:  Babbling Brooks

Come splash around and keep cool by stomping through the stream, swimming, and running through the sprinkler, all while learning about the water itself! Campers will do a stream study, explore the cool geology of our watershed, and get up close with the creatures that make their home in and near water, like frogs, salamanders, dragonflies and crayfish. 

Aug 14-18:  Tracks & Trails
Get your adventure on for this week of hiking and exploring! From popular overlooks and caves to secret nooks and crannies of the forest, we will take to the trails to get to know our forest. We'll learn how to spot and interpret animal tracks, read trail markers and maps, and how to plan and prepare for a hike as we discover new places every day!
Aug 21-25:  Best of the Best
To wrap up the summer, this week will include all of our classic camp favorites! We'll build shelters, explore the stream, play camouflage games, hike to amazing viewpoints, swim and more. There's no better way to end the season than spending a whole week on the best activities nature camp at Weis has to offer!

Sample Daily Schedule (9:00am - 3:00pm)

9:00am - Camper drop off at the picnic grove and field games; note: we cannot accommodate early drop-offs

9:30am - Daily welcome, review of the day ahead
10:00am - Featured daily activity

12:00pm - Lunch - campers will eat at various outdoor locations around the property
12:30pm - Open rec time - field activities, arts & crafts, individual projects
1:00-2:30pm - Adventure challenge games, nature-based art and science projects, swimming 2-3 days/week (at the Highlands Natural Pool)
2:30pm - Daily recap, sharing, nature journaling
3:00pm - Camper pickup; note: we cannot accommodate late pickups
Note: the schedule above may be rearranged or updated to accommodate the weather, site conditions and special guests​​

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​STAFF & SAFETY

• Camp Directors Erica Garfinkle (Sr. Educator/Naturalist) and Lauren Lynch (Lead Educator/Naturalist), and trained adult Weis staff.
• Certified by the State to meet all NJ Department of Health Youth Camp standards. Certificate #27106.
  
• Lead Counselors are CPR/AED and First Aid certified.
  
• Low Counselor to Camper ratio 1:10 ratio provides a safe and attentive environment for all campers.
  

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2023 CAMP FEES & DATES Price (per week, per camper)

Full Week (5 days/wk; Mon-Fri)

​   $345 - Standard

   $320 - Siblings & Multi-week

   $295 - Members*​

Partial Week (4 days/wk; days must be chosen in advance during registration)

​   $310 - 4 days, Standard

   $285 - 4 days, Siblings & Multi-week

   $260 - 4 days, Members*

​*Membership at the "Supporter" ($75) level or above is required to take advantage of camp discounts. Membership is a tax-deductible donation with year-round benefits, and is non-refundable. Not sure if you're a member? Contact Us or Join/Renew NOW!

REGISTRATION & PAYMENT
Payment in full is required to confirm your registration.

• We will send an email prior to the start of camp with a parent/guardian handbook, including what your child should bring and wear, directions for drop off and pick up, camp rules, and other useful information.
  
• A universal health form (or equivalent) signed by the parent/guardian and physician and latest vaccination record are required.
  

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​CANCELLATION & REFUNDS

• A $35 processing fee applies to ALL refunds
  
• We cannot offer partial refunds if you miss a day; refunds due to major illness or family emergency will be assessed on a case-by-case basis
  
• Full refunds (less the $35 fee) will be issued for cancellation requests received by June 12
  
• 50% refund (less the $35 fee) will be issued for cancellation requests received by June 26
  
• If your request to cancel is received after June 26, no refund will be given. Upon request we are happy to provide a tax receipt that the program fee was converted to a charitable donation​

COVID-19 GUIDELINES
We follow recommended state and local guidelines, subject to change. Masks are OPTIONAL (indoors & outdoors)

> We reserve the right to remove any child without refund due to unacceptable behavior, and to reschedule or change programs as needed.​

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​​ COUNSELOR IN TRAINING PROGRAM!

APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED FOR 2023

This season, we are excited to introduce our two-week Counselor-in-Training program! This program will allow 9th and 10th graders to take on a leadership role in their community to help younger campers learn about and experience the outdoors. CITs will have a day of training where they will learn about education, child development, and nature topics, while also engaging in fun team-building activities with their peers. Then, they will use these skills for two weeks of summer camp (either the July or August session) by assisting in activities, leading games, helping with daily prep and cleanup, and encouraging and teaching campers to enhance their camp experience. 

An ideal CIT candidate loves working with children, can share their passion for being outdoors, wants to be a camp counselor in the future, and seeks a meaningful experience to engage with their peers while gaining real life experience and holding important responsibilities. 

CIT Training Day: TBD

• Get to know our Camp Counselors and Camp Directors
  
• Learn the CIT responsibilities
  
• Tour the property
  
• Safety policies and procedures
  
• Training for camp activities and games
  

Choose your 2 week-session. CITs MUST attend the full camp week, Mon-Fri, 8:30am-3:30pm. Weekly activities include swimming in the Highlands Natural Pool (adjacent to our property) 2-3 times a week

• July Session: TBD
  
• August Session TBD

Note: CITs will be required to complete a Universal Health Form or equivalent.

5 Weeks: Jul 17-Aug 25

Monday-Friday,  9:00AM-3:00PM

Register for the full summer or individual weeks

Camp is rain or shine; we'll take cover in the pavilion or move the fun inside during inclement weather.

​For kids entering 1st-5th grade in September 2023

​Camp will be held outdoors on our beautiful 152 acre property. Our facilities include a picnic grove, recreation field, covered pavilion, fire circles, private hiking trails, raingarden, butterfly garden, vegetable & herb garden, bird feeding station and a babbling brook.

Campers will swim at the adjacent Highlands Natural Pool 2-3 times each week.

Our mission is to create a safe and supportive space for campers to express themselves, build confidence and social skills, grow friendships - and learn some cool science along the way. By engaging campers in outdoor learning, we strive to provide them with an unforgettable experience and a lifelong connection to the natural world around them.

Each day incorporates fun and immersive experiences and a variety of nature-based activities, and incorporates mindfulness and sensory awareness. Our explorations, adventures, observation hikes, arts & crafts projects, and field and forest games will incorporate STEM concepts and the local ecology, watershed and flora & fauna.​