Nature at Camp

It is impossible to be at camp and not get caught up in its beauty. A driving mission of camp, is to inspire the next generation to do better at taking care of our environment than we are doing now. And it all starts by growing a compassion and understanding for nature. Walk through the woods. Sit by a pond and listen to the frogs. Lay in a hammock and watch the birds. Often, our young campers are surprised to learn that some of their favorite camp activities can fit so neatly into a specific field of science. Reading the list of our nature themed activities and we think you will see what we mean!

Classes

Courses

Look below for a list of our nature related courses and classes.

Nature At Camp - Pond Study - Camper looking in net - Cub Creek Science and Animal Camp
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Pond Study: Let's Explore the Pond

Put on your boots, grab your collection nets and let's go explore the wonders of a pond! We have many ponds around camp that campers explore. Over the week, campers will get to explore all of these thriving ecosystems and see how different they all are! Be prepared to get wet, muddy and have loads of fun! **Seniors Only**

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Who lives at the Pond? - Campers will explore multiple ponds and discuss the diversity between them. They end at Heron Pond, the largest pond where the class's main pavillion is located and create a track station to observe visiting wildlife throughout the week.

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(Under) Water Scopes - Water scopes are a window into the world beneath the surface. Catching and observing organisms is all well and good, but with a water scope campers can observe the world underwater as it exists naturally without the need for scuba gear or goggles.

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Good Water, Bad Banks Campers will use their knowledge of ecosystems to determine whether the ponds they are observing are healthy. They will test the water, observe the effects of erosion, and brainstorm ways to make their ponds better places.

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Microscopic Life - There is so much more living in a pond than what can be seen with the eye! We break out the microscopes in this class to take a look at life living in the ponds that we can't see.

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"Adopt an Invertebrate" - Campers take a look at the creatures of our ponds up close using nets and small aquariums. Campers will have the chance to keep their "pets" in their mini ecosystem. Because we respect the integrity of the pond, the campers return the creatures and plants back to the pond at the end of the class.

Nature At Camp - Junior Naturalist - Camper learning about native Missouri leaves - Cub Creek Science and Animal Camp
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Junior Naturalist

Campers will learn about field biology as they learn about, track and observe wildlife native to camp. At the end of the week, the campers in this course take a knowledge test to see how much they've learned. If they pass, they'll receive the hardest earning bead here at camp, the Jr. Naturalist Bead! **Juniors Only**

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Field Journals - Campers will open their eyes to the world around them and sharpen their observation skills as they create a journal to record their field findings. Today also includes an overview of the local plants and animals that campers may encounter at Cub Creek.

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Into the Forest - Campers will take a hike through our beautiful Ozarks. The forest is bursting with life and today we will learn to recognize and identify some of the most obvious, yet overlooked, wildlife: the trees and the birds.

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Wild Edibles - Knowing what plants are edible in our woods may be helpful some day! You can even make tea from sassafras or blackberry leaves! Campers learn all the plants that they could eat in our woods and even go on a blackberry hike if they're in season.

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To the Glade - Glades are open, rocky areas usually located amid upland woodlands. Today, campers hike to our own natural glade. Along the way, they take in the beauty of the wildflowers and the breathtaking view from the Glade.

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Pond Life - Today campers visit the pond and experience the plethora of life that this unique habitat has to offer.

Nature At Camp - Camper showing off gemstones - Cub Creek Science and Animal Camp
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Additional Nature Classes

If you are fascinated by the earth and what it's made of, then these are the classes for you. These classes make up even more nature and science based fun at Cub Creek!

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The Fossil Pit - Dig in the fossil pit and uncover signs of ancient life. Campers who spend time in the fossil pit learn about the fossilization process and get to take home their findings!

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Gemstone Quarry - Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Iron Pyrite, Citrine, and geodes are just some the treasure found at our quarry! Campers learn about the chemical make up and properties of their findings while digging to find something to take home!

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Edibles for Animals - What an animal can and will eat differs than what we can and will eat! This class will teach you what you can pick and feed to our pasture animals, wallabies and tortoises.

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Nature Solo - Campers can take a moment to be still and quiet in nature along one of our nature solo trails.

Did you think that was it? We have plenty of other classes and courses offered in science, adventure, arts & crafts, nature and even more! Click the button to your right to explore more.