2012 Summer Camps

Ashland Nature Center

Caring for Animals and Overnight
Monday - Friday, June 18 - 22 (including a Thursday overnight)
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $315/$370
Camp #: C12-043-AS, Leader: Sarah Stapley

Help take care of a variety of wildlife from Ashland's animal collection. Keep records as we exercise, feed, weigh, and measure reptiles, amphibians, and other animals. Catch and care for wild animals to observe their activities before releasing them. Spend Thursday night at the Ashland lodge to look for nocturnal animals and enjoy a roaring campfire.

Ashland Rangers and Overnight
Monday - Friday, June 18 - 22 (including a Thursday overnight)
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $315/$370
Camp #: C12-044-AS, Leader: Phylicia Schwartz

Join our team of rangers at Ashland as we blaze trails, catch animals, and search for special places. Practice using compasses, following maps, and making shelters. Learn how to track animals and identify local wildlife. Earn your own "Youth Ranger" badge. Spend Thursday night at the Ashland lodge to patrol the trails for nocturnal animals, listen for owls, and make a campfire.

Dam Streams and Play in the Dirt
Monday - Friday, June 18 - 22, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-045-AS, Leader: Greta Rech

Learn about streams and then dam one, play in the dirt, roll down hills, and splash in the water. Have a "dirt castle" and a dam building contest. Cool off in the water and have lots of fun with outdoor games each day. Bring a second set of clothes to wear home.

Chronicles of Narnia I
Monday - Friday, June 25 - 29, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-046-AS, Leader: Kathy Szczerba

Learn about the different animal groups based on the popular book series and movies. Discover animal survival techniques and predator-prey relationships. Try your hand at archery. See and touch live animals known as "unhuggables." Create stone statues and design a crest for your own shield. Enjoy the Turkish Delight prepared by the group.

Heaps of Herps
Monday - Friday, June 25 - 29, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-047-AS, Leader: Phylicia Schwartz

Discover the world of reptiles! Look for snakes, turtles, salamanders, frogs, and toads in marshes, ponds, forests, and streams. How do snakes swallow their food and turtles stay hidden in the forest? Meet amazing live animals from Ashland's collection as we learn what they eat, where they live, and how they survive.

Surviving Nature at the Old Mill
Monday - Friday, June 25 - 29, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Camp #: C12-048-DM
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305, Leader: DNS Staff
Note: Camp meets at Cooch-Dayett Mills, Newark

You have been marooned at a desolate, mysterious mill, far from civilization. A strange package is dropped from a helicopter. Learn how to survive on its contents and from nature while housing yourself within the confines of the mill. Can you grind corn into flour...purify water to drink...signal to the world outside? Find out as you try to survive at the Old Mill!

Animal Kingdom Club
Monday - Tuesday, July 2 - 3, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $100/$155
Camp#: C12-049-AS, Leader: Bethanie Delfunt

Discover the Kingdom of animals. Learn what makes birds different from other animals and how mammals live. Discover what it means to be a reptile, amphibian, fish, and insect. Touch furs and feathers, capture insects, and meet some of Ashland's snakes, lizards and arthropods!

The Fort Building Club
Monday - Tuesday, July 2 - 3, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $100/$155
Camp #: C12-050-AS, Leader: DNS Staff<br />
Work together to build forts at Ashland made out of natural materials. Make a grass fort in a meadow, a stick fort in the woods, and a Lenni-Lenape-style overnight shelter. At the end of the week, take the forts down and make it look like no one was ever there.

Indiana Jones and the Hunt for the Golden S'more
Monday - Tuesday, July 2 - 3 (including a Monday overnight)
8:30 am Monday - 3:00 pm Tuesday
Member/Non-Member: $150/$205
Camp #: C12-051-AS, Leader: Austin Conley

Start the plane and get ready for an amazing adventure at Ashland! Enjoy scavenger hunts, use tools and technology, like GPS, to discover artifacts and gather clues to a final puzzle. Spend the night and enjoy a campfire in pursuit of the perfect campfire treat. Can you put all the clues together and solve the mystery of the Golden S'more?

Remarkable Reptiles and Magnificent Mammals
Monday - Friday, July 9 - 13, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-052-AS, Leader: Ellen Bacino

Explore the similarities and differences of both warm and cold-blooded animals. Observe live cold-blooded animals such as turtles, tortoises, frogs, and snakes. Visit the pond, marsh, and streams in search of these fascinating creatures. Explore the world of warm-blooded animals through our vast collection of taxidermy including otter, beaver, birds, and more. Make animal crafts and a tasty "animal" snack.

Outdoor Skills and Overnight
Monday - Friday, July 9 - 13 (including a Thursday overnight)
8:30 am - 3:00 pm, Member/Non-Member: $315/$370
Camp #: C12-053-AS, Leader: Phylicia Schwartz

Put your outdoor skills to the test! Learn how to build shelters, track animals, and make tools. Identify local wildlife and edible wild plants, and learn how Native Americans lived off the land. Use maps, compasses, and natural clues to find your way around a challenging orienteering course. Spend Thursday night at the Ashland Lodge enjoying a campfire and a night hike.

All About Habitats
Monday - Friday, July 9 - 13, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-054-AS, Leader: Austin Conley

What makes a habitat? Find out as you explore a variety of habitats, from a freshwater marsh and pond to a blooming meadow, a cool forest, and a rushing stream. Where will you find fish, toads, or a wetland bird? Explore Ashland's habitats to find animals, the foods they eat, and the homes they make.

Animal Transformers
Monday - Friday, July 16 - 20, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-055-AS, Leader: Anisa Parks

Butterflies and frogs, salamanders and beetles! Learn about metamorphosis and the amazing changes that animals go through. Learn how a tadpole becomes a frog! Catch and observe wild insects and frogs in different life stages. Create your own transforming craft to take home.

Chronicles of Narnia II: The Series Continues
Monday - Friday, July 16 - 20, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-056-AS, Leader: Kathy Szczerba

Wander the trails at Ashland to look for the trees and birds mentioned in this popular series. Try your hand at archery and other outdoor skills. Study animals in the book through taxidermy, skins as well as live animals and look for them in the wild. Navigate Ashland using tools the Pevensie children didn't have.

Crafting With Nature
Monday - Friday, July 16 - 20, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $275/$330
Camp #: C12-057-AS, Leader: Jess Meginley

Do you know how to make a stone necklace, weave a welcome wreath or make a journal out of natural materials? Search Ashland's fields and forests for sticks, stones, leaves and grasses to create fun and unique crafts. Bring a crafty mind and take home your creations, or give them as gifts!

Animal Superheroes
Monday - Friday, July 23 - 27, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-058-AS, Leader: DNS Staff

Explore Ashland to find animals with amazing abilities. Hunt in ponds, meadows and streams to see if you are quick enough to catch flying insects faster than a speeding bullet and swimming frogs more powerful than a locomotive. Meet creatures that can live for a month without eating, can lay over 20 thousand eggs or even glow in the dark!

Hide and Seek at Cooch-Dayett Mills
Monday - Friday, July 23 - 27, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-059-AS, Leader: DNS Staff
Note: Camp meets at Cooch-Dayett Mills

Moles, Voles and burrowing animals! Learn about the sneaky ways they hide, where they like to make their homes and build their nests. Then learn about the predators that are tricky enough to find them. Build your own bird house to take home. Play hide and seek using tricks learned from animals!

Call of the Wild
Monday - Friday, July 23 - 27, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-060-AS, Leader: DNS Staff

Discover animal voices in bird songs and frog calls. Learn how animals "talk" with their feathers and fur. What do the colors of a monarch butterfly tell us? Touch furs and antlers, catch insects in the meadow and visit the butterfly house. Learn to talk like a bee by dancing!

Spines, Venom, and Scales!
Monday - Friday, July 30 - August 3, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-061-AS, Leader: Austin Conley

Life in the wild can be hard! Animals have developed some tricky strategies to survive. Find out how animals protect themselves with armor, spines, scales and venom! Test your skills and see if you can discover camouflaged animals around Ashland.

Lenape Life and Overnight
Monday - Friday, July 30 - August 3 (including a Thursday overnight)
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $315/$370
Camp #: C12-062-AS, Leader: Kathy Szczerba

Imagine living back in the time of Native Americans. Find food, build shelters and play games. Handle Lenni Lenape artifacts. Visit a replica longhouse, mold clay pots and try your hand at archery. Spend Thursday night at the Ashland Lodge with paint on our faces in the traditional Lenape style before a campfire gathering.

Butterfly House Helpers I & II
Session I: July 30 - August 3, Camp #: C12-063-AS
Session II: August 13 - 17, Camp #: C12-069-AS
Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305, Leader: Ellen Bacino

Explore the meadows of Ashland in search of butterflies and moths. Look on plants for hiding caterpillars. Use nets to catch butterflies and put them in the Butterfly House. Feed the caterpillars and care for the butterflies you catch. Learn about different species of butterflies, create butterfly crafts, and enjoy a tasty "butterfly" snack.

Creepy Crawly Scientists
Monday - Friday, August 6 - 10, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-064-AS, Leaders: Shannon Tilmon

How do bees communicate where to find nectar and why do ants always find your picnic? See how the world looks through an insect's eyes and test the strength of a spider's web. As a team of scientists, learn the answers to these questions and conduct experiments to find out more about the small creatures all around.

Chronicles of Narnia "Voyage of the Dawn Treader"
Monday - Friday, August 6 - 10, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member $250/$305
Camp #: C12-065-AS, Leader: Kathy Szczerba

Venture once again into the world of Narnia. Learn about the magical world of water and create a miniature raft to race. Learn about dragon lore and search for those mythical dragons at Ashland. Study the stars like the characters did as they traveled to the world's end. Like Prince Caspian, design your own coat of arms and create a royal banner to match.

Animal Adventures
Monday - Friday, August 6 - 10, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-066-AS, Leader: Stuart Wilkie

Search fields, forests, and the marsh for animals that live at Ashland. Catch small animals and observe them. Meet some of the live animal collection and touch furs, bones, feet, and claws. Look for tracks, hear stories and make a craft about your favorite wild animal.

Discover Streams...(and play in them too!)
Monday - Friday, August 13 - 17, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-067-AS, Leader: Bethanie Delfunt

What could be better than playing in a cool stream during the heat of summer? Learn what happens to rain from spring showers. Explore streams, creeks, ponds and marshes. Discover the plants and animals that live there. Meet animals with special water adaptations from Ashland's animal collection.

Junior Hikers
Monday - Friday, August 13 - 17, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-068-AS, Leader: DNS Staff

Explore the Ashland Nature Center on foot paths as a junior hiker! Make a hiking stick, and discover a new part of the nature center property each day. Hear stories of nature adventurers and cool off with water games each afternoon.

Catching and Caring for Animals
Monday - Friday, August 20 - 24, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-070-AS, Leaders: Phylicia Schwartz

Are you an animal lover? Help take care of a variety of wildlife from Ashland's animal collection. Keep records as we exercise, feed, weigh, and measure reptiles, amphibians, and other animals. Catch and care for wild animals to observe their activities before releasing them. Talk to animal experts and rehabilitators to learn about the complex needs of wildlife.

Fish Scales and Snake Tails
Monday - Friday, August 20 - 24, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-071-AS, Leader: Stuart Wilkie

Search for fish, frogs, snakes, salamanders, and turtles in watery and woodland habitats. Meet live reptiles and amphibians from Ashland's collection, and use nets to catch tadpoles and bluegills. Bring a plain tee shirt to make fish prints, shoes that can get wet, and an extra set of clothes.

Coverdale Farm Preserve

Adventurer's Club at Coverdale Farm Preserve
Monday - Friday, June 18 - 22, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-072-CF, Leader: Kathy Szczerba

Use nets, cups, sieves, traps, and good catching skills to get your hands on some really "wild" critters! Venture into vast meadows to find colorful insects. Walk through a stream to catch "six-leggers" in a riffle. Forage through the forest in search of salamanders and toads. Scavenge the farm gardens to discover the creatures that make the fields their home.

Farmers Helpers I with Optional Overnight
Monday - Friday, June 25 - 29, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $315/$375
Camp #: C12-073-CF, Leader: Karen Powell

Spend the week taking care of the farm animals and gardens. Milk the cow, bottle feed the calves and feed and water the sheep, pigs, chickens and chicks. Collect chicken eggs, pull some weeds and plant some seeds. Harvest the summer vegetables and enjoy them as a snack. Take hikes, play games, listen to stories and make crafts. Enjoy a Thursday overnight!

Farmers Helpers II
Monday - Friday, July 16 - 20, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-074-CF, Leader: Ellen Bacino

Spend the week taking care of the farm animals and gardens. Milk the cow, bottle feed the calves and feed and water the sheep, pigs, chickens and chicks. Collect chicken eggs, pull some weeds and plant some seeds. Harvest the summer vegetables and enjoy them as a snack. Take hikes, play games, listen to stories and make crafts.

Farm Arts & Nature Crafts
Monday - Friday, July 23 - 27, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $250/$305
Camp #: C12-075-CF, Leader: Phylicia Schwartz

Have you ever made a print from a potato? Created a crayfish from clay? Painted a portrait of a very large pig? Spun a web like a spider? How about snapping a photo of a gigantic tractor? Explore the farm, fields, pond, stream, and forest creating crafty, fun, and beautiful works of art.

Coverdale Chefs New Recipes!
Monday - Friday, July 30 - August 3, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $300/$355
Camp #: C12-076-CF, Leader: Jane Griffin

If a cow can turn grass to milk then how can you turn milk to cheese? Enjoy a week of culinary creations crafted from Coverdale ingredients with you as the chef! Explore the farm to discover the sources of our food, then bring what we need back to our kitchen to make tasty, seasonal treats. Design your very own Coverdale cookbook!

Ashland Nature Center

Extreme Animals
Monday - Friday, June 18 - 22, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $290/$345
Camp#: C12-077-AS, Leader: Austin Conley

Explore the Animal Kingdom's craziest critters. This camp will take you to find the most extreme living creatures; from living relics, to the most advanced species around. You will be amazed where you can find some of the most extreme animals at the zoo, beach and pond.

Young Herpetologists
Monday - Friday, June 18 - 22, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $290/$345
Camp#: C12-078-AS, Leader: Rose Lounsbury

Visit local habitats known for having lots of reptiles and amphibians and search for snakes, lizards, turtles, salamanders, and frogs. Catch them, handle them, and learn how to identify them. Track a box turtle using radio telemetry equipment. Meet local herpetologist Jim White and create a "herpetology book".

Bird Experience at Middle Run
Monday - Friday, June 25 - 29, 8:15 am - 2:45 pm
Member/Non-Member: $345/$400
Camp #: C12-079-AS, Leader: Sarah Stapley
Note: Camp meets at Middle Run Natural Area, Newark. Directions will be sent.

Explore the world of birds at Middle Run Natural Area. Help Tri-State Bird Rescue volunteers take care of baby birds, photograph baby birds in bird boxes, and monitor nesting birds along the Middle Run Birding Trail. Meet unique birds like Peregrine Falcons, Mallards, and Eastern Bluebirds. Create nest boxes, feeders, and treats for the birds.

Small Watercraft Adventures
Monday - Friday, June 25 - 29, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Members/Non-Member: $335/$390
Camp #: C12-080-AS, Leader: Bradley Reynolds

Use various small watercraft to ply local waters. Canoe, kayak, tube, and rowboat your way around lakes, ponds, and rivers. Try fishing on Octoraro Lake and look for water birds and wildlife as you go. Learn proper techniques and have a blast on the water!

Bucktoe Creek Campout
Monday - Tuesday, July 2 - 3, 8:00 am (Mon) - 2:30 pm (Tues)
Member/Non-Member: $165/$220
Camp #: C12-081-BK, Leader: Shannon Tilmon
Note: Camp meets at the Bucktoe Creek Preserve.

Bring your sleeping bag and mess kit and camp out under the stars on the top of a hill surrounded by beautiful forest. Identify birds, look for frogs and salamanders, and go dip-netting in a pond. Check bird boxes to see what is living inside and try to win a geocaching competition. Take a night hike to find owls, bats, calling foxes, and snorting deer.

Child vs. Wild
Monday - Friday, July 9 - 13 (Including a Thursday overnight)
8:30 am - 3:00 pm, Member/Non-Member: $345/$400
Camp #: C12-082-AS, Leaders: Kathy Szczerba & Anisa Parks

Become an outdoor survivalist and set yourself loose in the wild! Learn to survive in the wild by learning skills in fire building, first aid, trail safety, wild edible plants, cooking in the wild, shelter building, and animal tracking. Eat wild plants, cook wild game, and get yourself out of the boondocks in one piece.

White Clay Creek Adventures
Monday - Friday, July 9 - 13, 8:15 am - 2:45 pm
Member/Non-Member: $330/$385
Camp #: C12-083-AS, Leader: Shannon Tilmon
Note: Camp meets at Mortenson Property, Newark. Directions will be sent.

Spend the week trying archery, spear fishing, model rocket launching, canoe racing, and primitive tool building. Study a vernal pool, catch insects in a meadow, and cook on an outdoor fireplace. Kayak a scenic, shaded section of the beautiful White Clay Creek. Visit the "Big Pond" and the White Clay Nature Center, and more. Take part in an outdoor skills challenge!

Wizards and Lizards Returns!
Monday - Friday, July 16 - 20, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $345/$400, Camp #: C12-084-AS
Leaders: Judy Montgomery, Sarah Stapley and Maya Koretsky
Note: Camp meets at the Country Center, Hockessin. Directions will be sent.

Gather round the smoky fire for wizardry fun! Harry Potter fans will enjoy our original School of Wizards and Lizards! Deep in the forbidden forest, you'll take classes in Potions, Creepy Creatures, Skulls & Skeletons and more! Your house will try to win Friday's Challenge of Champions, and of course, end with a feast!

Arthropod Adventures
Monday - Friday, July 16 - 20, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $290/$345
Camp #: C12-085-AS, Leader: Mary Ann Levan<br />
This class of amazing creatures includes millipedes, centipedes, wolf spiders, scorpions, dragonflies, crayfish and butterflies. Go hunting and trapping for arthropods, then capture and observe them to discover how they live. Campers will pose scientific questions about the animals to make their own discoveries.

Tom Sawyer
Monday - Friday, July 23 - 27, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $315/$370
Camp #: C12-086-AS, Leader: Shannon Tilmon

Enjoy nature and marvel at its beauty, Tom Sawyer style. Hunt for worms, follow a trail of ants, investigate ladybugs and listen for birds. Listen to excerpts from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain. Explore and tube your way down the Brandywine River. Write a play, make costumes and present the masterpiece to other campers and parents. Spread your blanket, lie back and search for hawks as you enjoy a picnic at an overlook. Bring a copy of Tom Sawyer (if you wish).

Ashland Unplugged
Monday - Friday, July 23 - 27, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $315/$370
Camp #: C12-087-AS, Leader: Sarah Stapley

Like video games? Turn off that console and join us outside where your favorite games come to life! Complete a Nature-dex for wild creatures, what can you catch in the tall grass? Try your hand at archery, shoot a giant slingshot, and learn how to find your way with a map and compass. Complete obstacle courses, solve puzzles, and go on a quest.

Mining and Minerals
Monday - Friday, July 30 - August 3, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $290/$345
Camp #: C12-088-AS, Leader: Mary Ann Levan

Start a mineral collection with beautiful specimens of quartz, feldspar and mica that you collect from a nearly nineteenth century "spar pit". Visit the site where Native People collected chert for tool making and European settlers quarried iron. Use your findings to make and use stone tools, to build a stone fire ring and more!

Tough Mudder Nature     Max: 20
Monday - Friday, July 30 - August 3, 8:45 am - 3:15 pm
Member/Non-Member: $345/$400
Camp #: C12-089-AS, Leader: Judy Montgomery
Note: Camp meets at the Granogue Estate, Centreville

Utilizing the rugged terrain of the Granogue Estate, two teams will swing, scramble, plunge, splash and compete in events that build all-around strength, fitness, mental grit and camaraderie. Every challenge will contain some of Mudder Nature's finest - creeks, forests, webs, logs, vines and mud! Meets daily at Granogue, final obstacle courses on Thursday and Friday!

Fun with Fishing
Monday - Friday, August 6 - 10, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $315/$370
Camp #: C12-090-AS, Leader: Skip Twardowski

Learn to fish nearby ponds, reservoirs, and rivers. Begin your week at a private pond where we will learn the basics of fishing and fish identification. Expect to reel in huge bluegills and even a large-mouth bass! Taste the fish you catch after frying them up on a hot skillet. Visit Lums Pond and have a blast catching perch, crappie, and catfish. Learn to cast a line, use different lures, fish with live bait and master the art of unhooking your catch. Prepare for a fishy, fun good time!

Young Naturalist Certification at Bucktoe
Monday - Friday, August 6 - 10, 8:00 am - 2:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $300/$355
Camp #: C12-091-BK, Leader: Rose Lounsbury
Note: Camp meets at the Bucktoe Creek Preserve.

Earn your Young Naturalist certification at the Bucktoe Creek Preserve. Catch reptiles and amphibians, study nesting birds, catch fish in a creek and pond, and track mammals. Create a field notebook with sketches or your digital photos and become certified as a DNS Young Naturalist.

Camp Perseid
Monday - Friday, August 13 - 17 (Including a Tuesday overnight)
8:45 am - 3:15 pm
Member/Non-Member: $345/$400
Camp #: C12-092-AS, Leader: Judy Montgomery
Note: Camp meets at the Granogue estate, Centerville. Directions will be sent.

It's Greek Week at Granogue! Learn about Astronomy and the Greek Gods and Goddesses that are found in the summer skies. Create a mosaic. Stay overnight on Tuesday and view the Perseid meteor shower from your tent or the Granogue Tower. Prepare for our Greek Pentathlon on Friday - which includes running, archery, javelins and chariot racing!

Nature Photography
Monday - Friday, August 20 - 24, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $345/$400
Camp #: C12-093-AS, Leader: Kathy Szczerba

Try your hand at nature photography as you explore local natural areas. Using digital cameras, seek great photo opportunities of birds, butterflies, frogs, turtles, and an assortment of mammals. Learn about digi-scoping, meet with local wildlife photographers, and be a star in your own photo art show.

Coverdale Farm Preserve

You Made What?
Monday - Tuesday, July 2 - 3, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $140/$195
Camp #: C12-094-CF, Leader: Mary Ann Levan

Amaze your family and friends with the cool things that you can craft from scratch with materials straight from the earth! Make mounds of marshmallows; get bedazzling with glitter you make from mica; formulate your own lip balm; make magical spot remover for clothing; and much, much more. We will try our hand at recipes for homemade foods, toys, games, and crafts. Coverdale Farm Preserve will provide many of our essential ingredients necessary for you to make, what?

Farmers Apprentices
Monday - Friday, July 9 - 13, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $290/$345
Camp #: C12-095-CF, Leader: Jeff Long

What does it take to keep Coverdale Farm Preserve running? Live as a farmer and take care of the livestock, planting and harvesting farm gardens and crops. Take part in haying and making compost. Learn animal husbandry and organic gardening basics. Explore the farm machinery and barns to discover how they benefit farm operations.

Farmers Kitchen New Recipes!
Monday - Friday, August 6 - 10, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $325/$380
Camp #: C12-096-CF, Leader: Michele Wales
Note: This camp involves eating and working with milk, meat, eggs, wheat, corn and various garden vegetables and herbs.

Come to our "Moo-linary Arts Institute" and create fresh Coverdale cuisine! Craft delicious, seasonal recipes from scratch using ingredients harvested right from the farm. We'll make everything from pickles to pesto and chow-chow to cheese! Explore Coverdale Farm Preserve to learn the science behind the food. Each day, prepare delectable treats to eat.

Farmer Boy
Monday - Friday, August 20 - 24, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $290/$345
Camp #: C12-097-CF, Leader: Shannon Tilmon

Spend the week living the life of farm boy, Almanzo Wilder. Take a journey back in time to the mid-1800's and learn how to raise a milk-fed pumpkin, make hay for the animals, milk cows, feed sheep and pigs, collect eggs and harvest from the garden. Venture to the fishing hole and see what you can catch. Throughout the week enjoy the Laura Ingalls Wilder book: Farmer Boy. Farm boys and farm girls are welcome!

Ashland Nature Center

Freshwater Aquatic Biology (for students entering grades 6 & 7)
Monday - Friday, June 18 - 22, 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $125/$125
Camp #: C12-098-AS, Leader: David Pragoff

Use nets and test kits to explore streams, marshes, ponds and rivers, and find out how to tell if a freshwater habitat is healthy. Canoe a local river, create and maintain an individual aquarium with animals from the Ashland mill pond, and conduct your own science experiment. At the end of the week, present your experiment in a closing ceremony at Ashland. This program is offered in partnership with the Delaware Department of Education.

Beginning Backpackers
Monday - Friday, June 18 - 22 (Includes a Thursday night backpacking trip)
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $330/$385
Camp #: C12-099-AS, Leader: Bradley Reynolds

Learn the basics of backpacking and set off for adventure! Learn how to pack a backpack, what to bring, how to read a map, start a fire, cook camp food, and the basics of safe, low-impact camping. On Thursday, set off on a one-night, six-mile backpacking adventure in the wild. Fee includes use of a backpack, tent, and 3 meals on the trip. Must have your own sleeping bag, mess kit, water bottle and hiking boots.

Field Trip Earth!
Monday - Friday, June 25 - 29 (Including a Thursday overnight)
8:00 am - 2:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $330/$385, Camp#: C12-100-BK
Leaders: Mary Ann Levan and Kelly Schaeffer
Note: Camp meets at the Bucktoe Creek Preserve near Kennett Square, PA

Our world is full of fascinating and secretive wild animals that field biologists spend their lives studying. Venture into our own wild areas to learn about the scientific questions wildlife biologists ask and the tricks and techniques they use to answer them. Catch and measure reptiles and amphibians, monitor bird nests and capture mammal tracks! Spend Thursday night enjoying the summer chorus of frogs while we attract nocturnal insects using light traps!

Treasure Hunters
Monday - Friday, June 25-29, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $330/$385
Camp #: C12-101-AS, Leader: DNS Staff

Delaware is a state known for its treasures-- after all, we are the Diamond State! Pirates, shipwrecks, and tales of treasures abound. Visit the C&D Canal to collect fossilized squid and clams, the Woodlawn Quarry to dig for minerals and gemstones, and the beach at Cape Henlopen to search for wave-borne treasures. Visit with geologists and real life treasure hunters, and use metal detectors to search for buried items right beneath our feet.

Paddling Challenge
Monday-Tuesday, July 2-3, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Members/Non-Member: $175/$230
Camp #: C12-102-AS, Leader: Derek Stoner

Put your paddling skills to the test during this two day adventure. With canoes we will paddle through Dragon Marsh near Delaware City, and enjoy wildlife like eagles, herons, and beavers. Then put your two-bladed paddle to work as we cruise down the Brandywine River in kayaks, taking us on a journey from Pennsylvania back into Delaware. Dip nets, seine nets, and fishing rods will help us sample the aquatic life along these waterways.

Target Masters I
Monday - Friday, July 9-13, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $435/$490
Camp #: C12-103-AS, Leader: Skip Twardowski

Target Masters II
Monday - Friday, July 16-20, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $435/$490
Camp #: C12-104-AS, Leader: Derek Stoner

Learn how to safely and accurately shoot bows and arrows, slingshots, air rifles and shotguns. Craft your own spears and throwing sticks, and learn the importance of target practice to Native Americans. Test your eye with tomahawks and the ancient atlatl. Have fun creating unique targets and marksmanship challenges to test your skills. Visit the world's largest archery store for indoor shooting as well as "Video Archery". All instruction by certified shooting instructors under safe and strict supervision.

Advanced Fun with Fishing
Monday - Friday, July 23 - 27 (Includes a Thursday night camping trip)
8:30 am - 3:00 pm, (5:00 pm pickup on Friday)
Member/Non-Member: $495/$550
Camp #: C12-105-AS, Leader: Derek Stoner

Join us for a week-long fishing adventure. Try pond fishing for bass and bluegill, fly-fishing on the Brandywine River, and saltwater fishing in the Delaware Bay for sea bass, croakers, and other prize fish. Learn how to properly fillet and cook your own fish. Camp out at Cape Henlopen State Park Thursday night before taking a deep-sea fishing expedition on Friday. Catch flounder, bluefish, and maybe a shark!

Careers In Science (for students entering grades 7 & 8)
Monday - Friday, July 23 - 27, 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $125/$125
Camp #: C12-106-AS, Leader: David Pragoff

Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a marine biologist, a wildlife scientist, or a geologist? Visit with professionals from a variety of scientific careers to discover their jobs. Conduct experiments, track wildlife, explore marshes, handle reptiles, and much more. This program is offered in partnership with the Delaware Department of Education.
r Laurel Highlands Adventure
Monday - Friday, July 30 - August 3
8:30 am Monday - 5:00 pm Friday.
Member/Non-/Member: $650/$705
Camp#: C12-107-AS, Leader: Christy Belardo & Phylicia Schwartz

Travel to western Pennsylvania and camp out for the week in Ohiopyle State Park. Add some thrills to your life with a white-water rafting adventure, exploring deep into a large cave, hiking to a mountain top, visiting a bird banding lab, and have a great time out in the wild! Packing list and other instructions will be provided.

Island Adventures
Monday - Friday, August 6 - 10
8:30 am - 4:30 pm* (Includes a Thursday night overnight)
Member/Non-Member: $405/$460
Camp #: C12-108-AS, Leader: Sarah Stapley

Summer breezes, sandy beaches and treasure maps...are you ready for some island adventures? Each day we'll explore a new island, arriving by motorboat or canoe! Learn to read and create maps to use for navigating in water and on land. Explore a jungle-like island, an egret rookery, and rocky island shorelines. Dig for clams, catch turtles and catfish and search for island treasures. Camp out Thursday night and enjoy an "Island Celebration," complete with grilled pineapple, a limbo contest, and island music. Wear an "island" shirt and bathing suit each day; a complete packing list will be sent prior to starting date. *Note longer day than normal camp.

Young Entomologists
Monday - Friday, August 13 - 17, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $290/$345
Camp #: C12-109-AS, Leader: Derek Stoner

Explore the world of insects - Dogday Cicadas, Halloween Pennants, and Ebony Jewelwings, Springtails, and so much more! With hundreds of species of insects living in the region, we will discover the incredible world of insect life. Work with a beekeeper as we tend honeybee hives, collect insects with a university entomologist, and learn how to raise insects in captivity. Create your own insect collection of real specimens and crafted insect replicas.

Conservation Action Force
Monday - Friday, August 13 - 17, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $290/$345
Camp #: C12-110-AS, Leader: Brenna Goggin

Become a young conservationist! Learn the skills needed to solve our community's environmental problems. Visit and tour an air quality monitoring station and test streams for pollution. Tour Wilmington's waste composting center and spend time working on a real farm. Conduct a biodiversity survey for birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and plants. Tour Delaware's Legislative Hall on Friday and report to our elected officials about your findings and make recommendations for preserving natural resources.

Kayak Adventures
Monday - Friday, August 13 - 17, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $375/$430
Camp #: C12-111-AS, Leader: Jess Meginley

Be the boss of your own boat! Kayak on local waterways in many places that canoes can't go. Paddle the Brandywine Creek and Octoraro Reservoir. Enjoy the thrill of cruising small rapids, running rubble dams, and sneaking up on water birds, mammals, turtles, and big fish. Learn the basics of kayaking on a nearby lake, then try your skills on creeks and rivers.

Young Ornithologists
Monday - Friday, August 20 - 24, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Member/Non-Member: $290/$345
Camp #: C12-112-AS, Leader: Sarah Stapley

Become an ornithologist...a master of the science of birds! Meet with experts and go to special places to observe amazing feathered creatures! See herons, eagles, shorebirds, and many other species on our travels. Help out with real scientific research and travel to birding hotspots. Binoculars will be provided but feel free to bring your own!

Summer on Hawk Mountain
Monday - Friday, August 20 - 24
8:30 am - 3:00 pm Monday; Tuesday to Friday at Hawk Mt., return 3:00 pm Friday
Member/Non-Member: $525/$580
Camp #: C12-113-AS, Leader: Sally O'Byrne

Spend the last week of summer at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania, known internationally for its raptor migration and research. Camp at a historic Adirondack Shelter, hike rugged mountain trails and work on a trail maintenance project. Meet live raptors up-close and learn ground-breaking international raptor research as you meet with scientists at a hawk research facility. Assist with the first week of raptor counting on the top of a mountain. You will be sent a list of what to bring for the 3 overnights.

Coverdale Farm Preserve

Advanced Apprentices
Monday - Friday, June 18 - 22 (Includes a Thursday overnight)
9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $350/$405
Camp #: C12-114-CF, Leader: Michele Wales

How many years have you been a Coverdale Farm Preserve Apprentice? Are you ready for a new challenge? Sharpen your farming skills by taking care of our resident livestock, assisting with our Community Supported Agriculture distribution days, and working on seasonal farm tasks. Travel to a few local farms and discover what it takes to keep their agricultural endeavors operational. We'll tour the farms and get our hands dirty as we apprentice with them!

Gourmet Farmers
Monday - Friday, August 13 - 17, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Member/Non-Member: $325/$380
Camp #: C11-115-CF, Leader: Chef Dan O'Brien

Join Chef Dan as he transforms you into a true farm to table culinary artist. Coverdale Farm Preserve will be your organic pantry providing ingredients like eggs, meat, vegetables, and herbs. Using our farm fresh ingredients, you'll discover how to create your own recipes from scratch; proper use of kitchen tools; how to pick vegetables at their peak of ripeness; and cook up the most amazing food in town!

The Delaware Nature Society, a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1964, fosters understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the natural world through education, preserves ecologically significant areas, and advocates stewardship and conservation of natural resources.

Committed to providing a high-quality, safe educational experience, we offer a low student-teacher ratio and the finest indoor and outdoor facilities in the area. All programs are open to both DNS members and the general public (note price differences.). We welcome new members and becoming a member offers special benefits.

Summer camps are taught by professionals in the environmental and educational fields. For a comprehensive guide to our Summer Camps, please see our New Parent Information Guide in the Activities & Programs area on our website.

Enrollment Calendar
Registrations will be processed in the order in which they are received beginning February 1*.

*Online registration will become available at 5:00 am on Feb. 1. Technical help will be available at 302-239-2334 beginning at 7:00 am on Feb. 1 and during regular hours (Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30) thereafter.

Reservations and Payments
Full payment is due with registration. No phone reservations are accepted. A confirmation will be sent for registrations received and processed by DNS. For online transactions, registrants should print confirmations at time of registration. If a program is full, you will be notified.

NEW! Registrant Withdrawal and Refunds
Requests for withdrawal 15 business days or more prior to the scheduled program date will be honored. Requests less than 15 business days prior will be issued only if the slot is filled. A $35 administrative fee will be withheld for each withdrawal. Transfers to a different camp may be subject to an administration fee.

Photographs/Video
Delaware Nature Society reserves the right to use any photos/video of campers to promote our programs unless otherwise notified in writing by parents.

Scholarships
Through the generosity of a variety of foundations, corporations, community organizations and generous individuals, a limited number of scholarships are available for those needing assistance. For information, contact David Pragoff at 302-239-2334, ext. 133.

Questions? Contact us:

For Ashland Nature Center & DEEC Camps:

• Before-care per day beginning at 7:30 am ($15/morning)
• Before-care per week beginning at 7:30 am ($40/week - mornings only)
• After-care per day until 5 pm ($15/afternoon)
• After-care per week until 5 pm ($50/week - afternoons only)

For Abbott's Mill Nature Center Camps:

• Before-care per day beginning at 7:30 am ($10/morning)
• Before-care per week beginning at 7:30 am ($35/week - mornings only)
• After-care per day until 5 pm ($10/afternoon)
• After-care per week until 5 pm ($40/week - afternoons only)