Summer Camp 2012

The Rye Nature Center offers an adventurous and educational summer program for children aged 3½ to 13 years. Set on 47 acres of forest and trails, our camp creates an enthusiastic and active atmosphere for children to explore a variety of ecosystems and become connected to nature. Guided by some of Westchester’s best naturalists, our camp is a fun, hands-on experience where children begin the journey of becoming life-long environmental stewards. For much more information, download our digital camp guide!

IT’S A BIRD, IT’S A PLANE! BIONIC MANIA

JUNE 25 - 29

Want to learn how biology becomes technology? Bio-mimicry will be our focus this week as we uncover how nature inspires some of man’s greatest engineering feats. We’ll build solar powered cars, defy gravity like geckos, and explore other ways we can adapt nature for our own devices.

ANIMAL SOUNDTRACKS
JULY 2 – 6 (NO CAMP JULY 4)

If a monkey made a mix, what would be the playlist? From reptiles to mammals to the song birds that wake us at 5:00 a.m., creatures use a variety of sounds to communicate. We’ll put our earphones to the ground, to the sky, and to the water and learn about how animals spread the word.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
JULY 9-13

From food pyramids to food webs we all have our own way of meeting our daily nutrient requirements. We’ll study owl pellets, skulls, and uncover who’s been eating whom. We’ll forage in the forest for fun, learn what plants our ancestors considered dessert, and meet some birds of prey.

ON THE TRACK: THE RNC MOVIE WEEK
JULY 16-20

Flip cameras in hand, we’ll learn how to track deer, coyotes, raccoons, even hawks. We’ll launch the biggest game of hide and go seek in the history of Rye Nature Center as we track one another and create a “who done it” mystery movie incorporating our orienteering, tracking, and hunting skills.

THE WORLD BENEATH OUR FEET JULY 23-27

Let’s get our hands dirty as we dig into the wonder underneath us. We’ll uncover fossils, rare rocks, precious minerals and other geological masterpieces from our own quarry. We’ll get to the truth about soil science and the role it plays in preserving the past and growing our future.

I WILL SURVIVE JULY 30 – AUGUST 3

Could you live in a house made of sticks? Take a five day break from modern day living and learn to live off the land. We’ll build forts, make fires, and learn where to find water even in the driest of desserts. Create some eco-friendly threads and tools and learn the ancient ways of dyeing things. We’ll study animal adaptations and learn how we too can withstand even nature’s challenges.

COLD BLOODED CREATURES
AUGUST 6 – 10

Ectothermics take center stage as we focus on what it’s like to be the same temperature as your surroundings. We’ll go as deep as the ocean’s floor as we explore the lives of fish, reptiles, and amphibians.