Outdoor Summer Programs for Kids

As the lazy days of summer spread slowly before us, getting our children outdoors and into nature is an important part of learning about how special our planet is, what’s at stake and why and what we must do to protect it.

Rachel Carson, who many feel is the mother of the modern day environmental movement, reminded us that: “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.”

So, make spending time outdoors part of your children’s summer fun. Traveling across the country to iconic natural wonders like the Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon isn’t the only awe inspiring way to captivate your children’s attention and help them contemplate the beauty of nature. In state parks, shorelines, beaches and trails and are easy to fit into every family’s plans and can become special family sacred places that create life long family traditions. From stimulating creative and critical thinking, challenging outdoor and athletic skills, to teaching equity and addressing hunger – local spots can be hidden jewels, waiting to be discovered, cherished and preserved.

July is the nation’s official Parks and Recreation Month, designated as such by the National Recreation and Parks Association in 1985. NRPA makes it particularly easy to find out what’s happening in your local parks or wherever you may be traveling to this summer.

We are pleased to feature a special program that the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey offers. If you don’t live in New Jersey, check in with the National Recreation and Parks Association and see what’s happening in your neighborhood.

Little Explorers up for Outdoor Summer Programs with Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey!
By Lindsay McNamara

Memorial Day Weekend has come and gone, marking the unofficial start of summer! Time for family vacations to the beach, pool days, ice pops and fireworks. After a wicked winter and cool May, we all deserve some summer fun.

Looking for outdoor opportunities for your young environmentalists to explore and learn about the world around them? Look no further than Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s summer programs! Conserve Wildlife Foundation (CWF) is the only statewide, non-profit organization focused solely on threatened, endangered and imperiled species of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates. We carry out our mission by researching and managing rare animal species, restoring habitat, educating New Jersey’s residents, and engaging volunteers in our conservation projects. Since the early 1990’s, CWF scientists and educators have helped conserve and protect a variety of at-risk species of wildlife in New Jersey, the most densely populated state in the nation.

We are thrilled to offer three different opportunities for your child across the Garden State.

Live in Central Jersey? CWF is partnering with Duke Farms to bring the new ‘Wildlife Explorer Summer Program.’ The program is a fun and exciting learning experience for children entering 3rd to 6th grade, ages 8-11 to connect with and explore the outdoors.

The week-long program will run Monday, July 25 through Friday, July 29, 2016 at Duke Farms, located in Hillsborough, Somerset County, New Jersey. Activities will run from 9 AM – 3 PM daily. “Wildlife Explorers” will experience close-up encounters with wildlife like birds, bats and turtles, get muddy exploring Duke Farms’ ponds and streams, create nature-based art with famous artist James Fiorentino, and participate in daily talks with real-life scientists!

The Program is $350/per week/per child, cost includes reusable water bottle and t-shirt. For more information and to download your application visit the CWF website.

Monmouth County Mama or Papa? CWF and Leonardo State Marina are taking applications for the new ‘Bayshore Adventure Program’, an outdoor learning experience for children entering 3rd to 6th grade, ages 8-11. The week-long program will run for two weeks this summer, Monday, July 11-Friday, July 15 and Monday, August 1-Friday, August 5. The Bayshore Adventure Program will connect children to and foster exploration of their marine environment. Program leaders from Leonardo State Marina and Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s educators will facilitate hands-on activities that foster exploration and discovery.

The Bayshore Adventure Program costs $125/per week/per child. Activities include crabbing at the marina, arts & crafts, birdwatching for kids, seining on the beach to discover the fish, crabs and other marine wildlife live in the bay, and Friday Fun Day: tug of war, sandcastle building contest, making solar s’mores and more.
For more information and to download your application visit the CWF website.

South Jersey Parents: CWF is proud to offer the new ‘Beach. Birds. Biology.’ summer program, a wildlife-biologist-for-a-day experience for children entering 4th to 6th grade, ages 9-11. The one-day sessions will run on Wednesdays for five weeks this summer. The multi-location camps will take place July 6th & July 20th at Cape May Point State Park, July 13th & July 27th at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, and August 3rd at Belmar’s Shark River Inlet. The Beach. Birds. Biology. summer program offers a unique opportunity for kids to experience wildlife from the biologist’s perspective. Our expert biologists will be leading campers in exploring coastal ecology and connecting them with the natural world. Children will have the opportunity to be up-close and personal with beach nesting birds and learn about their unique coastal habitat. This wildlife adventure will facilitate hands-on activities that will allow children to achieve Junior Biologist status!

The Beach. Birds. Biology Wildlife Adventure Program costs $50/per session/per child. Activities include beach scavenger hunts, wrack line investigations, bird identification, nest searching game, arts & crafts, and more!

Lindsay McNamara is the Communications Manager at Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey

For more information and to download your application visit the Conserve Wildlife Foundation website.