Age-appropriate activities are arranged for our Junior Naturalist Camp. The program offers youth an opportunity to explore Newfoundland's natural history through nature hikes, exploration, activities, games, crafts, and adventures.

A respect for nature and all its “critters” is emphasized. The camps are suitable for youth who enjoy exploring nature and being outside (regardless of the weather) and who can focus quietly on an activity or craft for a period of time.

While all camps follow similar themes (composting, wetlands, etc.), there is seasonal variety from week to week.

All programs have been developed at MUN Botanical Garden to present a number of themes in a fun, interactive way, utilizing nature trails, flower gardens, Oxen Pond, outdoor classrooms, and an outdoor playfield & forest.

Mornings have a structured schedule, but the afternoons are left for supervised imaginative play and free time. Our camp counsellors lead games and activities as there is interest, so if your child is eager to play something make sure they let our counsellors know!

 

French/English Bilingual programming in 2023

Thanks to some partial funding from the Canadian Government, at least one of our camp counsellors will be bilingual. After successfully offering bilingual camps in 2021 & 2022, we’ve kept the concept but have opened it up so participants aren't restricted by certain weeks, or by the groups they are in.  Our Bilingual Counsellor will be around all summer, and will encourage conversations in French from children who have been identified from their registration form.

We encourage those to identify who already know some French: Children who will complete maternelle - 6e année in a French Immersion class, or a French first language school, as of June, 2023.

If you want your child to pratiquer son français, at the same time as they learn about nature and play outside, then this is the camp for them.

Topics covered will be the same as those in English, and groups will be blended.

 

Our Nature Explorers Program is Back again for 2023!

Offered during weeks: 4 (July 17-21), 7 (Aug 7-11), 9 (Aug 21-25).

This camp is exclusively for youth who will complete Grade 4 – Grade 6, as of June, 2023.  Is this program suitable for your child?

• Do they like hiking?
  We spend a day hiking to the Fluvarium and back! As well as visiting all of our own trails.
• Do they like spending time in nature and learning about cool bugs, plants, and other forest organisms?
  Man-eating plants? A wasp mimicking fly? A mushroom eaten by the Vikings before battle? We’ve got it all, and more!
• Do they like being challenged to help respect the environment?
  Battle in our composting challenge, build a pop-bottle terrarium, learn about the smart way to feed wildlife.
• Are they a citizen scientist?
  If not we will show them how to start! The iNaturalist app is a great resource we love.
• Do they love participating in a campfire?
  Safety is our number one priority. We go over all of the details on how to set up a safe fire, then celebrate our accomplishment by roasting and eating marshmallows!
• Do they love scavenger hunts?
  Campers will learn about Geocaching and will attempt to find caches hidden around the Garden as far back as 2017! They'll also hide some of their own.

*The topics for all camps are subject to change.

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This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada.