Events And Programs
Awbury Adventures Summer Camp
Ages 5-17 | Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM; optional After-Camp from 3:30-6:00pm
Explore Awbury’s 56 acres of woods, pond, farm, field, and our AdventureWoods natural play area.
Hands-on experience with nature, free of phones and electronics! Learn wilderness skills and wildcrafting, forage for edible plants, whittle, build shelters, cook over a campfire, play wide games, get to know Awbury’s animals, make nature-based art, create imaginary worlds, experience magic and adventure – it all adds up to an exciting summer at Awbury Arboretum!
Registration is closed until February 2025
Members receive 5% off the full camp price and the opportunity to sign up for camp a week before registration opens to the public, so join at the Family Level now to lock in your savings for the summer.
Waitlist Information:
If the camp you are registering for is full and you do not qualify for financial aid, your child’s name will automatically be put on a waitlist for that camp. We will contact you as soon as a space becomes available. We will be releasing any unused scholarship slots to the waitlist on April 15. For any questions about waitlists, please email camp@awbury.org.
Our camp registration system is provided by Campwise. If you are new to Awbury, you will need to create a login with user ID and password, then enter your contact information and your child(ren)’s name and camp session preferences as directed on the site. If your child came to camp last year, you will log into the Parent Portal to register for this year.
Scholarships and Sliding Scale Fees
Available for campers who qualify. Click the button below to see the requirements and to apply for a reduced camp fee. A full scholarship will give you 75% off the full fee, and sliding scale fees run between 50-60% off. Even if the camp description on this page says “Sold Out,” we may still have reduced fee slots left. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the Camp Director at camp@awbury.org.
Summer camp scholarships are underwritten in part by a generous sponsorship from the Bird in Hand Consignment Shop.
Camps for ages 5-8
Forest Creatures
June 16-27 (no camp June 19)
Ages 5-8
Join the fun as we explore the Arboretum looking for native and not-so-native creatures! Through storytelling, games, and crafts we will let our imaginations lead us on daily adventures. During our travels we might spot fairies, search for dragon eggs, get to know some tree creatures, or find out what lives in our wetlands area.
$648 for 2 weeks
Myth & Magic
June 30-July 3 (no camp July 4)
Ages 5-8
Do you believe in magic? Explore the magical side of the arboretum with spells, mythical creatures, enchanted trees, and adventures! Do crafts and play in nature. Along the way, learn about myths and fairy tales from African, Asian, Native American, and European cultures.
$288 for 1 week
Junior Citizen Scientists
July 7-11
Ages 5 to 8
What is an animal habitat? What makes things rot? Why can soapy water make soap bubbles that float in the air? Find out about natural processes while exploring the Awbury landscape from pond to meadow to forest grove. Ages 5-8.
$360 for 1 week
Farm Friends
date TBD
Ages 5-8
An introduction to farms and farm animals for younger children. Learn how plants grow, plant your own seeds, learn about healthy dirt, interact with goats, chickens, bees, and worms, and make simple snacks from farm ingredients. And, of course, play in nature and get dirty!
$360 for 1 week
Nature Foragers
July 14-July 25
Ages 5-8
If you like to build, engineer, create, cook, and play, then this camp is for you! The natural world will be our creative inspiration for music, art, cooking, and crafts. Campers will forage for supplies and create things from nature. Some of our creations will be short-lived, some will be edible, and some will go home with the campers at the end of the week.
$720 for 2 weeks
Water World
July 28-Aug 8
Ages 5 to 8
Young campers explore the pond and watercourse and what lives there, play games with water squirters and sprinklers, make boats to sail on the pond, and learn about the importance of water in all life cycles on earth.
$360 for 1 week, $720 for 2 weeks
Fungi & Foraging
dates TBD
Ages 5 to 8
Where does fruit come from? What kind of plants are fungi? What is the difference between mushrooms and toadstools? We will explore the Arboretum looking for edible and nonedible fruits, plants, and fungus, while playing games, singing, and building our own little mushroom village. Prepare a yummy snack every day.
$360 for 1 week
Wildcrafters
August 11-15
Ages 5 to 8
What can you make from Nature? Use natural materials to create mandalas, collages, sculptures, paper, natural dyes, toys, and more. The natural world is your toolbox!
$360 for 1 week
Camps for ages 8-12
Camp Katniss
June 16-27 (no camp June 19)
or
June 30-July 11 (no camp July 4)
Ages 8 to 12
Based on the bestselling Hunger Games series, this camp teaches you to live by your wits: learn archery, fire building, foraging, shelter building, camouflaging and stealth techniques, knot tying, knife skills, water collection, campfire cooking and more! Session culminates with an all-day team competition to survive by using your wits and skills. Both of these sessions are identical, so choose one or the other.
$648 for 2 weeks
Farming & Fun
June 16-27 (no camp June 19)
Ages 8-12
Learn about farming, soil health, composting, nutrition, and cooking with fresh produce and herbs in this interactive camp featuring gardens, crops, goats, chickens, and bees. Plant vegetables, dry herbs for teas, make salves, learn about honey extraction, and make pickles. Camp includes cooking lessons by Chef Gail Hinson from our camp garden plot. Be ready to get dirty and to try new foods!
$648 for 2 weeks
Farm to Table
June 30-July 3 (no camp July 4)
Ages 8-13
Use farm fresh ingredients in making culinary creations, medicines, and farm-related products like soaps, salves, teas, and sachets. Cooking will be taught by chef Gail Hinson, with lessons on how to get the most out of fresh produce direct from a garden plot at The Farm at Awbury.
$288 for 1 week
Welcome to Wakanda
dates TBD
Ages 8-12
Enter the magical kingdom of Wakanda! Sharpen your problem-solving skills, learn about the different tribes of Wakanda and how they relate to actual tribes in Africa, draw your own superhero comics, make African-inspired artwork, search for vibranium, and have adventures!
$360 for 1 week
Ilvermorny Camp of Witchcraft & Wizardry
July 14-25
Ages 8-12
If you are a fan of that famous boy wizard with the scar, then come learn magic Spells, Potions, Herbology, Divination, Defense against the Dark Arts, Care of Magical Creatures, History of Magic, and Ancient Runes! Make magical treats, duel with wands, and investigate magical mysteries.
$720 for 2 weeks
Art and Nature
August 11-15
Ages 8 to 12
Using different media, take inspiration from nature as you draw, paint, collage, sculpt, and sketch images, people. animals, and landscapes. The session will culminate in an art exhibition open to all campers.
$360 for 1 week
Camps for ages 10 and up
Outdoor & Wilderness Leadership Skills (OWLS)
July 7-11
Ages 13 to 17
Training for CITs. Includes leadership, group and conflict management skills, campcraft training, writing résumés, learning the steps of the job application process, practice job interviews, and American Red Cross First Aid/CPR certification. Graduate will be eligible to apply for a CIT position in the summer of 2026.
$360 for 1 week
Young Urban Farmers
July 14-25
Ages 10-14
Learn what goes into running an urban farm, including regenerative agriculture, organic farming, composting techniques, biosequestration, and animal care. Plant vegetables and herbs, makes salves, teas, and gourmet meals from farm-fresh ingredients, and tend Awbury’s camp garden plot.
$720 for 2 weeks
Advanced Wilderness Survival
July 28-August 8
Ages 10 to 14
Learn advanced wilderness survival skills: building matchless fires, whittling your own utensils, emergency first aid, orienteering (finding your way with a compass), water filtration, hut building, advanced plant foraging, and much, much more! Session culminates in an optional overnight campout.
$740 for 2 weeks
Mystery at the Arboretum
August 12-16
Ages 10 to 14
Strange things are going on at the Arboretum! Someone has disappeared without a trace. Who or what is responsible? Campers observe, learn CSI techniques, follow clues, interview suspects, and solve the mystery by week’s end.
$360 for 1 week
Awbury Adventures 2024
[Our son] was so excited to go to camp each day. The magic you created around Katniss camp was truly amazing. He came home exhausted, dirty and so excited about nature, outside and adventures.
My son had a blast at camp. He really enjoyed his ability to be outside all day, explore the natural environment and have open-ended play time in which he could be a kid. He got filthy dirty every day, he climbed trees for hours, he played imaginatively and creatively and he got an experience not many “city kids” get in their day-to-day lives.
Our child did Mystery at the Arboretum, which was her favorite week of the whole summer. She loved imagining the premise, searching for clues, interviewing suspects, and doing fun games like lie detection. And she made some good friends!