Nature Center Offers Summer Camps

CAPE MAY – Always passionate, forever fun and invariably creative, the New Jersey Audubon’s (NJA) Nature Center of Cape May is your one stop for all things nature for kids of all ages. Our popular summer camps have been carefully designed and geared to specific age groups starting with pre-K up through teenagers.
Discovery Kids is a day (or weekly) camp for children entering pre-K through the sixth grade. It runs Monday through Friday from 9:30 until noon, beginning June 24 and ending August 16. Discovery Kids get outside where a trained naturalist helps them discover the natural world. Each week offers a new exploration from bugs & slugs to raptors and marine mammals to sharks. They are also introduced to life on the high seas, and in outer space without ever leaving Cape May. They learn about life here on our Cape May beaches and even experience the life of a pirate complete with the booty of the sea. Stop by the Center for a camp brochure with detailed descriptions. Cost per day is $20 for NJA members and $25 for nonmembers, or $100 for the week for NJA members and $125 for nonmembers.
Explore the Shore is for kids ages six and up and runs on Mondays, August 19 and 26 from 10:30 to noon. This end of summer program is for the aspiring marine biologist or anyone who want to get up-close and personal with fish, crabs, and other aquatic life. Help pull a 20’ seine net through the waters of Cape May Harbor and see what you catch and then head off to the lab to learn more about this wild and water world we live in. Explore the Shore is limited to 20 children so pre-register early. Cost is $6 for NJA members and $8 for nonmembers.
One of three Adventure Camps, Aqua Trails Kayak and Paddleboard Camp is for ages from 12 to 16. It runs from 9 a.m. until noon, Monday through Friday, July 8 through the 12, and August 12 through the 16, weather permitting. Experienced instructors introduce campers to the sports of sea kayaking and stand-up-paddle boarding (SUP) while covering topics including safety, basic paddling skills, the wet exit and self-aided rescues. Guides also lead tours of Cape May’s beautiful harbor and unique wetlands. Campers must be able to swim, but no experience is necessary and all equipment is provided. Bring plenty of water, lunch, sunscreen, water shoes, and towel and be prepared to get wet everyday. This camp is held at the Nature Center of Cape May and is limited to 8 campers so please preregister since it fills you quickly. Cost is $200 for each 5-day session for NJA members and $250 for nonmembers.
The Guy Hill Buckelew Memorial Youth Fishing Camp is for children third grade and up. It runs Monday through Friday, August 19 through the 23. Hours are generally 9 a.m. to noon except for one four-hour afternoon fishing trip and an optional field trip to visit the Mid-Atlantic $500,000 fishing tournament. Captain Norm’s three principles of Preparation, Practice and Patience will help campers in life as well as catch fish. A combination of classroom activities, skills practice and hands-on fishing will fill each half day session. The offshore fishing trip and visit to the world famous Mid-Atlantic $500,000 weigh-ins and event tent are included in the registration. Cost is $200 for the week for NJA members and $250 for nonmembers, which includes all equipment, T-shirt, bait, boat trip fees for campers, plus incidentals.
Marine Science/Ocean Glider Camp is our third adventure camp for children in grades 6th through 8th. Offered through a partnership with the Department of 4-H Youth Development, the Institute of Marine & Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University and the University of Delaware, this camp runs Monday, August 5 through Fri., Aug. 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This camp is for those young people with a passion for the ocean and who learn best through hands-on experiments and solving engineering challenges all in a quest to answer questions about the ocean. Learn how university scientists are using cutting edge technology such as marine robotics to collect data from previously unexplored regions of the deep ocean while using transmitters to track tagged sand tiger sharks. This is a hands-on opportunity where campers will build and test ocean sensors and robots, use hand held sensors to explore our local marine environment and collect scientific data. Campers will exhibit their work at a marine science showcase at the end of the week. Campers must bring lunch, sunscreen, and a water bottle everyday. Cost is $250 for NJA and 4H members, $300 for nonmembers.
Interested campers should contact the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, 4-H Youth Development Program, 4 Moore Road, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210, or call: 609-465-5115/email: capemay4h@njaes.rutgers.edu for more information.