Littles: Entering K - 2nd Grade

● Amazing Animal Adaptations

○ Why do animals have wings, scales, tails and claws? We’ll explore different adaptations and uncover nature’s coolest survival strategies—and even try a few of our own! Can you adapt?

● Dinotastic

○ Stomp, chomp, and roar into the prehistoric past! Did you know MT is notorious for Dinosaurs! Learn more about these prehistoric creatures, dig for bones, and get to know modern dinosaurs- birds!

● Tiny Scientists

○ Curious minds will mix, fizz, bubble! Put on your lab goggles and safety gloves for a week of experiments. Learn how fire burns, how water fills our ponds, and more. Ask questions and get EXPLOSIVE answers as tiny scientists!

● Bug Out!

○ Have you ever wondered how a bug sees the world? Explore the Center through the eyes of a bug. Roll over logs, scoop in the pond, and use bug nets to learn about the lives of these mini-beasts up close and in person (they are so cute!)

● Feathered Friends

○ Birds of a feather flock together! Join our flock as we discover local birds through sight, sound, and games. Use binoculars, make a bird feeder, and have a quacking good time!

● NEW! Treasure Island

○ Ahoy Mateys! Grab your map and set sail for a week of pirate adventures! Campers will use compasses to hunt for hidden treasures, solve scavenger hunt clues, paddle canoes, and make their own pirate tools! Every day brings new discoveries, outdoor challenges, and plenty of splash-filled fun. Get ready to uncover nature’s secrets—X marks the spot!

● Rivers and Rocks **Holiday Week**

○ The Yellowstone River rocks! Learn all about the river itself, how it affects the land around it, and learn to become a rockhound! Get ready to splash, sift, and uncover the stories written in every ripple

● Big Backyard **Holiday Week**

○ From grasslands to forests to ponds, play and explore all over the Center’s 54 acres and surrounding areas. Get off trail, build forts, and canoe your way through these different “backyards.”

● NEW! Forces of Nature

○ Experience the raw power of Montana’s landscapes! Campers will explore rushing rivers, towering mountains, and open skies while learning how wind, fire, water, and earth shape the Big Sky State. Uncover how Montana’s forces of nature create its breathtaking scenery and wildlife habitats!

● Creepy Creatures

○ From wolves to bats and snakes to bugs, learn all about the animals that people consider creepy. Conquer your fears in learning that these animals, just like everything else, have a place in our ecosystem. Perhaps they aren’t as scary as you might think!

● Sense-sational Senses

○ See, hear, sniff, touch, and taste your way through the wonders of nature! Can you name your five major senses? Learn all about the senses, how to use them when in nature, and the animals that excel in using them!

● Pondemonium

○ Prepare to get wet and wild as we learn about the creatures that live in wetlands, from tiny tadpoles to snapping turtles. Collect and identify insects, fish, and more during this week of water-based wonderings. Fishing is a must!

● “Bee” a Pollinator

○ Buzz into the world of pollinators! Birds, bugs, and bats are all pollinators. Learn how important pollination is to our everyday lives while playing games, finding these cool critters, and taking home your own plant to be pollinated! This week is sure to bee great!

● Tales and Trails

○ Where stories step off the page and into the great outdoors! Books are great places to find adventures, and nature is too! Each day will include a nature book storytime and a chance to have adventures of your own. Every trail leads to a new chapter of fun!

● Little Explorers

○ Trail walks, bug hunts, and hands-on nature discoveries! Young adventurers explore forests, uncover hidden wonders, and let their curiosity lead the way. Every day brings fresh air, new friends, and outdoor fun!

● Grow with the Flow

○ From tiny seeds, whacky weeds, and the biggest trees, campers will grow in their knowledge of plants this week. Get ready for green thumbs and garden adventures!

● Fabulous Forest Friends

○ Insects, birds, and mammals all call the forest home. Run through the trees looking for signs of these forest friends…but make sure to keep your eyes open for the Bigfoots that also live here!

● Bogs, Frogs, and Polliwogs

○ Some animals are plenty happy in slimy, wet, and muddy places. Get to know and search for your friendly neighborhood amphibians!

Middles: Entering 3rd - 5th Grade

● Summer Favorites

○ Canoeing, capture the flag, fort building and s’more! This week is for all the activities that make summer camp great. Every day is filled with the fun, friends, and excitement that make summer the best season of all. What’s your favorite summer camp activity?

● NEW! Nature Anatomy

○ Get ready to explore the living world from the inside out! Curious minds dive into the fascinating structures of animals and plants to discover how they grow, move, breathe, and survive. What’s going on inside?

● Outdoor “Ologies”

○ Become a nature expert, one “ology” at a time! “Ology” means “the study of” and there are plenty of ologies out there: biology (life), ornithology (birds), geology (earth), entomology (insects) and more! Learn about a different outdoor topic each day as you become a well-rounded outdoor-ologist.

● Fishing and Fort Building

○ Hook, paddle, and build your way through outdoor adventures! Campers will craft their own fishing poles, cast lines in nearby ponds, and explore the woods while constructing forts and shelters. Learn essential outdoor skills like fire-building, knot-tying, and canoeing—all while having fun in nature and making memories along the way. Camp ends Friday at noon.

● Nature Engineering

○ Engineers solve problems and there is no better engineer than nature. Take inspiration from animals and plants to design and create your own fort, kite and raft (will yours float?)

● Corps of “Adventure” DAY (Optional Pompeys Pillar Field Trip)

○ Step into the boots of history’s greatest explorers! Campers will follow in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark, learning about their journey, the people they met, and the challenges they faced. We’ll spend the week living like those early adventurers and discover what it took to explore the uncharted lands of the American frontier along the way. Camp ends Friday at noon. *Friday drop-off and pick-up (noon) at Pompeys Pillar.*

● Field Day **Holiday Week**

○ Capture the flag, canoe games, and relay races abound during this week of camp. Join us for a week of fun, games, and great times!

● NEW! Nature Legends and Fables **Holiday Week**

○ A magical camp where stories meet the natural world. Inspired by the fables of Aesop, Native American stories and classics such as The Lorax, campers explore how traditional stories shape the way we care for our world today.

● NEW! The Grid: Board & Byte

○ Get off the grid and into nature! Board and Byte brings popular board games and videogames to life — without screens or plug-ins! Based on favorites like Minecraft, Pokemon, Cascadia, Wingspan and more! Game on. Get outside. Play together.

● Wild Montana

○ This week is about to get wild! Join us in learning what the outdoors of Montana has to offer. Make your own fishing pole, hike around the Center, and learn how to stay safe on the trail on this wild adventure!

● Mad Scientist

○ MUH-HA-HA-HA-HA!! Laugh like a mad scientist as we do exciting experiments. Put on goggles as we erupt volcanoes, make flubber, and smash rocks. Discover the chemistry of nature and the physics of play as a mad scientist! ** Supplemental STEM programming from Wise Wonders Science and Discovery Museum**

● Nature Detectives

○ Put on your detective hat and lab goggles to uncover the secrets of the wild! Campers will investigate animal tracks, identify birds by their calls, examine signs in the forest, and dive into hands-on chemistry experiments to solve even more mysteries. Every trail, pond, and tree holds clues—and a little science magic—helping you become a top-notch nature detective! ** Supplemental STEM programming from Wise Wonders Science and Discovery Museum**

● Discovery Girls DAY

○ Join a girls-only group for an unforgettable week of exploring the world around you! Learn outdoor skills like building fires, hiking scenic trails, fishing, and geocaching. Discover hidden treasures in nature and try new adventures each day. Make friends, build confidence, and connect with the outdoors in a fun and supportive environment. Get out there and be a nature girl! Camp ends Friday at noon.

● Rock on!

○ We will get hands on with real fossils and minerals as we delve into the basics of geology. Learn to classify and identify types of rocks, learn how rocks shape our planet and explore cool, geological landmarks around Billings.

● Challenge Accepted

○ Be challenged mentally and physically with obstacles, puzzles, games and more. Work with other campers to beat each challenge and unlock harder ones. Complete challenge week and live to tell the tale! ** Supplemental STEM programming from Wise Wonders Science and Discovery Museum**

● Made in Nature DAY

○ Unleash your imagination in the great outdoors! Campers will craft and create using natural materials all around them—from edible plants to sticks, stones, and leaves. Learn art techniques for both indoor and outdoor projects, make your own nature-inspired creations, and take home some of your handmade treasures. A week full of creativity and exploration awaits! Friday pick up at noon.

● Zoology

○ Who doesn’t love animals? Spend a week as a zoologist in training. Learn more about, and see, all kinds of critters from insects to tigers. Identify tracks, scat, and skulls to become a pro!** Animal Encounter provided by Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary**

● Water Warriors

○ Face the trials of becoming a water warrior by canoeing, catching water organisms, and participating in water-based games and activities. Think you’re up to the challenge?

Olders: Entering 6th - 9th Grade

● Destination Restoration

○ Did you know that the Montana Audubon Center grounds were once just a pile of gravel? That all of the plants you see now were planned out and planted by hand? Learn about the positive impact people can have on a natural habitat and participate in the process in a stewardship project you help design!

● NEW! Survivor

○ Adventurers will test teamwork, strategy, and outdoor skills in challenges inspired by the game Survivor. From obstacle courses and problem-solving missions to wilderness skills and campfire competitions, every day brings a new quest. Build alliances, earn rewards, and prove you have what it takes to survive and thrive in the wild!

● Field Science

○ Have you ever wondered what a biologist does in the field? This camp is your chance to become a scientist in training! From catching bees to looking for birds, learn from our Teacher Naturalists to kickstart your scientific career!

● Water Olympics

○ A water-filled week where we will have fun and stay cool in the summer sun. We will explore all water habitats while we learn about the importance of freshwater and our native aquatic critters. We will end the week with Wacky Water Olympics!