Summer always goes by too quickly, and this summer has been especially packed with challenges and excitement! I am writing this article after just sending home our last group of campers for the summer – Miss Maddy and I breathed an exhausted sigh of relief! 😊

This year we sold out every camp for ages 4 – 12 and had a blast with campers! Our first camps in June were focused on art in nature and allowed campers to explore their creativity in connection to the natural world. We made clay prints, did watercolor paintings (using water from Bear Creek!), crafted nature sun catchers, and more! The July camps were focused on water exploration and were the perfect way to stay cool during the warm summer weeks. Campers found aquatic macroinvertebrates, used binoculars to identify the waterfowl around the lake, and played plenty of water-themed games! We often sent home soggy kiddos at the end of a fun-filled day focused on appreciating our Bear Creek water. It was truly a blast and we are already looking forward to next summer.

As camps have wrapped up, we are now looking forward to the opening day of the new Nature Center! Our incredible volunteers have spent the summer moving items, tearing down walls, ripping up the carpet, sanding floors, setting up exhibits, and so much more (See below). There is still work to do, but the end is in sight! I continue to grow more and more excited about the opportunities we have in this space, and cannot wait to share them with you all. Please continue helping us to spread the word about the new location and all the incredible programming we have in store! We hope to see you at the new Evergreen Nature Center soon!