In this 5-day outdoor day camp, students will engage in the experience of being outside and connecting with nature, with each other, and with ancient human living skills. While wandering through the Filoli Gardens, students will learn about the native edible and medicinal plants of the region, learn to identify various animals and their tracks and sign, discover how to identify bird species by sight and by song, engage in mapping and compass work, play games that deepen sensory awareness, sing songs and hear stories, and participate in learning various ancient living and survival skills. Each day will feature a new skill or activity, while building on the core routines that form the foundation of nature learning.

Prepare to prance, pronk, sneak, slither, crawl, and dance your way through nature!

Safety Alert: In this summer camp we teach students how to use carving knives (Moraknives brand) and other tools to work on projects. The Riekes Center has a Knife Safety Certification that will be taught on the first day of camp to ensure that knife use is as safe as possible. This being said, injuries can happen. All Riekes instructors are equipped with first aid kits and are CPR/First Aid certified. Our safety protocols indicate that should a student cut themselves at camp, instructors are to contact parents IF the cut needs greater treatment than can be provided by a bandaid.