Camping and Botanical Exploration

Plants provide us with clues for understanding our natural surroundings, but identifying plants requires time and effort, particularly if they are difficult to recognize.

Explore camps facilitate science discovery through hands-on experiments, keeper talks and activities for grades 2-3. All camp weeks run Monday-Friday; Lauritzen Gardens hosts its Zoo and Botanic Garden Camps exclusively.

Senses in Nature

Exploring nature requires using all five senses – see, hear, smell, touch and taste everything you encounter – from visible features such as leaves or branches to tiny details like crackled leaves, snapping branches or pools of water or crunching snow underfoot. Pay particular attention to those small things that often go unnoticed such as crackling dried leaves, snapping branches or the crunch of snow underfoot that go unnoticed.

Three Mile Island has long been known for its remarkable plant biodiversity; the first AMC campers to visit in 1901 saw it first-hand. They collected samples of plants for future scientists to catalogue. This distinctive plant diversity remains one of its greatest assets today.

What if our natural senses could help us discover new species? In this week-long adventure, children will explore how animal and human senses work together to discover our world. By comparing their senses with those of rusty spotted cat from Super Cats miniseries, children will also gain an understanding of how humans and animals alike adapt their environments and use their senses for survival.

At this special combo camp, kids will get hands-on experience at the Aquarium, Botanic Garden and Tingley Beach. Their minds will be stimulated as they tackle aquatic conservation and eco-friendly challenges with ease!

Education staff from the Aquarium will lead this exciting week-long camp filled with fun and learning! Parents are welcome to stay and participate as drop-off camps offer both indoor learning experiences as well as outdoor field experiences for kindergarten through fifth graders entering kindergarten in fall 2023. Camps are limited to 12 participants each, include souvenirs for all activities as well as multiple projects to take home and enjoy!

Plants & Bugs

Early campers on Three Mile Island recorded plants they saw, documenting their growth over time. Today, this practice continues through a scientific study led by camp staff and volunteers as they take part in an ongoing project to collect, analyze, and report on Three Mile Island’s biodiversity – with astounding results!

Human activities – such as agricultural and forestry practices – have greatly altered the island’s plant community for centuries, creating species unique to both its region and globally. As a result, plants found on this island may be found nowhere else in existence.

Rare species have long inspired people from various walks of life to explore, document, and share their discoveries. Explorers in particular were motivated by rare species to travel far-flung locations in search of seeds and plants to introduce into American agriculture in the late-1800s and early-1900s; one such explorer was David Fairchild who traveled around the globe searching for species resistant against pests, fungi, and environmental conditions threatening domesticated crops at that time.

One of the best methods of discovering new species is collecting and analyzing flowers, fruits, leaves, seeds, roots, bark, berries nuts mosses from plants to identify individual specimens and their characteristics. This data can then be compared to previous collections to find similar specimens and help scientists gain greater insight into nature.

At Camp, insects and birds that inhabit it can help with botanical exploration too. Their presence helps move pollen between different plants that help them flourish or eradicate pests that threaten them – all while serving as sources of sustenance for humans and other animal species.

Camping requires preparation. Be sure to pack plenty of insect repellent and other sanitary supplies, including scentless soap, water and antibacterial hand sanitizer in order to prevent disease or illness spreading among campers. Also take measures against ticks by wearing long sleeves and pants while hiking, avoiding tick-prone areas and keeping arms away from grass by keeping arms out from under the armpit and checking frequently for ticks.

Life Cycles & Ecosystems

Watching plants change over time is the first step toward discovering new species. At this camp, youth will explore the life cycles of various plant families such as annuals, perennials, evergreen trees, deciduous shrubs and flowering herbs – including annuals to perennials! With botanical dissections, plantings and experiments they will delve into this wonderful world of plant science!

People have always worked together to explore and learn more about nature. Botanists play an essential role in this cooperative process by collecting and cataloguing species found around us for further study and appreciation by others. Campers will gain an appreciation of botanists as key members of society that help uncover new species together.

From watersheds to hydroponic systems, our environment is full of living organisms and ecosystems that interact. At this camp, youth will explore this connection between plants and water via hands-on activities, habitat exploration and storytelling.

Campers will explore how plants thrive within different environments by discovering ways to protect and conserve our natural wonders. Campers will gain an appreciation of plants as an integral component of ecosystems as they learn how to take measures that promote environmental preservation and preservation.

Bookworm Camp

Camp can provide children with an ideal environment to try something brand new; whether that means discovering they love yoga, archery or something completely different altogether. Camp may also provide the ideal time and place to introduce a series of books they may never have encountered before!

Reading can be an excellent way to help children develop knowledge about animals, plants and ecosystems – the more children read the more they’ll comprehend these elements of nature! Here are a few books we recommend for young readers this summer!

Bookworm Camp from Old Town Book is an exciting summer reading program designed to encourage reading all summer long! Register a bundle online or in store, then start tracking how much time your children read every day; they can earn prizes based on reaching reading milestones – this offer runs until August 31.

Pollinators are essential to our gardens, yet many of us know very little about them. At this week-long camp, campers will gain an in-depth knowledge of pollination as well as ways to protect native species!

Plants and Patterns Join us this summer camp as we discover nature’s geometric designs through exploration. Campers will engage with nature’s geometry as they add their creative touch to multi-media art projects!

JUNE 12-16 – SOLD OUT

When Bea arrives at summer camp for the first time, she’s both nervous and excited at once! As time progresses and she meets more campers, her nerves begin to ease as her confidence improves and friendships bloom. The author does an outstanding job at creating an authentic depiction of summer camp anxiety while adding plenty of excitement and adventure throughout.

Experience nature’s lifecycle at Lauritzen Gardens and Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium during this fun summer camp week! Through exhibit exploration, games, crafts, activities and nature walks, campers will gain insight into how living things grow and change over time.https://www.youtube.com/embed/vvF06Ubc80M