Day Camp

Summer Day Camp actively engages children with the outdoors, captivating their interest and inspiring them to partner with the natural world. ACNC achieves this by providing campers with time for free play, indirect educational opportunities, interactive lessons, and discovery-based activities.
Summer Day Camp BrochureRegister Now

Audubon Community Nature Center’s Day Camps are run by a mix of seasoned nature educators, interns and trained assistants. All of the educators have over 10 years of experience working with children in informal education settings. Interns have some experience working with children and teach for a month at ACNC before they teach day camp. Middle and High School assistants go through a training course to learn expectations and more about leading small groups of children.

Audubon camps have one basic rule: Be Kind. Be kind to nature. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others and their things. ACNC believes that all children benefit from having great experiences outdoors, learning more about the natural world and more about themselves.

*Family Memberships ($60) and higher receive discounted rates. Click here to learn about need-based and merit-based camp scholarships.

Summer Camp

Day Camp is designed for children in pre-K through grade 9 to get out and explore the natural world. Structured and unstructured activities and play create a well-rounded, free-choice experience for all children. Camps run four days per week for eight weeks during the summer. Different age breakdowns occur on different weeks.

ACNC offers early drop-off and later pick-up for campers. These are offered every week of camp and are titled Pre-Camp and Post-Camp for each week. This extends the camp day with activities and adventures for campers and gives adults more flexibility in their schedule. Prices and times are listed on the registration page.

Camperships and Scholarships

Camperships and Scholarships: Coming to camp can be a life-changing experience. ACNC wants all children to have that opportunity and recognizes that there are sometimes barriers that prevent families from sending their children to camp. ACNC offers both the Gerald Augusto Campership to families experiencing barriers and the Stephanie Frucella Memorial Scholarship to students demonstrating the desire to give back to their communities through volunteering. It is the goal of ACNC to give every child who wants to attend camp the chance to do so.

Counselor-in-Training / Junior Counselor

ACNC uses assistants in most camp sessions. Counselors-in-Training (CITs) and Junior Counselors (JCs) are teenagers wanting to gain experience working with children, volunteer with community organizations, or increase their level of responsibility. ACNC holds a training session for all CITs and new JCs. Interested teens should fill out an online application. CITs are 13 – 15 and must attend a training. JCs are 16+ who either have been a CIT or JC previously, or must attend the training week. Trainings are three hours and are held on certain Mondays or Saturdays, and must be completed before the first week of camp with which they are assisting. ACNC also requires a week of observation before their assigned week for all new CITs and JCs. Audubon encourages experienced CITs and JCs to attend for a refresher and to learn about changes. 

Contact the Camp Director, Sarah Hatfield, at shatfield@auduboncnc.org or (716) 569-2345 with questions.

Monthly Camps

Whether it is October or May, these are one-day programs that give campers a Day Camp experience. Designed for children in preschool through grade 7*, these camps are held during the regularly scheduled school holidays. Campers will explore the grounds in the season, play some favorite games, make crafts, and enjoy the season. If you’ve never been to camp before, these are great opportunities to see what it is all about. If Day Camp is a regular part of your summer then you can visit with old friends and have a reunion. Campers will break up into age groups for some activities and come together as a big group for others.

*Grades vary with staff availability

 

February Snow Camp

Snow camp is similar to holiday camp, but takes place on President’s Day and/or during that week. Shake up the winter doldrums with this fun filled day of camp in the winter! Kids aged 4 and older are invited to come to Audubon for the day to play, learn and explore this time of year. Campers will certainly head outside, but also do some inside camp games and songs to remind them of summer. It is a great day to visit with old friends, make new friends, and spend time together.

Holiday Camp
It is a day of Day Camp, in the winter. Come and spend the day at Audubon doing camp things, but with a winter twist. Kids aged 4 and older are invited to come to the Nature Center for the day. So much happens at Day Camp in the summer, and it is so long between the seasons, that ACNC takes a winter day during the holiday break and invites all the campers and their friends back for a fun. Campers will certainly head outside, but also do some inside camp games and songs to remind them of summer. It is a great day to visit with old friends, make new friends, and spend time together.

Address

Audubon Community Nature Center
1600 Riverside Road
Jamestown, NY 14701

(716) 569-2345
info@auduboncnc.org

Click here for directions

Hours and Admission

Nature Center Hours:

Monday - Saturday
10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Sunday
1:00 - 4:30 p.m.

Building Admission:

Members - Free
Non-member Adult (ages 16+) - $6
Non-member Child (ages 3 - 15) - $2
Children ages 2 and under - Free
Maximum cost for a Family - $15
Free admission to the Nature Center for SNAP/EBT cardholders.
Free admission for all on Sundays

Grounds and Outdoor Exhibits:

Open daily, year round from dawn to dusk free of charge

Click here for holiday closings

Thank you, Community Partners

Audubon Community Partners make a significant financial contribution each year because they believe that every child deserves the opportunity to have a real and healthy connection to nature.

 Carnahan-Jackson Foundation
Chautauqua Region Community       Foundation
Curt and Susie Westrom
Holmberg Foundation
Hultquist Foundation                   
Jessie Smith Darrah Fund
Lenna Foundation
Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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