Registration

Our 2023 summer camps have ended. Registration for the Junior Naturalist Summer Camp 2024 sessions will open February 1st at 8:00 a.m.. Scholarship applications will open in December 2023. Sign up for our newsletter to get a notification about this and other programs. 

Newsletter

Junior Naturalist Summer Camp

Looking for a fun-filled, adventurous summer outside? Join the Lussier Family Heritage Center’s Junior Naturalist Summer Camp in the heart of the Capital Springs Recreation Area. 

Youth cohorts, between ages 6 - 14, will practice being a naturalist, outdoor recreation, and discovering the world around them. By using exploration tools and curiosity we will learn more about our natural areas. Through biking, hiking, and canoeing, we will look high and low in water, prairies, and woodlands to gain a deeper understanding of the surrounding environment.

Junior Naturalist Benefits:

  • Explore your natural areas
  • Participate in recreation activities
  • Increase outdoor physical activity
  • Develop a sense of community with fellow campers
  • Learn about the environment through active experience
  • Build plant and wildlife ID skills
  • Explore outside in new ways!

Camp Details

Junior Naturalist activities will take place in William G. Lunney Lake Farm County Park and surrounding Dane County Parks areas. Each camp will be one week long with a designated theme. Campers will be participating in a range of activities including scientific exploration, biking, plant and animal ID, canoeing, and more! This summer we are offering multiple summer camp sessions for ages 6 – 14. These sessions are happening concurrently so if you have children that fall into two different age groups, you can register them both for the same session so that you can drop them off and pick them up at the same time. There will be a maximum capacity of 12 campers in each camp group.

Drop-off and pick up will be at the Lussier Family Heritage Center (3101 Lake Farm Road, Madison) at the following times:

  • Drop-off: 8:15 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
  • Pick-up: 3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Cost: Pricing for camp starts at $300 a week. View the camp brochure to see pricing for each specific camp. Price reflected in brochure includes all field trip fees.

Dates:

  • Week 1: June 10-14
  • Week 2: June 17 - 21
  • Week 3: June 24-28
  • Week 4: July 8-12
  • Week 5: July 15 - 19
  • Week 6: July22 - 26
  • Week 7: July 29 - August 2
  • Week 8: August 5 - 9
  • Week 9: August 12 - 16
  • Week 10: August 19 - 23

Additional Information:

  • Please be sure your child is dressed for the weather since we will be outside for the whole program. We will move indoors for serious weather events. 
  • More details on how to prepare for camp will be emailed in the family handbook prior to the start of camp.
  • Please read camp descriptions carefully to ensure your child will enjoy and is physical able to participate (for example, if the camp session includes biking, it will be expected that your child knows how to bike).

 

FAQ

  • If you cancel your registration and notify us via email more than four weeks prior to the start of camp, you can receive a refund with a 10% reduction for administrative costs or transfer your registration payment to a donation for environmental education.
  • If you cancel your registration and notify us via email between 2 and 4 weeks prior to the start of your camp, you receive a 50% refund or transfer your registration payment to a donation for environmental education.
  • If you cancel your registration and notify us less than 2 weeks prior to the start of your camp, no refund will be granted. Your registration payment will automatically transfer to a donation for environmental education.

All cancellations must be made via email to heritagecenter@countyofdane.com.

Transfer/ Change Request

  • Transfer requests must be received at least 14 business days prior to the session start date, except for medical reasons (these will be handled on a case by case basis).
  • Requested summer camp session transfers must have open availability. If the session requested does not have availability and a participant still chooses to withdraw, the request is subject to the cancellation policy.
  • An approved transfer will incur a $10 change fee.
  • Transfers requests received less than 14 days of the program will be treated as a new registration.

Cancellations by Dane County Parks

  • Dane County Parks may cancel programs due to severe weather, facility conflicts, staff illness or other unforeseen circumstances.
  • In the event Dane County Parks cancel a class / course, full refunds will be issued, for the amount of cancelled program time. 

We are offering financial assistance to Dane County residents with financial limitations that may prevent them from registering their child and/or dependent for a summer camp session. When registering, please fill out the requested information on tuition assistance. A brief explanation of why you are requesting financial assistance will need to be provided. Financial assistance will have a maximum allowance of one fee reduction/scholarship per year for each individual camper.