Registration

Registration for the Junior Naturalist Summer Camp 2023 sessions will open April 1st at 8:00 a.m. To prepare for registration create an online account.

Camp Registration

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, ages 9 – 11 or 12 – 14, will practice being a naturalist 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
  • 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!

This program is made possible with support from the American Family Dreams Foundation and the Foundation for Dane County Parks. We are grateful for their support of our program!

Camp Brochure

 

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 youth ages 9 – 11 and 12 – 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 session age 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: 8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
  • Pick-up: 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Cost: $300 per 5-day session per child. Weekly field trip fees will be in addition to each week's session fee. These will range from $5-20/session depending on the field trip activity planned for that week (i.e. challenge course, climbing wall, etc.).

Please be sure your child is dressed for the weather since we will be outside for the whole program. We will move indoors for more serious weather events. 

Camp Sessions & Themes

Each of our camps will have a special theme and be slightly unique. Children that participate in more than one session will get a unique experience and activities with each session.

All sessions will include environmental education and recreation components. Some sessions will more focused on recreation and some will be more focused on environmental education. The sessions marked with a (*) below are recreation focused.

  • Youth in the 9-11 year old recreation focused sessions should be comfortable biking at least 2 miles a day.
  • Youth in the 12-14 year old recreation focused sessions should be comfortable biking at least 6 miles a day for two of the camp days.
Junior Naturalists Ages 9 - 11

Session 1: Walk on the Wild Side* July 10 - July 14

Session 2: Over and Under July 17 - July 21

Session 3: Exploration Excursion* July 24 - July 28

Session 4: Spectacular Senses July 31 - August 4

Session 5: Water Wonders* August 7 - August 11

Session 6: Tracks and Traces August 14 - August 18

Junior Naturalists Ages 12 - 14

Session 1: July 10 - July 14 (UNAVAILABLE)

Session 2: July 17 - July 21 (UNAVAILABLE)

Session 3: Mission Adventure!* July 24 - July 28

Session 4: Sherlock Biomes July 31 - August 4

Session 5: Super Scientists August 7 - August 11

Session 6: Into the Wild* August 14 - August 18

Session 1: Walk on the Wild Side 
Take a Walk on the Wild Side! Bike over our lakes, through the savanna, canoe under bridges and tromp through the mud. Join us for a week of exploring while going on a wild adventure in our parks!

Session 2: Over and Under 
From up in the clouds to roots underground, we will learn about the things that live over and under in our parks. Come along as we investigate what lives in these spaces and how they differ from one another.

Session 3: Exploration Excursion 
As we adventure off the beaten path, we will learn to explore and work as a team. We will hop on our bikes, grab our fishing poles and peddle down to the lake. This week will be full of exciting excursions!

Session 4: Spectacular Senses 
We will be using our five senses to explore all things outdoors. Finding the slippery, slimy, rough, and soft throughout our journeys. Through different habitats, we will let our senses take us on new adventures!

Session 5: Water Wonders 
Come and explore all things water during this week of camp! Using our naturalist skills, we will dive deep into our waterways learning about the creatures who live there. We will jump, splash and canoe in our streams and lakes as we find out what makes them flow.

Session 6: Tracks and Traces 
How do we investigate the outdoors to discover who else has been here? All of the Tracks and Traces of course! Together we will learn about evidence animals leave behind and how to identify it through hands-on exploration.

Symbol Key
All sessions will include environmental education and recreation components. Some sessions will more focused on recreation and some will be more focused on environmental education. Use the icons below to quickly see the focus of each session.

= recreation focus
= environmental education focus

Sessions 1 and 2 in this age group are reserved for our partnership with Centro Hispano. If you have a child in both age groups and want them to attend the same week, choose sessions 3-6.

Session 3: Mission Adventure! 
What is our mission? Adventure! During this week of summer camp we will be doing all things adventure! Adventure in boats? Yes! Adventure on bikes? Yes! What else do you think we can adventure on?

Session 4: Sherlock Biomes 
Let us use our observational skills to analyze and learn what others may have missed about what happens in our ecosystems. This session we will explore water health, prairie growth, and what makes our habitats successful.

Session 5: Super Scientists 
Learn and apply your naturalist’s skills to conduct hands-on science experiments. We will develop hypotheses and examine water quality, soil acidity, and have special guests answer questions about our investigations. We will put your super scientist skills to the test this session!

Session 6: Into the Wild 
Let’s explore all things wild during our last week of camp. We will bike through unfamiliar areas, canoe in our wild waters, and hike through our native prairies. We will even participate in an epic trip to explore three different Dane County Parks in one day!

Symbol Key
All sessions will include environmental education and recreation components. Some sessions will more focused on recreation and some will be more focused on environmental education. Use the icons below to quickly see the focus of each session.

= recreation focus
= environmental education focus

 

FAQ

Cancellation Request

  • If you choose to cancel your registration, and notify us via email MORE THAN FOUR WEEKS prior to the start of camp, you can choose to receive a refund (less a $25 administrative fee) or transfer your registration fee to a donation for the education programs at the Lussier Family Heritage Center. 
  • If you choose to cancel your registration, and notify us via email BETWEEN TWO AND FOUR WEEKS prior to the start of camp, you can choose to receive a 50% refund, or transfer your registration fee to a donation for the education programs at the Lussier Family Heritage Center.
  • If you choose to cancel your registration, and notify us LESS THAN TWO WEEKS prior to the start of your camp, no credits or refunds will be given. Your registration fee will automatically be transferred to a donation.

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.