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Watershed Nature Camp

2024 Watershed Nature Camp

Welcome to the Watershed Nature Camp. Your child will experience nature every day and return home brimming with excitement. On a typical summer day, our campers venture into the woods to explore under logs, out into the meadow to catch butterflies, or down to the stream to explore watery worlds. Led by our amazing staff, our campers enjoy fresh air, make new friends, and receive a healthy dose of adventure. While our offerings vary in each camp week, our underlying values are threaded through each day.

Values

At the Watershed Nature Camp, we believe that every child deserves a chance to experience a summer exploring the outdoors with their peers. In everything we do, we uphold and instill these values: We respect the land, the plants, the animals, the people, and ourselves.

The Watershed Center and Reserve

Campers will spend most of their time exploring our 950-acre Watershed Reserve of fields, forests, trails, ponds, and streams. They will also have access to the exhibits and animal ambassadors inside the nature center. The Watershed Institute is a non-profit dedicated to keeping Central New Jersey’s water clean, safe, and healthy. We’re excited that after five years Wargo Pond will be part of the camp experience again. Campers will examine the wildlife in and on the pond, and practice age-appropriate paddling skills.

 

Camp Registration for 2024 is Open!

Registration process:

    1. Click here to register or check availability in CampDoc.
    2. Create a new profile or login to an existing one in CampDoc. 
    3. A 50% deposit is due upon registration, full payment is due by April 10, 2024. 
    4. No refunds will be given after April 10, 2024. 
    5. All cancellations will be charged a $35 processing fee. 
    6. *Campers are limited to register for a maximum of four weeks. 

Financial Aid

The Watershed Nature Camp is pleased to offer a limited number of full scholarships. 

Enter a separate application form for each child you wish to apply for a scholarship. Application forms will be posted here on February 6. Families who receive scholarships will be accepted and notified on a rolling basis. Scholarships are available for two or three weeks of camp. 

2024 Financial Aid application 

 

Counselor-In-Training Volunteers (CIT)

 

Watershed Nature Camp is seeking enthusiastic volunteers to work with all ages of nature campers. CITs will engage with campers during hikes and games and work as a team with staff counselors to fulfill the goals and values of Watershed Nature Camp. Volunteers must be age 15 by June 24, 2024, to apply. (Exceptions will be made for former campers who are rising 10th graders.) Questions can be sent to [email protected]. 

 

CIT Description 2024                         CIT Application 2024

 

Testimonials ...

We LOVE the Watershed Camp! This summer, she especially enjoyed going in the stream (interacting with the crayfish), visiting the butterfly house, and tie-dying. 

We appreciate how the kids become young explorers, learning to pack, prep, plan, and pace their journeys through the wilderness, building the skills they will use for a lifetime of nature enjoyment. 

 As a parent, I love the warm vibe and the care counselors take with their campers — they always know their names and what they like to do. 

 

 

 

More Testimonials ...

My daughter had a fantastic time – came home animated, yet tired, every day from all the fun. 

 …It’s the perfect blend of outdoor adventure and learning. 

 Wonderful people with great experiences in a beautiful setting! 

Watershed Academy for High School Students

For families with high school students, please explore the immersive, weeklong courses in environmental science in Watershed Academy.

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