Category: Summer Camp

Discover What’s New at Camp This Summer

Posted on by Thorne

We’re looking forward to a fantastic summer camp in 2025 with several exciting new additions!

  • Visits from Eco-Experts: To enhance our campers’ hands-on experiences and ignite a deeper curiosity and appreciation for the natural world, we’re introducing one visit per session from local eco-experts at all camp locations. These experts will share their knowledge and passion for nature through interactive programs and activities—some will even bring live animals for campers to meet. We’re thrilled to welcome eco-experts such as My Nature Lab, Jeff Kagan of Jeff and Paige, the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program, and more!
  • Expanded Longmont Camp Offerings: This year, we’re offering expanded programs in Longmont, including more camp sessions, with programs running from 5/27-8/1. We’re also now welcoming 6-year-olds and offering programs tailored for ages 6-11.
  • New Camp Meeting Locations: You may have noticed some exciting changes to our camp meeting locations this year! We opened our amazing new Lafayette Nature Center and are no longer leasing BVSD’s Sombrero Marsh Environmental Education Center, which will also be under construction in the summer of 2025. We look forward to running incredible camps out of our new headquarters. In addition, we’ve adjusted some of our meeting locations to be closer to rented buildings, providing easier access to indoor spaces in the event of extreme and smoky weather. When selecting meeting locations, we prioritize spaces that provide kids with access to the types of natural areas they love to explore, convenient pickup and drop-off spots for families, and safe shelter for extreme or smoky weather. All camp meeting locations include field trips on foot and by bus to Boulder County’s best open spaces like Chautauqua, Coal Creek, Roger’s Grove, Betasso Preserve, and more. Our creative environmental educators are always coming up with fresh, inspiring ways to connect kids with nature in every outdoor setting, from backyard to backcountry. 
  • More Jeff Kagan Visits: We’re also excited to welcome back Jeff Kagan from the musical duo Jeff & Paige. This summer ALL Eco-Explorers campers in Boulder and Lafayette during sessions 1-5 will have a visit from Jeff! He will join us as a special guest for one day in each session, bringing his high-energy songs and love for the environment to campers.

Don’t miss out on an unforgettable adventure with Thorne this summer! Registration opens 1/9/25 at 5:30 pm. Use the discount code EB2025 to get 5% off at checkout. Camps fill up fast, most within a week or two, so register early to get your first choice.

CLICK HERE to register now!

Thorne Launches New Longmont Summer Camp!

Posted on by Thorne

Join our outdoor day camps for kids who love nature- now in Longmont!

Thorne Nature Experience has been running award-winning outdoor summer camps in the Boulder area for over 60 years and this summer we’re bringing our popular camps to Longmont.

Our campers have a blast exploring Boulder County’s best open spaces, building forts, mastering survival skills, catching critters, creating nature art, and diving into hands-on learning about the great outdoors. We expect this to be a truly magical summer and are so excited to be working with the Longmont community. 

Longmont summer camps for children ages 7-11 meet at Roger’s Grove Park in June and July. CLICK HERE to learn more and register today.

SPRING SALE- $50 off Longmont summer camp with the discount code SPRING50. Act fast because spaces are limited, and this code expires on 4/5/24.

Update on 2023 Summer Camps for Ages 12-15

Posted on by Thorne

We are excited to announce our camp offerings for campers ages 12-15! 

This summer we will be offering Birds & Bird Banding for campers ages 12-15, as well as the Student Teaching Assistant Program for ages 13-15.

Birds & Bird Banding

Camp details:

  • Registration date will be announced before February 1, 2023. Sign up for our email list if you would like to receive updates on this camp.
  • Birds & Bird Banding will run Session 1 (May 30-June 9) and Session 2 (June 12-23) from 8:00 am-noon.
  • Meeting Location: This camp meets at various locations around Boulder County. Specific sites cannot be determined before migrating birds return, so the Thorne educator will send an email before camp finalizing most meeting sites.
  • Price: Session 1 (9 day session) $539; Session 2 (10 day session) $599

Join our last summer with Thorne’s Founder and Master Bird Bander, Dr. Oakleigh Thorne, II for a two-week Camp Experience focused on one of his greatest passions – birds! Under the guidance of our founder and an additional Thorne educator, campers will develop knowledge of Colorado birds and gain skills in bird banding research. The emphasis in week one is on watching birds, identifying birds, catching and handling live birds using a variety of techniques, and practicing banding birds. In week two, the emphasis is on gaining proficiency in bird banding by maximizing time spent handline birds and contributing to Oak’s long-term research project banding Cliff Swallows. Birds & Bird Banding is a prerequisite for joining Thorne’s new Bird Banding Apprenticeship Program, which is held during the school year.

This Camp Experience is best suited for rising 7th-11th graders who possess the maturity and patience to handle wild birds.

 

Student Teaching Assistant

Thorne Nature Experience is seeking enthusiastic, outdoorsy individuals who want to gain experience with a local, nonprofit organization. Volunteers will spend their day (8:15am-2:45pm) outdoors assisting an Instructor with a group of campers as they explore natural areas and parks. Campers hike around exploring natural areas learning about various topics including animals, art, camping, and more!  STA’s are between 13-15 years old and might work with campers ranging in age from 5-8 years old.  Volunteers can sign up for just one 2 week session, or spend all eleven weeks of summer outside exploring with Thorne!  Previous experience as a Thorne camper is preferred to be a STA.

See our Volunteer page for more details!