Summer Nature Camps
The Preserve offers summer day camps for students ages 6-14. All camp sessions will include a blend of nature exploration, creative activities, and engaging games tied to the camp theme. We always aim to spend as much time outside as we can!
2026 Camp details:
- Tuesday thru Thursday, 9 AM - 4 PM
- Cost: details available in 2026
- 27 spots available for each week
- Camper shirt included
- 2 snacks provided; camper brings lunch
Campers will be placed in small groups with peers of a similar age to allow our educators to provide age-appropriate content. Your family is welcome to join us for multiple weeks. To help us serve as many different kids as possible, please don't sign your child up for the same theme more than once.
Cancellation policy: Full refunds will be given to any cancellations made no less than 8 days before the start of the camp you are registered for. Cancellations (as well as any other inquiries) can be made by sending an email directly to Camp Director, Tom Hartzell at tom.hartzell@calvin.edu
Camp dates & Theme descriptions (2026)
Wet & Wild The natural world is filled with amazing things. Some of the wildest creatures are the ones who live in the water. In this camp, kids will encounter wetland ecosystems, aquatic creatures, and even the wild water itself. All campers will come home with a wild, watery creation of their own!
- June 2-4
Time Travel Time travel - is it possible? At the Preserve it is! Using clues we can still find today, campers will explore what life might have been like here at different points in history. What was it like to be a dinosaur? Where did mastodons go? How have indigenous people cared for this land? We'll explore these questions and more. Each camper will come home with their own historical artifact!
- June 9-11
- July 14-16
Looking Up There's a lot happening above our heads! The weather and climate where we live influences what plants and animals we have around us. What causes weather and climate to be different in different places? Campers will learn why Michigan is a particularly special place, and how we can take care of our common home. Each camper will build their own weather station to bring home!
- June 16-18
- July 21-23
Down to Earth There's a lot happening beneath our feet! Rocks, minerals, soil, roots, bugs, microbes, fungi...and more! In this camp, kids will spend lots of time getting down and dirty as we investigate soil, compost, and the creatures who live there. We'll also use the Preserve's new Rock Garden to discover our regional geology. Each camper will come home with one very special specimen.
- June 23-25
- July 28-30
MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMP
Steward Camp In this special camp for middle schoolers, campers will get hands-on learning and experience with the Stewardship team at the Preserve. We'll do things like cutting invasive plants, planting natives, and biodiversity surveys. Develop your leadership and naturalist skills in a camp of peers! Each camper will have the opportunity to earn a Stewardship Certificate to bring home.
- July 7-9
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Other camps at Calvin
Many departments at Calvin offer a variety of summer camps for students ages 4-18 years old. Visit Camps at Calvin to find out more.