Camp Mummichog campers examine a green crab in a salt marsh. (Photo courtesy Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust)
At Camp Mummichog, Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust’s summer day camp, nature education takes many forms: hands-on exploration, physical activity, art, music, writing, games, and more. All camp sessions are held at Coastal Rivers Salt Bay Farm on Belvedere Road in Damariscotta, a beautiful nature preserve featuring rolling
fields, forest, and both fresh and saltwater marshes.
Camp registration is nearly full for the 2024 season, but there are still one or more openings in three camp sessions.
“Grandparents & Kids Camp,” Monday through Wednesday, July 1-3, is for kids from ages 7 to 11. This unique three-day session gives a grandparent or other special adult the opportunity to join their young naturalist at camp to explore the marshes and forests looking for “living fossils.” The program includes making crafts, playing games, and taking a cruise on the Damariscotta River aboard the River Tripper, and more.
During “Botany Bonanza,” Monday through Friday, July 15-19, campers ages 7-11 will enter into the secret lives of trees and plants to learn how trees communicate with each other, and how certain plants and animals have evolved together in fascinating ways. This group will hunt for wild edible plants, make birch bark etchings, create prints from seaweed, and spend a day exploring the forests and streams of the Bristol Recreational Trail along the Pemaquid River Estuary.
“Insect Palooza” held Monday through Friday, Aug. 12-16, will invite campers ages 6-9 into the marsh, fields, and forest to find fascinating insects in many forms. They will meet with an entomologist, take nets to the pond in search of aquatic invertebrates, make insect-inspired art, and go on a field trip to Library Park in South Bristol.
To learn more, download a brochure, or register, go to coastalrivers.org/events-programs/camp-mummichog. Scholarships are available.
Coastal Rivers is a non-profit, member-supported, nationally accredited land trust caring for the lands and waters of the Damariscotta-Pemaquid Region by conserving special places, protecting water quality, creating trails and public access, and deepening connections to nature through education programs. For more information, email info@coastalrivers.org or visit coastalrivers.org.
