Our Spring Camps are offered during spring break week. Descriptions, dates, times and fees are listed under each weekly camp title. Please refer to the right column for info on how to register.
For additional information about our camp programs, visit our Nature Camps page.
Questions? Call us (916) 876-4918 or email us info@SacNatureCenter.net.
Spring nature camps are offered during school spring break.
Each camp focuses on the incredible natural world and includes lessons and crafts or other activities, and a hike. We encourage kids to dress appropriate for the weather (usually layers for spring) and to wear clothes that can get a bit dirty. We will be outside, after all!
Descriptions, dates, times and fees will be listed under each weekly camp title. Please refer to the column to the right for info on how to register. Camps are daily and three hours each.
Camps are listed below by age range: 5, 6-7 and 8-11. We can’t wait to have your child join us!
Cancellation/Refund Policy
A cancellation fee of 10% will apply to all cancellations made more than 14 days before the start of a camp. No refunds will be given if cancellation is 14 days or less before the camp. A rescheduling fee of $10 will apply for each camp change requested. A 24-hour notice to reschedule is required. Please note that the ACTIVE Network processing fee is non-refundable as that is a fee not collected by EYNC.
Covid-19 Safety Protocols
Please note that at this time, masks are recommended but not required. Campers, EYNC Staff, and EYNC Volunteers have the choice to wear or not wear a mask or face covering. As we closely follow CDC guidelines, to ensure everyone’s safety, we may return to our required mask policy if there is a rise in COVID-19 cases. If this occurs, all participants will be promptly updated. By signing our COVID-19 waiver during the registration process, you agree to follow the Effie Yeaw Nature Center’s COVID-19 policies and any updates to it. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
NEW CULTURAL CAMP WITH CHUCK KRITZON!
Amusements of the Past!
Monday, April 24 – Friday, April 28
2:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Ages: 8 – 11
This in-depth afternoon camp will have your children make a wide variety of toys, games and whistles utilizing only stone and bone tools and only using materials found in the local natural environment. This deep dive into our shared history will give kids a unique view into the lives of ancient peoples and how they created everything they needed to live using only what was available to them from the natural environment.
* This is a 5-day spring camp. When registering, you will be registering your camper for all 5 days.
Register Here (on third page)
Camp 5: Awesome Invertebrates
Wednesday, April 5
Age 5 Only
Session A: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Session B: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
They creep, they crawl, and play a significant role in our ecosystem! Get up close and personal with some invertebrates and learn about how these spineless critters keep the food chain running smoothly.
Please note that Session A (morning) and Session B (afternoon) offer the same exact camp. Only enroll in one session (morning OR afternoon).
Register Here
Week 1
Pricing: $75 Member |$85 Non-member
Wildlife Watchers
Monday, April 3
Ages 6-7
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Dive into the world of all things wildlife! What kind of animals live in the Sacramento area? We will explore biofacts, meet live animals, and do some amazing wildlife watching on our hike!
Register Here
Fantastic Feathers
Tuesday, April 4
Ages 6-7
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
They soar, dive, hover, and glide—but no two birds are exactly alike! How do raptors catch their prey? Why do some birds migrate? Discover fascinating facts about our feathered friends as we explore the Nature Study Area. Bring binoculars or borrow a pair of ours to get a closer look at these fantastic fliers!
Register Here
Eco-Friends
Wednesday, April 5
Ages 6-11
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Get ready for Earth Day this month by learning how to become a protector of our planet! Learn what an ecosystem is, and how we are a part of it. What is pollution? Where does it come from? Become a friend of Earth as we explore how to make the world a better place for all, animals and humans alike!
Register Here
Flower Power
Thursday, April 6
Ages 6-7
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Revel in the vibrant colors of spring as we explore wildflowers and new growth in the Nature Study Area! Learn about the kinds of critters that make it possible for flowers to bloom every spring, and draw your discoveries in a personalized nature journal.
Register Here
Rise and Shine
Friday, April 7
Ages 6-7
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
It is warming up and our cold blooded friends are waking up! Join us to greet our animals who have been away this winter. What is brumation? Where do the animals go to sleep? Spend time up close with our turtles, snakes, and lizards to learn about their amazing adaptations to survive the colder weather.
Register Here
WEEK 2: 3-hour afternoon camps
Pricing: $50 Member |$40 Non-member
Toad, Frog, Polliwog
Monday, April 10
Ages 6-7
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Hop right to it and explore the slimy world of amphibians! Be prepared to get wet and muddy, as you use dip-nets to discover what lives in and around water. Have a toad-ally good time learning about these amazing creatures and how to do your part in keeping the watershed healthy.
Register Here
Woodland Critters
Tuesday, April 11
Ages 6-7
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Take a stroll through the Nature Study Area and keep your eyes peeled for the many critters that call our oak woodland home! How many different animals can we spot and what are they doing? What do they eat? Find the answers yourself as we hike and explore as well as uncover each critter’s important role in our ecosystem.
Register Here
Sensational Senses
Wednesday, April 12
Ages 6-7
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
We rely on our senses to experience the world around us, and different animals use their senses in unique ways. Some smell with their tongue or taste with their feet; others can see in the dark or feel sound! Explore how local animals use their senses to survive in the wild, and keep your eyes (and ears!) open as we hike to the American River.
Register Here
The Art of Nature
Thursday, April 13
Ages 6-7
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
There is art everywhere, especially in nature! Experience the beauty of spring with a hike through the Nature Preserve. Get inspired to craft and create something that will help support local wildlife. If you want to tap into your creative side, this camp is for you!
Register Here
Tales of Spring
Friday, April 14
Ages 6-7
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Come and join us for an afternoon of nature storytelling as we explore the oak woodland. Listen to the tales of plants and critters who are coming back to life this spring. Have the chance to meet some of our resident animal ambassadors, and find out why the acorn woodpecker sounds like its laughing or why how rivers and creeks came to be!
Register Here
Week 1
Pricing: $75 Member |$85 Non-member
“Bug” Buddies
Monday, April 3
Ages 8-11
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
The largest group in the animal kingdom, invertebrates have a huge impact on the ecosystem! From single-celled amoebas to giant squids, invertebrates come in all shapes and sizes! How do these amazing animals survive with no backbone? Get up close to meet some of our favorite boneless friends.
Register Here
Busy Bees
Tuesday, April 4
Ages 8-11
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Check out who’s buzzing around in the Nature Study Area. Learn the difference between social bees and solitary bees, why all species of bees are super important for our environment, learn about bee houses, and ways we can help support our local busy bees!
Register Here
Eco-Friends
Wednesday, April 5
Ages 6-11
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Get ready for Earth Day this month by learning how to become a protector of our planet! Learn what an ecosystem is, and how we are a part of it. What is pollution? Where does it come from? Become a friend of Earth as we explore how to make the world a better place for all, animals and humans alike!
Register Here
Crafty Corner
Thursday, April 6
Ages 8-11
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Explore your creative side! This craft workshop will keep your hands busy with clay, wood and plant materials. Hike to the river and let nature and your imagination inspire you. Fashion a necklace featuring a shell from the sea and try your luck at the walnut dice game. Allergen note: Tree nuts will be used in this program, although not eaten. Facial masks and vinyl gloves are available to wear during sanding of wood and tree nuts.
Register Here
Egg-ceptional Eggs
Friday, April 7
Ages 8-11
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
How strong is an egg? How do eggs of different species compare to one another? Learn about various animals that lay eggs through fun, hands-on eggs-periments! Meet some of our egg-laying ambassadors, then take a hike through the Nature Study Area and keep your eyes peeled for some of these eggs-traordinary creatures.
Register Here
WEEK 2: 3-hour afternoon camps
Pricing: $50 Member |$40 Non-member
Creepy Crawlies
Monday, April 10
Ages 8-11
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
The more you learn about invertebrates, animals without backbones, the more you’ll learn to love them even if they can be a little creepy! There are insects that look like plants, are poisonous or venomous, invertebrates with hundreds of legs, and other spineless critters with incredible adaptations! Explore a variety of live invertebrate ambassadors and, if you’re feeling brave, maybe even eat a cooked bug!
Register Here
Earth’s Superheroes
Tuesday, April 11
Ages 8-11
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Do you love nature and all of her amazing animals, plants, and organisms? Explore the Nature Study Area to study the animals and plants that live here! Meet some of the animal ambassadors we care for and learn their stories. Become nature’s superhero by discovering easy ways to protect and preserve wildlife, and prevent pollution!
Register Here
Coyote Kids
Wednesday, April 12
Ages 8-11
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Channel your inner coyote as you sneak through the preserve in search of all the animals that live here. Learn beginning tracking and observation skills, explore the Nature Study Area to find animal tracks, scat, and other clues! Keep track of animal and plant observations in your own field journal (journals provided)!
Register Here
Smiles of Reptiles
Thursday, April 13
Ages 8-11
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Ssss-spring is here, and reptiles are awake! To better understand the cool world of these cold blooded creatures, we will get hands on with scientific specimens and spend time observing a turtle, tortoise, lizard, and snake that the Nature Center cares for. Hear the story of how turtle helped make the world, count the basking lizards as we hike, and find out which reptiles wear a smile!
Register Here
Brilliant Birds
Friday, April 14
Ages 8-11
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Flock to the trails to see what kinds of birds are active in that spring at Effie Yeaw! Explore a variety of birds and their adaptations, get a closer look at them as we practice using binoculars, and lend an ear to identify birds by the calls and songs they make. Meet a raptor, play bird themed games, and make a treat for the birds in your neighborhood.
Register Here
