North River Nature Camp Programs & Pricing
Each day at North River Nature Camp, a new adventure awaits! Daily activities include trail explorations, habitat investigations, hands-on experiments, wildlife observation, creative games and crafts, and more. Small group sizes ensure that our counselors can develop a relationship with each child, creating a caring, supportive environment.
Registration for North River Nature Camp opens on January 31, 2024, at 6:00 am. Registration by phone and customer support will not be available until regular business hours.
Nature Camp
Monday–Friday • 9:00 am–3:00 pm
Themed weekly sessions from June 24–August 16 (no camp July 4–5)
Age Groups
Campers engage in age-appropriate outdoor exploration and activities. Small group sizes ensure that our counselors can develop a relationship with every child, creating a caring, supportive environment.
Discoverers • Ages 4.5–6 (Entering grades K–1)
Counselor-to-Camper Ratio: 1 to 5
Discoverers investigate the sanctuary’s plants and animals using all five senses and are encouraged to follow their natural curiosity. This group has lots of time to play outdoors in nature.
See available sessions for Discoverers
Explorers • Ages 7–8 (Entering grades 2–3)
Counselor-to-Camper Ratio: 1 to 8
Explorers grow their nature and science knowledge through fun group activities and interactive games. This group is encouraged to try new things and engage in free play in nature.
See available sessions for Explorers
Naturalists • Ages 9–11 (Entering grades 4–6)
Counselor-to-Camper Ratio: 1 to 8
Naturalists take a deeper look at the natural world through exploration that includes hiking, nature experiments, games, and more. This group works to build confidence and leadership skills through teambuilding activities.
See available sessions for Naturalists
Special Interest Sessions • Ages 12–14
Monday–Friday • 9:00 am–3:00 pm
For ages 12–14 (Entering grades 7–9)
Nature STEAM: Games & Challenges
Three-day session: July 1–3 (no camp July 4–5)
Connect to nature through STEAM- science, technology, engineering, art, and math! Play games, participate in cooperative group challenges, and do hands-on activities that engage your curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Try designing a boat that can float, experiment with building a squirrel-proof birdfeeder, learn about symmetry in nature, and create temporary art using natural materials.
Into the Wild
One-week sessions: July 8–12 or July 22–26
Sharpen your wilderness survival skills and learn the basics of keeping yourself safe in the outdoors. Make shelters out of natural objects, learn fire-building techniques, and practice tying different kinds of knots. Learn about the principles of Leave No Trace hiking, and discover your wild side through challenging teambuilding activities and games. Top off the week with a late night at North River.
This session includes a late pick-up on Thursday evening and no camp on Friday. Campers may only register for one Into the Wild Session.
Campology
One-week session: August 5–9
From geology to meteorology to scatology, the natural world is full of all kinds of ologies to learn about and explore. Ornithology, herpetology, and mammalology are just a few others on the list. Put your science skills into practice by taking a closer view of all things connected to nature.
Counselors-in-Training (CIT)
For ages 14.5–17 • $525 per two-week session
Gain valuable leadership skills and job experience as you assist the camp counselors at North River Nature Camp. Help plan and deliver camp activities such as nature projects, games, crafts, and songs.
CITs are registered through application only. We will begin registering applicants on March 6. After March 6, we will process new applications on a rolling basis. A consecutive, two-week commitment is required, and a mandatory training session will be held during the week of June 24.
2024 Camp Session Pricing
Mass Audubon is committed to ensuring that every family that wants their child to experience summer camp should have the opportunity to do so. A sliding scale model helps us work toward that goal through an easy and dependable process for families. With the sliding scale structure, every family enrolls for camp at a tuition rate based on their annual gross income and size of family.
Mass Audubon Membership
Registering for camp is one of the many benefits of Mass Audubon membership. In order to register for camp, your membership must be current through the end of your camper's last session; if you need to purchase or renew your membership, you should do so as part of your camp registration transaction.
All camp families registering at Tiers 1–3 will receive a free one-year Family membership (new or renewal), thanks to the generosity of members at the Protector level and higher who chose to donate their free gift membership benefit.
Prior to Registration
To make sure you’re prepared to register for camp, please read our registration instructions and camp policies, which include changes to pricing and membership.