Summer Camps 2020

Inspiring People to Connect with Nature

New Camps Added!

August 17th-21st (1st-5th Grade) and August 24th-28th (4th-9th Grade)

CNCP Exploration Camp

Meet our animals, see planetarium shows, explore our trails (and go off-trail), learn about the environment of Southwest Florida, make things, build forts, and hang out with other campers at these extra weeks of summer camp!

Summer Camp Registration NOW OPEN!

We have a big summer ahead of us! Come out to Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium for our nature-focused summer camps. Explore our 105-acre forest, meet our live animals, watch planetarium shows, and more!

Summer Camp runs from 9:00am-3:30pm

Drop off is from 8:30-8:55am

Pick up is from 3:30-4:00pm

Our camps are tailored to different age ranges each week. Please look at each week on our schedule to see which will be suited for your camper(s). The grades listed are the ones your campers will be entering next fall.

Pricing: $175/week members or $200/week non-members

The penalty for late pick-up is $5 for every 10 minutes after designated pick-up time and will be charged to your card on file at time of pick up.

If you are unable to attend your week of summer camp, please contact us as soon as possible so we can see about transferring your registration to a different week.

If you must cancel your registration, please contact us as soon as possible.

Our new refund policy is as follows:

<2 weeks prior to camp: full refund

14 days to 48 hours prior to camp: 75% refund
48 hours prior to camp: 60% refund

If you have any questions, have a problem during the registration process, or would like more information, please email

Please fill out the application below to register your camper(s) online. Clicking the Submit button will automatically re-direct you to the page where camp sessions can be purchased. To register additional campers, please return to this page and fill out the camper information form again. Your child will not be registered until both of these are completed!

The safety of our campers is our first priority here at CNCP, and so we have developed a plan for reducing risk of COVID-19 exposure during camp.

Camp sessions limit has been expanded to fifteen campers. If the camp session you would like is already full, please email to get on the waiting list.
All campers must bring their own hand sanitizer and mask each day of camp. We will be requiring that masks are used whenever possible.
We will be checking temperatures of each camper at drop-off each day.

We have also modified certain procedures to reduce the sharing of items (such as craft supplies) between campers and reduce camper physical contact. Our camp is designed to take place almost entirely outside, where campers will have lots of fresh air and space to spread out!

Hopefully we will be able to relax these requirements soon, and we will keep camp parents updated!

June 8-12 3rd-5th Grade

Food Web

Producers, consumers, decomposers... How do living things get their food? How do plants make food, what do animals eat and how do their find their food, and what happens to poop? Find out the answers to these questions and more as we explore our trails and discover what it means to eat or be eaten.

June 22-26 4th-6th Grade

Artists and Scientists

What does it mean to be an artist and a scientist? Look at famous historical figures who spent their lives combining these two important professions, learn to use the materials and techniques they used, and spend your days at camp making art from your observations of our animals and plants.

July 6-10 4th-6th Grade

Plant Detectives

There are over 4000 species of plants in Florida. Learn to identify some of them as you walk our trails, collect specimens, and discover how plants grow in the varied environments of our subtropical state. Put your newfound skills to the test as you help clear invasive species from our trails and build your very own plant press.

July 20-24 6th-9th Grade

Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle

The 4 Rs of Conservation are our focus this week. Learn about why it's important to conserve our resources, and learn how to do that in your everyday life. Upcycle old clothes, darn socks, turn trash into furniture, make new paper from old paper, and more in this exciting introduction to sustainable living.

August 3-7 1st-9th Grade

Outdoor Survival - FULL

Build shelters, start fires, find and cook food, purify water, and get a little lost in the woods as you put your survival skills to the test in our forest and swamp during this intense week of adventures. Learn how people have survived in Southwest Florida in the past, present, and future, and take home your very own outdoor survival kit!

June 15-19 1st-3rd Grade

Catching Critters - FULL

What sort of creatures live around us in Southwest Florida? Grab your nets and collecting jars and see! Learn how and why people have caught animals in the past and present, and what you can learn from a close-up study of living things.

June 29-July 3 3rd-5th Grade

Stones, Bones, and Tools

Were there dinosaurs here in Florida? What about saber-toothed tigers? How did people live here thousands of years ago? Learn how to find out as we talk about the scientists who dig in the ground and look for signs of living things in the past.

July 13-17 3rd-5th Grade

Stars and Planets

What do we see when we look up at the night sky? In our full-dome planetarium, learn about constellations and star-myths of the past and present, and what outer space can tell us about life here on Earth. Then head outside to watch the sun through a telescope and build a model of the solar system on our trails!

July 27-31 3rd-5th Grade

Bird's the Word

What is a bird? Why do people like them so much? Learn all about bird adaptations like feathers, beaks, and hollow bones. Meet some of our raptors up close and personal and learn how our animal team cares for them. Become a birder on our trails this week and start your own "life list" of birds.

All School Year Long

1st-8th Grade

Looking for something to do on school breaks? We have School's Out Camp here at Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium almost every day that Lee County schools are not in session. Come explore our woods during your days off from school, learn new skills, improve your scientific knowledge, and have fun all year round!

Camper Registration

Emergency Contact

Medical Information

If your camper will be dropped off and/or picked up by anyone other than those listed above, please include their information below:

I accept terms & conditions:

I have read the description of the camp experience offered at Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium and understand that drop-off time is 8:30 - 9:00 am, pickup time 4 pm unless the applicable day's Early Drop-Off and/or After-Care have been arranged ahead of time with the office. Pickups after the end of the day will be charged by the 10-min increment ($5 for every 10 minutes past the designated pick-up time). I also understand that activities will be involved in my child's camp program; I find them acceptable for my child’s participation. Recognizing the educational benefits of this program to my child, and acknowledging that it is completely voluntary, I, the parent/guardian, do hereby agree to release, indemnify and hold harmless the Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium for any loss, injury or damage resulting directly or indirectly from my child's participation in this program. Pictures of the camp, not identifying my child, may be used online to illustrate camp activities and promote future camps. My acceptance and submission of this form constitutes my digital signature (paper waiver will be signed on the first day of camp).