Curious about who and what makes up the natural world around you? Take an in-depth look at the ecology of forests, ponds, streams, and meadows at the Green Mountain Audubon Center. Spend the week completing conservation projects that help protect these natural communities! We’ll interact with live animals, build naturalist skills, and create our own field guides.

This camp is for ages 13-16 and runs 9am-4pm at the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington, VT from August 5-9. 

Example of a Stewards-in-Training camp day: 

Throughout the week we will have themed days in which we learn about a natural community and then do a conservation action or project that supports that community. For example, we will work on songbird identification and then get to help a wildlife biologist band birds with unique ID numbers that allow ornithologists to track their movement/migration. 

Some other example topics and projects include:

• Water Quality: We have access to a beaver pond, brook, and river at the Green Mountain Audubon Center. We will study and explore each of these waterways as well as measure the chemical, physical, and biological health of each. This includes scooping for critters like newts, frogs, and macroinvertebrates. 
• Bird Identification and Conservation: Throughout the week we will work on bird species ID and learn a few different methods to help conservation their populations, including bird banding, monitoring birds, planting native plants, removing invasive plants, conduct a forestry assessment, etc.
• Habitat Restoration: We will learn to propertly remove invasive plants and plant native plants in riparian (river) and forest habitats.
• Forestry: We'll work on tree ID, how to use forestry tools, conduct a forestry assessment, and learn about bird-friendly maple. 
• Community Science: There are a host of many wonderful community science projects that allow you to contribute meaningful data to scientists from wherever you are! We'll practice at the Audubon, but encourage campers to bring these tools home. 
• Nature observation and art: We will have journals throughout the week to 

By the end of the week campers will build skills in: 

• Knowledge about the flora and fauna that live around us and how they play different roles in the ecosystem. 

• Skills and techniques necessary to observe and quantify biodiversity.

• Experience with tools used by field and wildlife biologists, foresters, and ecologists.

• An understanding of career opportunities in the environmental field.

Please feel free to reach out to one of the leaders of this camp, our Youth Conservation Leadership Coordinator Sarah Hooghuis, with any questions. sarah.hooghuis@audubon.org or 802-434-3026