We believe in the power of outdoor experiences to enrich young lives. Harpswell Heritage Land Trust’s Nature Day Camp combines games, creativity, scientific inquiry, and hands-on exploration to create a memorable week of fun and discovery.

Our days include a variety of activities intended to appeal to a wide range of interests including unstructured exploration, storytelling, music, yoga, scientific inquiry, sensory awareness, arts and crafts, and running games. We balance active and quiet and give campers the opportunity to connect with each other and with the natural world. We create opportunities for growth, connection, and learning in a safe and supportive environment.

We are incredibly fortunate to have Harpswell as our learning laboratory. Harpswell is a coastal town with fascinating habitats to explore. Campers explore tide pools, salt marshes, rocky shoreline, forest, and field. If your child loves exploring Maine’s beautiful coastline, this camp is for you!

2024 will be our 26th year of offering Nature Day Camp in Harpswell!

Nature Day Camp is supported by camp fees, the Holbrook Community Foundation, the Harpswell Garden Club, and Harpswell Heritage Land Trust members.

Meet our 2024 Camp Staff!

Nature Day Camp Dates for 2024

Nature Day Camp is planned around the tides to take advantage of our beautiful and interesting coastal locations! During the summer of 2024, camp for both age groups will happen during these six weeks:

• June 24-28
• July 8-12
• July 15-19
• July 29-August 2
• August 5-9
• August 12-16

Registration

Pre-registration for Nature Day Camp 2024 has closed. Click here to join the waiting list.

There is high demand for Nature Day Camp and we run registration on a lottery basis to give all families a fair chance at a spot. We are initially limiting campers to one week of camp each this summer, but there may be an opportunity for campers to sign up for more than one week. Interested families had a chance to pre-register from February 1-11, 2024. The pre-registration form does not guarantee families a spot in camp. We will choose randomly from those pre-registered and offer camp slots to families by the end of February. Families will have two weeks from the date of notification to put down a deposit or pay in full to hold the spots.

Camp Details

Camp for ages 4-6

• Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Camp fee for 2024: $150 for Harpswell Heritage Land Trust members. $165 for non-members. (price reduced from 2023!)
• Nature Day Camp is held at a different Harpswell location each day. Parents are responsible for dropping off and picking up their children from each site.
• Campers provide their own snacks and lunch.
• Scholarships are available. See our FAQs page for details.

Camp for ages 7-12

• Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (one hour longer than 2023!)
• Camp fee for 2024: $230 for Harpswell Heritage Land Trust members. $245 for non-members.
• Nature Day Camp is held at a different Harpswell location each day. Parents are responsible for dropping off and picking up their children from each site.
• Campers provide their own snacks and lunch.
• Scholarships are available. See our FAQs page for details.

Junior Counselors

For pre-teens and teenagers who love kids and the outdoors, being a junior counselor is a great opportunity to gain valuable experience and have fun! Junior counselors act as assistants to the camp leaders. They are expected to be great role models, participate in all activities, talk with campers, assist campers, and play with campers. All junior counselors should show interest in spending time with children.

Junior counselors for the younger camp group (ages 4-6) should be at least 11 years old. Junior counselors for the older camp group (ages 7-12) should be at least 15 years old. Junior counselors can make a commitment to one or more weeks during the summer.

Being a junior counselor is a great opportunity to gain leadership skills and experience teaching children. It’s also an opportunity to explore and have fun alongside campers. Interested? Positions are first-come, first-served. There is no fee and no payment for these positions. A short interview is required. Training is provided through an optional pre-camp orientation and during camp weeks.  All Junior Counselor positions for the 4-6 year-old age group are full, but we are still welcoming applications to work with the 7-12 year-old group. Click here to access the application form. 

Looking for More Information?

Contact Lindy Magness at 207-721-1121 or lindy@hhltmaine.org.