De Natura Summer Camp

What to Expect

A full-day, small-cohort summer program designed to build a lasting connection to Nature through repeated time outdoors.

❋ Who It Serves

Children are identified and referred through Intercultural Family Services (IFS), our core partner supporting family engagement and attendance

❋ Location

We are targeting Bartram’s Garden as the primary program site to support place-based continuity across seasons.

❋ Removing Barriers

Participation is supported with daily transportation and meals/snacks. This isn’t an add-on—it’s core to the design, so families can actually sustain attendance over six weeks.

❋ Safety and Staffing

We operate in groups of five with a 1:5 adult-to-child staffing model, scaling staff as cohorts increase. Small cohorts support consistency, safety, and relationships.

Daily Experience

The Daily Rhythm at De Natura’s Summer Camp

Our days follow a consistent rhythm—so children know what to expect, feel safe, and can settle into the place over time.

  • Arrival and group routine — a steady start that sets the tone for the day

  • Morning outdoors block — observation-led time in Nature: noticing, asking questions, and building attention

  • Exploration and play — guided movement, discovery, and open-ended outdoor play

  • Lunch and reset — meals, hydration, and a calm break to recharge

  • Afternoon outdoors block — continued time outside with simple reflection and shared takeaways

  • Pickup routine — a consistent close so the day ends cleanly and predictably

  • “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it.”

    — Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder

Stay Rooted With Us

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