2016 Events, Open Houses, and Camp Fairs
The approaching winter and spring seasons are brimming with open houses, camp fairs, and events at The Nature Place.
Public Programs
Join us at camp for one or all of the events and activities we’re hosting. Attending one of our programs is a great way for new or inquiring camp families to experience some of what we do at The Nature Place, as well as an opportunity for returning campers to come say ‘Hi!’ to friends and enjoy a sweet taste of summer camp during the off-season.
Winter Tales with Chuck Stead
Saturday, January 16th. Noon – 1 pm. Open House 1 – 4 pm.
Every Friday at camp Master storyteller Chuck Stead spins funny, poignant, outrageous and true stories of his childhood growing up in the nearby Ramapo Mountains. But when the weather turns cold and winter has really set in, Chuck tells us his Winter Tales – stories that sparkle and glimmer like the snow and ice of January. Join us for this annual storytelling treat!
Outragehisss Pets
Sunday, February 7th. Noon – 1 pm. Open House 1 – 4 pm.
Each Tuesday and Thursday of our summer camp season Outragehisss Pets brings a menagerie of wild animals to camp for us to learn about, see up close, and even touch or hold, if we’re feeling brave. Some animals are soft (chinchillas), some fluffy (long-haired rabbits), rough (armadillos), scaly (snakes), spiky (hedgehogs), but all are exciting! Join us on Sunday, February 7th, for our annual winter animal program. It’s sure to be outragehisss.
Maple Sugaring
Saturday, March 5th.
This program happens twice, once from 11 am – Noon, and then again, from 2 – 3 pm. Our Open House on this day is in between programs, from Noon – 2 pm.
Mighty maple syrup, that aristocrat of of all sweets, is a large part of what we call ‘the three M time of year’ – March, Maple, and Mud. Join The Nature Place for our most popular public program (it’s so nice, we do it twice), in the morning beginning at 11 am or in the afternoon, starting at 2 pm.
We’ll learn all about maples trees, discovering what it takes to turn sap into syrup. We’ll then go outside to tap a maple tree, taste the sap that drips out, see it boiling over a fire, and then, conclude our event with the sweet taste of thickened maple syrup over crushed ice, accompanied, of course, by a dill pickle. Participants in this program will take home their own spouts for tapping as well as clear instructions for making your own maple syrup at home, from your very own tree.
This event starts inside but then moves outside, so dress for the weather!
Wild Edibles with Paul Tappenden
Sunday, April 17th. Noon – 1 pm. Open house 1 – 4 pm.
Wild food forager Paul Tappenden leads us on a vernal adventure into our environs to discover what’s growing wild and edible in our area. We’ll learn plant names, properties, tastes, uses in cooking, and get an overall feel for a number of plants. Early spring should yield a bounty of tender flora. Join us for a fun, investigative feast from the earth.
Spring Peeper Hunt
Saturday, May 7th. 7:30 – 8:30 pm.
Hunting spring peepers successfully takes a keen ear, a sharp eye, stealth, and above all, patience. Join The Nature Place as we tromp through the small swamp behind the farm on a search for these tiny sirens of spring. The male frogs emit a loud ‘pee-eep! pee-eep!’, which allows us to echo-locate our targets, carefully treading over hillocks and sunken logs until we are close enough to shine a flashlight on the spring peeper. If we’re lucky, after a minute or two, the frog will start singing again, and we’ll see his vocal sack bulge out as he peeps, like a bubble blown from froggy bubblegum.
This event is in the dark, in a swamp! Please attend in high rubber boots, clothes you don’t mind getting swampy, and a sense of adventure. Flashlights are a must.
Open Houses
Attending one of our open houses is really the best way to learn about and get a true feeling for our camp. You’ll meet us (Ed, Scott, Daniel, and often Elaine and Shaina and others), get a tour of our camp grounds, see a narrated slide show of our summer activities, and come away from your visit with a fuller understanding of what we do and why we do it at The Nature Place Day Camp. All open houses run between 1 and 4 pm (except for March 5th, which is Noon – 2 pm).
Camp Fairs
We attend a total of 10 camp fairs in New York City (Manhattan and Brooklyn) between January and April. A camp fair is basically like us bringing a slice of our Open House to you, in your neighborhood. We (usually Scott and Daniel) will be at our Nature Place table, speaking to inquiring families about camp and answering questions. You’ll know it’s us by the large earth art city-stump, wooden photo trifold, and general down-to earth vibe.
All camp fairs run between Noon and 3 pm.
Saturday, December 12th – Upper East Side
St. Jean Baptiste High School, 173 E 75th St, New York, NY 10021
Sunday, December 13th – Upper West Side
Congregation Rodeph Sholom, 7 W 83rd St, New York, NY 10024
Saturday, January 23rd – Upper East Side
St. Jean Baptiste High School, 173 E 75th St, New York, NY 10021
Sunday, January 24th – Upper West Side
Congregation Rodeph Sholom, 7 W 83rd St, New York, NY 10024
Saturday, January 30th – Williamsburg, BK
Williamsburg Northside Lower School, 299 N 7th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Sunday, January 31st – Cobble Hill, BK
Brooklyn Heights Montessori School, 185 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Saturday, March 5th – Battery Park City
Asphalt Green, 212 North End Ave, New York, NY 10282
Sunday, March 6th – Park Slope, BK
Berkeley Carroll School, 181 Lincoln Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Saturday, April 9th – Upper East Side
St. Jean Baptiste High School, 173 E 75th St, New York, NY 10021
Sunday, April 10th – Upper West Side
Congregation Rodeph Sholom, 7 W 83rd St, New York, NY 10024