Explore your world at Audubon Discovery Camp!
We offer hands-on, experiential learning in a variety of natural habitats that serve as our outdoor classroom through our day camps. Small groups of 10 -12 children are led in active investigations by experienced staff. Our goal is for campers to gain a better understanding of their role in the natural world using all five senses and exploring with their mind and body.
At camp, we create a community that celebrates the thoughts, identities, experiences, and perspectives of all of our campers!
Each group will be led by a Lead Counselor and a youth Counselor in Training. An onsite camp director will also be present to oversee camp and ensure a safe and happy camp environment. Camper safety is the first priority. Staff are trained in first aid and CPR prior to the start of camp.
If you are a PVAS member but do not have the member discount code, please contact us at Info@PotomacAudubon.org or call 681-252-1387 between 9:00 and 4:00 Monday-Friday.
Reading this information is required before registration.
School’s Out! Day Camp options
Election Day and Thanksgiving Break Camp now open for registration! All other school-year camps open for registration on Tuesday October 8 at 5:30 pm.
Audubon Discovery Camp takes place at either Cool Spring Preserve (10 minutes south of Charles Town) or Yankauer Nature Preserve (13 minutes from Shepherdstown, 17 minutes from Martinsburg).
All of the camps listed below have spots for campers in Grades 1-6, as well as Counselor-in-Training (CITs) in Grades 7-12.
Frequently Asked Questions
To attend camp, your child must:
- Be okay with being outdoors all day in summer heat (with appropriate cool-down opportunities and drink breaks).
- Be potty trained and be able to use the bathroom on their own.
- Be capable of staying with their assigned group with minimal reinforcement.
- Be capable of maintaining appropriate self-control in social situations.
- Be capable of regularly following staff instructions.
Please note: If your child cannot follow directions and/or control themselves, they may be asked to leave camp.
We’re happy to make reasonable accommodations for children with special needs, depending on their requirements. Parents and guardians with questions regarding the ability of camp staff to meet a child’s needs should contact the camp director before registering for camp.
Unless otherwise indicated, all of our camps are from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
We pride ourselves on our small-group camp experience and cap our camps at no more than 30 campers per week. Your child will be placed in an age-appropriate group of no more than 12 children supervised by a lead camp counselor and one or two counselors in training (CITs). Additionally, each camp location will be administered by a full-time onsite director.
No matter what camp theme you sign up for, the camp days will always be filled with fun outdoor exploration, games, and activities. Although your child will spend most of the day with their assigned camp group, they will have a chance to interact with other groups during both lunch and after-lunch free time and/or group games.
Yes!
The Potomac Valley Audubon Society awards a limited amount of scholarships to children of families with demonstrated financial need. Families that qualify for the Federal Free/Reduced School Lunch Program are the targeted audience for this scholarship program, though we will consider other extenuating circumstances.
We recommend that you apply as soon as possible, as applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis in the order they are received and that there are a limited number of spaces available. Please complete a separate application for each child in your family.
What to expect after you apply: We will begin reviewing applications after we open camp registration. We will respond to scholarship applicants with decisions and next steps as soon as we are able and in the order that applications are received. We will do our best to accomodate camp preferences; if both the first and the second-choice camps are no longer available, we will reach out to ask about other preferences. Families of youth receiving scholarships will be given a coupon code to register and they will have 2 weeks to register before the coupon code expires. If that happens, the scholarship spot at their preferred camp may go to another scholarship recipient. Our scholarships cover most of the cost of our camps, but scholarship camp families will be expected to pay $10 per camper registration.
Applications are now open for school-year camps! To apply, please complete the Scholarship Application Form. We will open scholarships for Summer 2025 camps in winter.
Yankauer Nature Preserve:
The camp is held in an open air pavilion nestled in the forest. The bathroom facilities consist of eco-friendly composting toilets.
Location Highlights:
- View of the Potomac River
- 2.4 miles of hiking trails
- Beautiful diverse forest ecosystem to explore
Address:
438 Whiting’s Neck Road
Martinsburg WV 25404
Cool Spring Preserve:
Camp is held mostly outdoors on a patio behind the nature center. The indoor facility is only for designated camp activities, shelter during inclement weather, and short cool-down periods.
Location Highlights:
- Diversity of habitats to explore: creek, ponds, meadow, wetland and forest
- Over 2 miles of hiking trails
- A chance to meet PVAS’s education animal ambassadors
Address:
1469 Lloyd Road
Charles Town WV, 25414
Counselors-in-Training (CITs) are youth counselors Grades 7-12. CITs learn basic leadership skills and how to become a great camp counselor. They will assist senior staff members for a week in providing a safe and quality experience in nature to all campers at the Audubon Discovery Camp.
A week at camp will help you, as a CIT, to:
- Learn how to be enthusiastic, motivated, and responsible as a camp leader.
- Create meaningful relationships with campers, staff, and other CITs.
- Become a team with the other CITs.
- Look at the world with a sense of wonder, awe, and appreciation.
- Learn how your actions affect others and the world around you.
CIT responsibilities:
- Be a leader to all younger Audubon Discovery Camp campers
- Help unit staff with games, lessons, and activities
- Help make camp a safe and healthy environment for all campers
- Lead group games after lunch
- Complete all assignments given by camp staff
- Help clean up and take down tables/ supplies at the beginning and end of the camp day
We are now accepting applications for Summer 2025! To apply, complete this CIT Application Form. CITs for school-year camps during the 2024-2025 school year must have been a summer 2024 CIT.
We require that returning CITs complete a new application each year.
Click here to read the Camp Information Handbook for policies including cancellation, registration limits, and late pick-up fees.
What to wear to camp
- Comfortable clothing that can get dirty
- Sunscreen (please apply before camp)
- Bug spray (please apply before camp)
- Hats and sunglasses are recommended
- Hiking shoes or sneakers, or hiking sandals that are strapped to the foot (i.e. Chacos, Tevas, Keens, etc.)
What to bring to camp: (Please label with your child’s name)
- A packed lunch
- Sunscreen and bug spray (for reapplying later in the day)
- A backpack or bag to hold all of the camper’s belongings
- An additional empty bag or backpack to carry water, snack and camp supplies while on the trail
- A refillable/reusable water bottle/s already filled to start the day (We have water for refills)
- Rain jacket or poncho if rain is in the forecast
“On the first day, my camper came home saying it was the best day ever in 2023! And as a parent, I found the communication from staff fluid and very responsive.”
“My daughter had the time of her life at camp. Even though it rained most of the time, she was so excited to come back every day. She loves being outside and learning about animals.”
“The counselors and staff were amazing, helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable.”
“My daughter had so much fun overall! She was nervous because she didn’t know anyone and she really didn’t know what to expect. But she had so much fun foraging and playing games and making new friends.”
“My child loved learning how to build a fire and build a fort. He thought heating his lunch over the fire was the coolest things ever. He also really enjoyed foraging and learning about the edible plants.”
The Audubon Discovery Camp counselors are a team made up of current PVAS youth program staff and seasonal counselors. They are selected based on their enthusiasm and experience working with children, and their knowledge and interest in the natural world. We’re committed to hiring caring staff members who are passionate about the mission of enriching lives by inspiring passion for nature. Camp staff have participated in extensive staff training, have current certifications in first aid and CPR, and have passed background checks. You can read more about our team here.
Have questions about camp?
Call 681-252-1387 or e-mail DayCamp@PotomacAudubon.org