Things are always wild at the Bob Jones Nature Center and Preserve, and this year’s Summer Nature Camp was outstanding!
Most communities offer summer camp programming for their young residents during the summer; however, not every municipality is fortunate enough to have miles of the Cross Timbers ecosystem right in their backyard. Every summer, dozens of young nature enthusiasts spend their days hiking at the Bob Jones Nature Center and Preserve, learning about nature, and developing a life-long passion for our local environment. Now that summer is wrapping up and school is almost back in session, we’re taking some time to remember the incredible memories our campers created over the last two months.
Here's a quick recap of what our campers experienced:
Themed Lessons
It wouldn’t be Nature Camp without a weekly theme and lessons to go along with it! Themes this year included Forest Friends, Staying Alive, Birds of a Feather, Insect Investigators, Beneath the Surface, Welcome to the Four Seasons, Survival Skills, and the Circle of Life! Campers learned about the various creatures who call the BJNCP their home, the relationship between predators and prey, the birds over the Southlake sky, insects, and sea creatures!
Outdoor Adventures
The best part about Nature Camp is leaving the classroom behind and walking outside in nature. The Nature Center boasts over 20 miles of hiking trails! Our campers got to apply their classroom knowledge in the field, learning all sorts of valuable skills such as staying on the path, not leaving behind a trace, and spotting local wildlife. Every Friday was Field Day featuring a giant waterslide, pizza lunch, and ice cream!
Off-site Excursions
This year’s camp added extra adventures with exciting field trips every Thursday. Our campers explored the Sea Life Aquarium and Legoland, the Fort Worth Zoo, the Heard Museum, the Dallas Zoo, the Perot Museum, the Dallas Arboretum, and the Trinity River Audubon!
It was a summer to remember! Staff is already gearing up for the Fall season with our award-winning Forest Preschool and Nature Club! We look forward to seeing some familiar faces throughout Autumn!
The Bob Jones Nature Center and Preserve is all about celebrating the gifts of our natural Cross Timbers ecosystem. Fall is the best time to come to the Nature Center and participate in the incredible monarch migration phenomenon.
The fourth-annual Monarch Butterfly Festival is happening on Saturday, September 17, 2022, and you don’t want to miss it. Join us as we release hundreds of Monarch Butterflies into the wild and interact with them first-hand! This community favorite program helps our butterfly friends as they make their epic annual journey into Mexico. Our Nature Center staff is ready to make this an event to remember!
The Monarch Festival is split into three one-and-a-half-hour sessions. Each session has the same activities, including crafts, monarch-related games, snacks, a butterfly house, and more! Please arrive on time for your registered session (8:30 am, 10:15 am, 12:00 pm). Stick around after your session to enjoy the beautiful miles of hiking trails at the Preserve!
Please note that if you are later than 30 minutes to your check-in time, we cannot guarantee a butterfly will still be waiting for you to release.
Registration is required for all participants ages three and up. All ages are welcome! Children ages two and under are free (registration is not required).
We’re so excited to celebrate the magnificent Monarch Butterflies with you and your family!
The Bob Jones Nature Center and Preserve is all about celebrating the gifts of our natural Cross Timbers ecosystem. Fall is the best time to come to the Nature Center and participate in the incredible monarch migration phenomenon.
The fourth-annual Monarch Butterfly Festival is happening on Saturday, September 17, 2022, and you don’t want to miss it. Join us as we release hundreds of Monarch Butterflies into the wild and interact with them first-hand! This community favorite program helps our butterfly friends as they make their epic annual journey into Mexico. Our Nature Center staff is ready to make this an event to remember!
The Monarch Festival is split into three one-and-a-half-hour sessions. Each session has the same activities, including crafts, monarch-related games, snacks, a butterfly house, and more! Please arrive on time for your registered session (8:30 am, 10:15 am, 12:00 pm). Stick around after your session to enjoy the beautiful miles of hiking trails at the Preserve!
Please note that if you are later than 30 minutes to your check-in time, we cannot guarantee a butterfly will still be waiting for you to release.
Registration is required for all participants ages three and up. All ages are welcome! Children ages two and under are free (registration is not required).
We’re so excited to celebrate the magnificent Monarch Butterflies with you and your family!
We are right in the heat of summer, and things are getting wild at our annual Cross Timbers Summer Nature Camp.
Summer camps are an industry staple in Parks and Recreation. Here in Southlake, we are fortunate to offer our young residents various fun and entertaining summer camp options each year. Something that makes our community unique is our proximity to the Cross Timbers and Prairies ecosystem.
Our Cross Timbers Summer Nature Camp is a community favorite and a vital part of Our Park and Recreation Story. This summer, campers get to explore their wild side with fun activities to practice outdoor skills, hike, create arts and crafts, and learn about our local ecosystem.
Here are a few highlights of what Nature Camp has been up to this summer:
With so many out-of-this-world activities, it’s no wonder Nature Camp is such a crowd favorite! But the summer is not over yet.
Here’s a sneak-peak into what campers can look forward to in the weeks to come:
It wouldn’t be a Southlake summer without our summer camps and the incredible staff that make them happen. Part of our Park and Recreation Story is working hard to create life-long memories for our kiddos, and Cross Timbers Nature Camp is the perfect place to get wild!
