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• Summer Camps

EcoRangers

Each summer, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center sponsors summer camps for students called Eco-Rangers. These camps introduce students to different concepts of science, art and the social sciences and how they relate to southeast Texas.  A low student-to-teacher ratio enhances hands-on learning in natural environments.  Depending on the camp, students may explore different ecosystems by testing water, searching for organisms, and engaging in many other hands-on activities. 

Applications – will be posted to the website on April 15, 2011.  They will be due no later than June 10, 2011.  All enrollment is first-come, first-serve to applicants who complete all paperwork.  All four pages of the application must be initialed by one parent.  Both parents are required to sign in three places.  If there are extenuating circumstances and both parents cannot sign the form, there is space on the application for an explanation. Complete immunization records must accompany the application.  Applications are not considered complete and will not be processed without all medical documentation.  

2011 EcoRangers Application

Program Guidelines

Due to construction at Shangri La this summer, some of the programs are half day and some programs will run full day.  For details on each program, see below.  Children should dress appropriately for the weather and activities.  Tennis shoes required.  Sunscreen, bug repellant, hat and labeled water bottle will help your child be comfortable.  There is no child care before 8:30am, and no after-care provided when the daily session ends. 

Sessions:

Garden Gurus, June 27 – July 1, 8:30am – 12:00pm, for students entering grades 3 and 4.
Do you like to dig in the dirt and watch plants grow?  If so, then this camp is for you!  Each day we will explore a different topic in the garden with games, hands-on activities, and crafts.  We will tend the gardens of Shangri La, harvest ripe vegetables, conduct science experiments, learn how to compost, sing songs, play games, and much more.  Students should bring a snack each day. 

Let’s go Fishing!, July 5-8, 8:30am – 12:00pm, for students entering grades 3 and 4
Come fishing with me!  This week at Shangri La we’ll learn about fish and try and catch some too!  Do they sleep with their eyes open?  What is the fastest fish in the world?  Can a fish fly?  What do they need to survive and just how old are they anyways?  All these questions and more will be answered!!  This week you will also learn the skills required to be certified as a Texas Parks and Wildlife Junior Angler!  So come on, let’s go fish!  Students should bring a snack each day.

What’s Bugging You?, July 18-22, 8:30am – 12:00pm, for students entering grades 5 and 6
If you like creepy, crawly things, you’ll love this camp!  We’ll spend our days capturing and studying insects, spiders and other arthropods to learn about their habitats and behaviors. We’ll create a photo collection, and we will dissect a grasshopper at the end of the week! Students should bring a snack each day. 

Flocks of Feathered Friends, July 25-29, 8:30am – 2:30pm, for students entering grades 6, 7, 8
In partnership with the Stark Museum of Art
Join us for bird week! We will study these flying creatures at Shangri La, learn their names and draw them in our nature journals. Campers will learn about famous naturalist-artist John James Audubon, who loved to draw birds. We will visit the Stark Museum of Art to see Audubon’s art and learn about his printmaking process. Then, campers will make a book of the birds of Shangri La using their own drawings of our feathered friends. Campers will play bird games, learn about birding, and try printmaking techniques.  Students should bring a snack and a sack lunch each day.

Colors to Dye For, August 1-5, 8:30am – 2:30pm, for students entering grades 4 and 5 
In partnership with the Stark Museum of Art
Come discover the wonders of the plants around us and the colors they give artists.  During this camp, we will explore the Elements of Art and create weavings from natural dyes and plant materials.  Students will learn to spin their own yarn and make their own dyes for their weaving project.  We will learn about plant life, experiment with dyes, and gather natural materials at Shangri La.  At the Stark Museum of Art we will take inspiration from the Southwest weaving collection, look at Native American traditions, and tour the works of naturalist-artists.  Students should bring a snack and a sack lunch each day.