Summer Sanctuary Adventures 2025

The 2025 season will run from July 7 – August 21, 2025 for 7 sessions of outdoor fun! Each session offers children the opportunity to explore nature in a fun, safe environment within the 14 acres of the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center, located in Oyster Bay, NY. Each day is filled with a variety of fun and exciting activities, including hikes along our trails, meet-and-greets with our animal ambassadors, nature-themed games and crafts, and so much more! 

Our talented and passionate staff create an inclusive and engaging environment where children can make friends and foster a life-long passion for nature and the world around them. All staff members must pass background checks and are required to hold current CPR and First Aid certifications.

Registration opens on Monday, February 24, 2025 at 6:00 AM. Register online.

Camp Hours and Length: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Monday – Thursday. Paid after- and before-care is available with registration.

Camp Age Groups: Children will be sorted based on the age they will be at the time of the session(s) they attend.

Chickadees	Ages 5 – 6
Blue Jays	Ages 7 – 9
Eagles*	Ages 10 – 12
CIT (Counselor in Training)*	Ages 13 – 17

*Only 13 year olds entering 9th grade in the fall are eligible to become a CIT. Parents/guardians of children turning 13 before or during the summer must contact julie.nelsen@audubon.org to register them as an Eagle for the season.

Pricing: 

Regular Session	$410/child
Survival Overnight (July 18 – 19 | Ages 10 – 14)	$150/child
CIT Program	Contact julie.nelsen@audubon.org
Before Care (8:30 AM - 9:00 AM)	$10 per child per day
After Care (3:30 PM - 4:00 PM)	$10 per child per day

Summer 2025 Sessions:

Session 1 (July 7 – 10)—Marine Marvels: Glaciers shaped Long Island to look like a fish! Crazy! The Long Island Sound is the best nursery school for marine creatures to grow up in. Seine and dip net to classify different species of fish, crabs and bivalves in our cove. Learn about water birds and sail into the sun during our cardboard boat regatta! Eagles (ages 10 – 12) will get a one day kayak adventure during this session.

Session 2 (July 14 – 17)—Survival 101: The outdoors is the perfect “escape room” for kids who will WANT to stay!  This week, they will design and build shelters, create items they will need for wilderness survival using select items from group backpacks, and learn teambuilding skills as you navigate through our trails. Campers learn everything from water filtration to and participate in challenges that test their outdoor skills.

Survival Overnight (Friday, July 18, 3:00 PM – Saturday, July 19, 1:00 PM): (Ages 10 – 14 only) Test the outdoor skills you learned in Survival 101 and spend the night camping under the stars! Includes 1-night campout under the stars at the Sanctuary. We'll practice these new skills with team building, leadership, and games, along with a night hike and campfire meals! See below for more information.

Session 3 (July 21 – 24)—Walk on the Wild Side: Unearth and discover some of the coolest animals that live at the sanctuary. From bugs to frogs, deer to woodchucks, and turtles to birds.  Learn how to track and explore, get muddy, and make your very own bug boxes. Meet some local feathered celebrities at our raptor program, dissect owl pellets and learn why they are some of our top predators on Long Island.

Session 4 (July 28 – 31)—Outdoor Olympics: This week is filled with trail games, tug of war, low ropes, color run, obstacle courses, trail runs, and team building games that are designed for kids to work together to solve problems and complete challenges. This includes an all-camp fun color run on the trails! Campers make and collect medals throughout each challenge.

Session 5 (August 4 – 7)—Marine Marvels: Glaciers shaped Long Island to look like a fish! Crazy! The Long Island Sound is the best nursery school for marine creatures to grow up in. Seine and dip net to classify different species of fish, crabs and bivalves in our cove. Learn about water birds and sail into the sun during our cardboard boat regatta! Eagles (ages 10 – 12) will get a one day kayak adventure during this session.

Session 6 (August 11 – 14)—Survival 102: This week is the next level up from Survival 101 week. Campers will create fire starters, prepare and cook over a campfire, make tools from natural materials, and gain skills in first aid, plant and tree identification, knot tying, and more! Eagles (ages 10 – 12) will even get the opportunity to master archery. Participants do not need to attend Survival 101 to register for this session. 

Session 7 (August 18 – 21)—Outdoor Olympics: This week is filled with trail games, tug of war, low ropes, color run, obstacle courses, trail runs, and team building games that are designed for kids to work together to solve problems and complete challenges. This includes an all-camp fun color run on the trails! Campers make and collect medals throughout each challenge.

Family Campfire Thursdays (Every session)—Family members are welcome to join us on Thursdays at 2:30 PM for s’mores and a skit from your kiddos!

Survival Overnight (July 18 – 19)

Back by popular demand! Sleep under the stars in a tent at the Sanctuary! Utilize your new survival skills with team building, leadership, games, and activities, including a night hike and campfire meals! Campers can bring their own tents or borrow one of ours, and can bunk with a friend(s) based on tent size. Dinner, smores and snacks will be provided, along with lunch on Saturday morning. In the event of inclement weather, the campers will sleep in the main room of our center building.

Drop off is Friday, July 18th at 3:00 PM and pick up is Saturday, July 19th at 1:00 PM. Ages 10-14 only. For more information, email julie.nelsen@audubon.org

Counselor In Training Program

Spend a week at camp gaining valuable leadership experience and having fun outdoors! Assist with organizing activities, games, and crafts as you make connections with your fellow CITs and learn more about what it takes to be a camp counselor.

Available during all sessions for ages 13–17. Registration for the CIT program is not via CampDoc.

Email julie.nelsen@audubon.org to learn how to become a CIT for one of our sessions. Limited space available. 

Cancellation Policy

• Notice of two weeks or more: Receive a 75% refund
• Less than two weeks notice: Receive a credit toward an alternative 2025 summer session (subject to availability)

CampDoc Registration FAQ

• Do I need to fill out the Health Profile to complete my registration?
  • You do NOT need to fill out the Health Profile immediately after registering your child. If you are  registering multiple children, please register ALL  children before filling out the Health Profile. Health Profiles must be completed before your child's session begins.
• I've set up my child as a New Participant in CampDoc. Does this mean they are registered for their sessions of choice?
  • No, creating a New Participant does not guarantee you a spot in any of our sessions. 
• How will my child be assigned to their group?
  • Group assignments are based on age at time of camp session(s) they are attending, not at time of registration.
• The session I wished to sign my child up for has sold out! Is there any way you can fit them in?
  • ​All sessions offer a waitlist that you can sign your child(ren) up for. As spots open in our sessions, we will contact people on the waitlist in order of sign up to fill these spots. Please be sure your contact information is up-to-date to ensure we are able to reach you in the event of an open spot!

Email additional questions to Julie Nelsen, Education Manager, at julie.nelsen@audubon.org.