2-day, 1-night Fledgling Exploration Camp at ONSC

🐦Fledgling Overnight Camp - First-Time Camper Adventure🐦

📅 Monday, July 6 – Tuesday, July 7, 2026

📍ONSC Main Campus – 1905 Madison 1305, Huntsville, AR 72740

⭐Ages 7-12⭐

Calling all young explorers! Fledgling Camp is the perfect introduction to overnight adventures—but it’s not just for first-time campers. Whether it’s your child’s very first night away from home or they’ve experienced camp before, this safe, fun-filled stay lets kids discover nature, make friends, and try hands-on science.

Throughout the camp, campers will:

🏕️ Experience an exciting overnight camp in a supportive and engaging environment

🌳 Explore nature on guided hikes, learning about local plants, animals, and ecosystems

🔥 Enjoy campfire traditions with stories, songs, and s’mores

🌌 Take a mini night hike to see the wonder of the outdoors after dark

🎲 Participate in fun group games and activities designed to inspire curiosity

🧪 Engage in hands-on science lessons that make learning exciting and interactive

👥 Join small, age-appropriate groups for hikes and activities, building friendships and confidence

📍 Hosted at ONSC’s Main Campus, Fledgling Camp is the perfect way for kids to start—or continue—their love of nature, science, and overnight adventures. 🌲✨

Scholarships:

We strive to make ONSC programs accessible and affordable for all. In addition to ONSC's regular scholarship fund, we have been given a generous grant from the Walton Family Foundation so we can provide more camp scholarships. Apply here for a scholarship.

Registration:

Step 1: Purchase tickets below

Step 2: Complete the Camper Registration Form​ for each camper

Step 3: Be on the lookout for a packing list and info packet which will be sent out before camp to the email address you provided!

Lodging:

Students will stay in ONSC's lodges, and will be assigned to rooms by age and gender. 

Chaperones:

We have a limited number of free tickets for parent chaperones. We will need at least one male and one female chaperone for each age group with a maximum of 6 total chaperones. We strive to assign chaperones to field groups that don't include their own child(ren), to allow all students an authentic feeling of "camp independence." However, exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis.

An interview and background check are required to become a chaperone. 

Event Minimums & Cancellations

Please note: ONSC events require a minimum number of participants to cover overhead costs. If this minimum is not met, we reserve the right to cancel the event. Registered participants will be notified promptly and any fees paid will be fully refunded.

Tentative camp schedule and details:(Note: specific classes and activities are subject to change)

Day 1 

• 7:30am - Arrival, check in at pavilion, parents assist campers with lodge move-in 

• 8am - Staff-Parent-Camper Meeting in Ewing Center 

  • *Note: Parents can leave their camper with us at 8:00am if they've attended the virtual meeting, or after the meeting concludes. Parents may stay for the lodge orientation and additional move-in time if desired.

• 8:45am - Lodge Orientation (in each lodge), additional move-in time

• 9:45am - Camper Meeting 

• 10am - Name Games / Ice-Breakers

• 11am - Field Journal Activity 

• 12pm - Lunch

• 1pm - Field Investigation (guided hike)

• 3:30pm - Downtime on the Deck

• 4:30pm - Creek Critters Class

• 5:30pm - Dinner  

• 6:30pm - Campfire with S’mores

• 8:00pm - Night hike

Day 2 

• 8am - Breakfast

• 9am - Field Investigation (guided hike)

• 12pm - Lunch

• 1pm - Lodges - packing

• 2pm - Recreation Time (active and quiet options)

• 3pm - Discovery of the Specimen Class + Meet Cornelia the Corn Snake

• 4:30pm - Group Photo and Camp Stories

• 5pm - Dinner

• 5-6pm - Parents arrive, store time, departure

2026 Summer Overnight Camps - all are 4-day/3-night camps unless otherwise noted

May 23-25, 2026(2-night stay) 

June 1-4, 2026

June 8-9, 2026 (1-night stay fledgling camp)

June 16-19, 2026

June 22-25, 2026

June 29-30, 2026 (1-night stay fledgling camp)

July 6-7, 2026 (1-night stay fledgling camp)

Guided Hike Topics Include (but are not limited to):

Natural Science Topics – Adaptations and Natural Selection, Food Webs, Geology and the Rock Cycle, Human and Cultural History (Osage Native Americans and Settlers), Phenology and Seasonal Changes, Succession and Natural History, Symbiosis, Water Quality-Biotic and Abiotic Testing, Weather, Weathering and Erosion, Watersheds, and The Four Spheres: Atmosphere, Biosphere, Geosphere, & Hydrosphere

Wilderness Exploration Topics – Mentality for Outdoor Exploration, Physical Preparedness, Wilderness Safety, Monitoring and Adjusting for Environmental Conditions, Emergency Action Plans, Comfort Management, Materials and Tools Found in Nature, Wild Edibles and Foraging, Water Quality and Purification

About the Instructors:

Visit www.onsc.us/staff to learn more about our Teacher Naturalists and other staff.

About Ozark Natural Science Center: ONSC offers a unique, immersion-based approach to learning about nature and the natural sciences. Students visit us for authentic science learning experiences that are correlated with national and state science learning standards and provide in-depth education in biology, ecology, geology, social studies, and nature art – all while students have fun hiking and experiencing nature. Camp activities include  hikes, team-building, games, art, and small-group activities.

Ticket Refund Policy:

• Refunds up to 1 week before the event: Tickets are refundable minus any applicable fees (processing, administrative, etc.) until 7 days before the event.

• Refunds within 1 week of the event: For refund requests made less than 7 days prior to the event, a 50% refund will be given.

• No refunds within 24 hours of the event: Refund requests made within 24 hours of the event are not permitted, except in exceptional circumstances and only with approval from ONSC administration.

*Please note that all refund requests must be submitted in writing to jill.bowman@onsc.us. Refunds will be processed within 7-10 business days.

Questions? Please email Programs and Communications Manager, Jill Bowman at jill.bowman@onsc.us with any questions about ONSC Overnight Camps.