Nocturnal Camp

🌙 As the sun sets and darkness falls, a whole new world awakens!

 🌌 At ONSC’s Nocturnal Camp, campers (ages 12-16) dive into the mysteries of the night while the daytime world sleeps.

🌲 Each night, they’ll explore deeper, staying up a little later to uncover nature’s secrets. On the final night, they’ll stay awake till dawn to witness the world transition from night back into day! 🌄✨

Ready to embrace the night? 🦉🌠

Registration will close at 4:00 pm on Tuesday, November 19th.

Ages 12-16

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.

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. 

Tentative Camp Schedule:

Sat, Nov 23

• 8:30am - Arrival & Registration

• 9:00am - Staff-Parent-Camper Meeting

• 9:45am - Parents depart

• 10:00am - Camper mtg. & orientation

• 11:00am - Name games / ice-breakers

• 12:00pm - Lunch

• 1:00pm - Nature Journal construction & Naturalist notes

• 2:00pm - Field Investigation with snack break

• 4:45pm - Return to campus, tick check, bathrooms

• 5:00pm - Down Time

• 5:30pm - Dinner

• 6:30pm - FrogWatch/Herpetology

• 7:30pm - Campfire with s'mores

• 8:30pm - Night Hike

• 10:15pm - Campers in lodges

Sun, Nov 24

• 8:30am - Wake up

• 9:30am - Breakfast

• 10:15am - Eco-Art

• 12:00pm - Snack

• 12:30pm - Rec Time

• 2:00pm - Lunch

• 3:00pm - Creekside Trail hike with snack

• 4:45pm - Return to campus, tick check, bathrooms

• 5:00pm - Downtime in the Lodges

• 6:30pm - Lunar Cycles Class

• 7:30pm - Dinner

• 8:15pm - Astronomy Viewing in Field (alt Constellation stories in Pavilion or Ewing)

• 9:45pm - Snack & Bathroom Break

• 10:15pm - Extended Night Hike

• 12:30am - Return to campus, tick check, bathrooms

• 12:45am - Campers in Lodges

Mon, Nov 25

• 11:00am - Wake Up

• 12:00pm - Breakfast

• 1:00pm - Class (TBD)

• 2:00pm - Active and/or quiet rec time

• 3:00pm - Snack and eco-art/crafts

• 4:30pm - Downtime in Lodges

• 5:30pm - Lunch

• 6:30pm - Night Journaling

• 7:00pm - Campfire w/Lorax play and snack

• 8:30pm - Downtime in Lodges or a Movie in Ed building

• 11:00pm - Dinner

• 12:00am - Extended night hike

Tue, Nov 26

• 4:45am - Return to campus, tick check, bathrooms

• 5-6:30am - Night Games!

• 6:30am - Listen to the Birds Awakening!

• 7:00am - Watch the Sun rise!

• 7:15am - Breakfast

• 8:00am - Back to Lodges to SLEEP!

• 4:30pm - Wake Up and get packed up

• 5:15pm - Take luggage to pavilion

• 5:30pm - "Lunch"/Dinner; Parents arrive, store time, departures

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

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 issued

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.

About the Instructors:

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

Questions? Please email School Program and Camp Manager, Breana Patterson at breana.patterson@onsc.us with any questions.