Winter Weekend Family Camp

Winter Weekend Family Camp

December 15-17, 2023

Join us at ONSC for a weekend of Winter Wonders!  We will explore the various adaptations of animals and plants over the winter months, learn how to find and identify signs of animals in the wintertime (especially tracks and scat), winter tree identification, winter weather phenomena, and much more!  

The fun doesn’t end in the evening – we will have campfires both nights, with a night hike on Friday and Astronomy viewing in the ONSC meadow on Saturday.  On Sunday, there will be an optional off-site visit to the Kings River Overlook just down the road from ONSC.

All ages welcome. Parent or guardian must accompany children under 10 years old.

Scholarships available. Apply here.

Astronomy Night Details: Join ONSC on the evening of Saturday, December 16th for an ONSC Astronomy Night, complete with a dinner in the lovely Ewing Center dining hall, followed by a campfire in the Lewis Pavilion with constellation stories told by ONSC naturalist staff, and astronomy viewing in the meadow with ONSC staff and a guest astronomy instructor, Glenn Roberts, a member of the Astronomical Society of Northwest Arkansas.  The remote location of ONSC will allow for a wonderful view of the night sky through night binoculars and telescopes, and knowledgeable instructors will help point out the visible celestial objects and share information about them.  The night sky of December 16th will be only a few days after the new moon, and just after the peak of the Geminid meteor shower, and should be excellent for viewing the planets Jupiter and Saturn, among many winter constellations, the Milky Way, and more.

Ticket Options (scroll down to purchase tickets):

• Full Weekend Ticket, $175: includes all activities, meals, and lodging from Friday at 5pm until Sunday at 10am.
• Saturday - Sunday Ticket, $125: includes all activities, meals, and lodging from Saturday at 8am until Sunday at 10am.
• Saturday Astronomy Night Only, $35: includes Saturday dinner, campfire, and astronomy viewing.

Tentative Schedule:

Friday Evening Option

5-6PM: Check-in & Move into lodges

6PM: Dinner

7PM: Campfire

7:45PM: Night Hike

9PM: Back to lodges

Saturday

7:30AM:Breakfast

8-8:30AM: Check-in & Move into lodges (for those who didn’t arrive on Friday night)

8:30-9:30AM: Winter Adaptations Class

9:30-9:45AM: Bathroom Break & preparing for hike

9:45AM-12:15PM: Boti Field Investigation (Winter Wonders Hike)

12:15-12:30PM: Hike clean-up and Bathroom Break

12:30PM: Lunch

1:30-2:30PM: Optional Store Time, Winter Scavenger Hunt, and/or Break Time

2:30-2:45PM: Prepare for Hike

2:45-5:30PM: Bluff Field Investigation (More Winter Wonders!)

5:30-6PM: Hike clean-up and Bathroom Break

6:00PM: Dinner

7:00PM: Campfire w/Constellation Stories

7:45-9:30PM: Astronomy Viewing in the Meadow

Sunday

7:30AM: Breakfast

8:30AM: Packing/Free Time

9AM: Caravan to Kings River Overlook

10:30-11AM: Depart from Kings River Overlook

About The Instructors

Read bios for all ONSC Teacher Naturalists and other staff here.

Glenn Roberts, Guest Astronomy Instructor, is a member of the Astronomical Society of Northwest Arkansas. He was born and raised in Madison County, Arkansas. After graduating high school, he received his degree in biology from Hendrix College. He attended and graduated from the University of Tennessee School of Dentistry and returned to his hometown of Huntsville to practice.  He retired in 2020 and now enjoy woodcarving, jewelry making, astronomy and most of all his two children, two granddaughters, and is eagerly awaiting the birth of twin great-granddaughters in the spring of 2024.