2019 Camp Offerings 

Buzz! Quack! Croak! Caw!
Learn about the unique features of five main animal groups: birds, reptiles, insects, amphibians, and mammals when we visit five different locations in the park. Test your eagle eyes, bug out, come out of your shell, and make new friends during daily camp activities that include a puppet show with Ollie the Opossum, nature songs, art activities, stories, and lots of outdoor experiences. Join us for a week of fun in the wild!

Campers must be 4 yrs. old by the first day of camp.
Expand to see camp session dates below.
Waiting lists are available for sessions that are full. No fee to register online for a waiting list. 

Could you escape a spider’s web, outfox a fox, and blindly find a cricket in a dark cave? Find out as we put our senses and defenses to nature’s test. This camp is sure be a wild time as we use all our senses to explore the tricks animals use to survive in the wild. Excellent eyesight, creative camouflage, tongues that smell and stinky sprays are some of the animal adaptations we’ll explore. Each day will be a new adventure filled with plenty of time outdoors exploring and playing nature games that bring the senses into sharper focus. 

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Waiting lists are available for sessions that are full. No fee to register online for a waiting list. 

We are abuzz with the awesome abilities (and responsibilities) of pollinators from honeybees to hummingbirds and butterflies to moths. Enjoy a daily hike to pollinator habitats to learn what makes them experts in their fields! Join fellow nature nuts in games that explore how pollinators do their greatest work, focus on an up close look at the microscopic and colorful world of pollen, make your own wildflower seed bomb, and visit the outdoor observation hive to see honeybees at work. Cap off the week with a pollination celebration, where together we will pledge to explore, conserve, and protect our pollinator habitats.

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Waiting lists are available for sessions that are full. No fee to register online for a waiting list. 

Enjoy solving mysteries?  Become one of our digging detectives uncovering clues to Quarry Hill’s historical past. Who once lived here? How did they use the land? What did they leave behind? Get ready for excavations, explorations, and plenty of downright dirty fun as we examine artifacts throughout the park!

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Waiting lists are available for sessions that are full. No fee to register online for a waiting list. 

Slugs, bugs, and spiders, oh my! Spend the week based out of our brand new Prairie House where we will use a variety of games and hands-on activities to explore the secretive world of some of nature’s most misunderstood creatures. We will hunt high and low; scooping, canoeing and fishing the pond, investigating the cave, and scouring the forests and prairies to find out what makes creepy-crawly creatures so important in our world. From pollination, soil construction, and even food- there are so many critters to catch and get to know.

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Waiting lists are available for sessions that are full. No fee to register online for a waiting list. 

This camp is for the birds… and for those who want to hang out and study their unique adaptations. Campers will learn how to safely capture, band, and release wild birds. The data gathered from those birds is submitted to the USGS Bird Banding Laboratory which directly helps scientists with bird conservation! Campers test their ‘bird brains’ throughout the week with a variety of bird games and activities while also going rock climbing, canoeing, and fishing.

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Waiting lists are available for sessions that are full. No fee to register online for a waiting list. 

Exercise, fresh air, adventure! Ride on city bike trails to study animals and plants as we explore local waterways and other natural areas. Campers must provide a bike, helmet, water bottle, and be able to sustain a biking speed of 1 mile in 8 minutes and a daily distance of 5-10 miles.

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Waiting lists are available for sessions that are full. No fee to register online for a waiting list. 

Have you ever used pine needles for a paintbrush or sand for paint? Be wildly creative when you let nature be your canvas! During this camp we will explore nature through art. Projects include making and using natural paintbrushes, crafting your very own walking stick, tree bark clay sculptures, sand art, and more. Join in and let your imagination run wild. 

 
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Waiting lists are available for sessions that are full. No fee to register online for a waiting list. 

With camera in hand, venture to a unique location in the park each day! Campers will see nature through an all new lens when they photograph snakes, turtles, butterflies, flowers, moss, and fungus. Experiment with light during  a slow shutter speed ’flashlight painting’ session in the cave. Campers learn the basic elements of photography and photo editing using digital cameras and laptops provided by Quarry Hill. Campers are provided with a 4G USB flash drive to take their photos home.

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Waiting lists are available for sessions that are full. No fee to register online for a waiting list. 

Explore the “wilder” side of Rochester by bike. Water and dry land adventures include fishing, canoeing, and fire starting. Bikers must provide a bike with at least 24” wheels and 3 speeds, sack lunch, water bottle, and helmet. To be up to the challenge, bikers should be able to sustain a bike speed to cover 1 mile in less than 6 minutes, and a daily distance of 10+ miles. 

Adventure Biker is an all day camp from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Expand to see camp session dates below.
Waiting lists are available for sessions that are full. No fee to register online for a waiting list. 

If you think hawks, owls and eagles are cool, spend the week learning about raptors and the ancient art of falconry! Learn from a licensed falconer and spend time outdoors working to trap and band wild red-tailed hawks and American kestrels. Hands-on experience with Quarry Hill’s live raptors will help campers gain an appreciation for these powerful but graceful birds.

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Waiting lists are available for sessions that are full. No fee to register online for a waiting list. 

Digging deeper into photography composition techniques, campers will hike to little known reaches of the park for unique photo opportunities. Each day of camp poses a new photographic challenge with opportunity for collaborative editing and review. Digital cameras, computers, and editing software is provided by Quarry Hill. Each camper will receive a 4GB USB drive for photo storage.

Expand to see camp session dates below.
Waiting lists are available for sessions that are full. No fee to register online for a waiting list. 

On your mark, get set, GO! Campers will learn and practice navigating with a GPS, rock climbing, kayaking, fire starting and more. On Friday, campers will put their new skills to the test as they work as a team and try to finish Quarry Hill’s very own amazing race course!

Expand to see camp session dates below.
Waiting lists are available for sessions that are full. No fee to register online for a waiting list. 

Are you ready to get muddy? Good! You provide a sense of adventure; we’ll provide the helmet and headlamp as we head underground. Stalactites and cave bacon await us in the wild cave as we walk and even belly crawl our way through it. We will start at Quarry Hill where we will learn about caves and southeast Minnesota geology. Then we’ll travel by Quarry Hill Critter coach to the wild cave. Campers will receive a packing list before the first day of class. 

One day camp is offered:
July 1, 9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. FULL

Waiting list is available - register online with no fee. 

If you like to get wet, don’t mind being pinched, and love to catch critters, this is your camp! Catch, learn how to handle, mark, and study crayfish at some of the local hot spots. Campers should be prepared to walk in water, use a dip net, and handle crayfish.

Expand to see camp session dates below.
Waiting lists are available for sessions that are full. No fee to register online for a waiting list. 

Help local wildlife by building a variety of structures and feeders to take home to your backyard. Assemble pre-cut kits using hand tools. Throughout the week, we’ll go in search of birds, bugs and small mammals most likely to use and benefit from your work. Projects may include a wren/chickadee and bluebird nest boxes, a bumble bee bungalow, a toad abode, a mason bee apartment, and a hanging platform birdfeeder. 

Expand to see camp session dates below.
Waiting lists are available for sessions that are full. No fee to register online for a waiting list. 

Discover SE Minnesota’s wild side from inside a kayak. Spend the day looking for bald eagles, turtles, great-blue herons and more as we paddle our kayaks down the river. Lunch (and maybe a little swimming) will be at the sand bar of our choice. Campers will need to provide a lunch. In case of high water, area lakes will be explored instead. 

Kayak Paddle is a one day camp offered:
July 2, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. CAMP IS FULL
A waitlist is available - no fees to place your camper on the waitlist online.