“Nature lessons are life lessons.”
Rapp Nature Camp is set in southern Rappahannock County, Virginia and is a summertime day camp for boys and girls ages 8 to 16 years old. The 2020 Summer Sessions will be our 35th year!
The goals of the camp are:
• to awaken an interest in our wonderfully beautiful and diverse natural surroundings
• to observe living plants and animals in their natural habitats
• to understand the role of human beings in this shared environment
• to have fun and make new discoveries every day
Campers explore the forests, meadows, rivers and ponds of the Singing Creek property and surrounding areas, including the Shenandoah National Park which is within walking distance. The camp’s home base is on the Hazel River, two miles west of Route 231. Some of our favorite places to explore are: the Hazel River, Frog Pond, Secret Garden, Puckwudgie Tree, Azalea Rocks and our own individual Quiet Spots.
Rapp Nature Camp remains one of few camps that allows children to completely immerse themselves in nature.
Our camp is a two-week educational program. Camp days are Mondays – Fridays from 9:00am – 3:00pm. Activities are almost all outdoors and include games and songs, hiking, identifying butterflies and moths, learning to recognize all kinds of snakes, assessing water quality, catching and releasing wild animals, caring for flowers and trees, and producing a camp newspaper (News From Singing Creek — see it here). Note that all campers will be expected to participate in all activities including writing, drawing and oral presentations, and one night of camping. Be prepared to get wet and muddy too!
** COVID-19 UPDATE **
While we probably won’t be certain until late May about the effects of Coronavirus restrictions, we very much hope that our summer camp sessions will happen as scheduled in June and July. We still have spaces in both summer sessions and we encourage all interested campers to apply as soon as you can. In the event of cancellation due to Coronavirus restrictions, we will fully refund all tuition and deposit payments. As of now, we hope to see you at camp!
2020 SUMMER CAMP Session 1: (ages 8 to 12)
June 15 – June 26 $350
2020 SUMMER CAMP Session 2: (ages 12 to 16)
June 29 – July 10 $350
DOWNLOAD 2020 SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION FORM HERE.
See some photos from 2017 here.
“Here at camp and many other places, I’ve seen many forms of nature. From creek to mountain, from forest to beach. And I’ve found to adapt, learn from it, and respect it…. The creek teached me about life. Everyone is a stick that falls into the creek. You flow through life hitting bumpy rapids with problems. When the stick is stuck on land or between two rocks then life is over. It’s a fact that we’re all sticks in the creek, it can keep moving or it can stop at any time.”
-Joe W. (camper 2007)
Photo Credit: Top Header: Session 2 Campers Bottom: Campers beekeeping.