Likewise, summer programs are starting to take flight onsite. Each year, the Randall Davey Audubon Center runs day camp programs for the months of June and July. Camps are the longest running education program at the Center, with some multigenerational camp families now in our midst. Our camps spend their days exploring different science topics, from wildlife biology to art and nature, birds, insects, chemistry, and more! Campers explore nature, play games, and build relationships in our classrooms, gardens, outdoor classrooms, and out on the trail. 

This summer, we are slated to have almost 300 campers onsite, 12 scholarship campers, 11 teen volunteers, and 5 seasonal educators. So far, our campers have enjoyed hiking around the center in the early summer rains, created impressive critter crafts, and enjoyed water play on the hotter days! All of these experiences are geared to providing a variety of hands-on activities that help connect kids with the outdoors, science ideas, and our conservation work happening around the Center. We have five great camp educators who have joined us for the summer and have been working hard to create a fun and safe learning environment for all our camp kids.

In 2025, we have fun new partnerships that help our campers connect with community members and engage in some fun hands-on activities! Campers helped break ground on our new educational garden with help from our Senior Facilities Assistant, Julian Hardage-Vergeer, and the Santa Fe Master Gardeners.

Our older art camps tried screen printing during a special visit from the Art To Go truck from the  Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. The Santa Fe Raptor Center will also be returning this year with live ambassador birds for our wildlife camps.   

In addition to our on-site camp programs, Audubon Southwest also continues to partner with the Santa Fe Community Educators Network, City of Santa Fe’s Summer Recreation program, and Santa Fe Public Schools to offer enriching and fun educational programs to other campers throughout the city. Our Outreach Educator, Kanah Waltman, will engage more than 250 campers through offsite field trips that connect kids with nature and birds, ensuring that we are providing equitable access to outdoor learning all summer long. 

As always, this year is shaping up to be a summer full of wonder, excitement, exploration, and fun! 

Most on-site camps are full for the summer, with the exception of a few spots in the older camp (8-12 years old) at the end of the summer. More details about summer camp can be found at randalldavey.audubon.org/camp.