Summer Camps for Kids, Teens & Families in Minnesota

Audubon Center of the North Woods:
The Audubon Center of the North Woods, located in Sandstone, east-central Minnesota, is a private, non-profit, residential environmental learning center (RELC), and it is a leader in offering meaningful nature experiences to people of all ages. Through our Summer Youth Camps Program, we will provide an opportunity to engage kids in nature through immersion in the wild outdoors to promote environmental awareness, compassion and leadership and an ethic of care for the earth. It is also a wildlife rehabilitation facility, and conference and retreat center.

To instill a connection and commitment to the environment in people of all communities through experiential learning.

We also strive to provide the best environmental experiences for the thousands of K-12 students who come to our center from across the state for our year round K-12 Program for Schools. Our highest quality environmental education programs along with our optimal location, makes us the best choice for environmental programming reasons.

Accreditations:
The Audubon Center is accredited by the North Central Association and offers residential environmental education experiences to schools.

Quality Education:
ACNW combines a diverse sanctuary, 30 years of experience, and a staff that includes the K-12 Programs Coordinator, a Wildlife Coordinator, Adventure Coordinator, and professional naturalists and interns from the U.S. and around the world.

Programs / Courses:

- Summer Kids / Youth Camp Programs:
* Outdoor Family Camp
* Mix & Match Day Camp (Adventure & Wildlife Options)
* Feathered Friends Day Camp
* Forts, Fires, & Fishing Overnight Camp
* Ways of Wildlife Overnight Camp
* State Park Sampler Overnight Camp

- K-12 School Programs (Year Round):
* Wildlife Educational Programs
* Outdoor / Adventure / Environmental Programs
* Natural History & Science Programs
* Team-Building Programs

- College Programs (Spring & Fall):
* Various undergraduate, graduate, and teacher training opportunities

Our Vision:
A healthy planet where all people live in balance with the Earth.

- We demonstrate respect, care and passion for the earth, all people and all living things.
- We strive for excellence in everything we do through integrity, open communication and teamwork.
- Individuals are valued, engaged and appreciated for their unique contributions.
- We believe in life-long learning through positive shared experiences with the natural world.
- Our efforts encourage others to recognize their interconnectedness with the earth through their actions.

Outdoor Educational Environment:
Our 535 acre site includes a variety of wetlands, forests and prairies. Staff uses the outdoors as the primary classroom and students are outside for the majority of classes. In addition to the great outdoors, we feature a variety of indoor areas including a wildlife classroom, wetlands cabin, science and international classrooms and a yurt.

All of these are utilized to enhance the outdoor learning experience. Some other facility highlights include: - maple syruping shack - bird banding station - wetlands boardwalk and bird blind - ojibwe tipi and wigwam for cultural studies - adventure ropes (high and low) - climbing wall - group initiatives course - wildlife barn.