Trailside Discovery offers participants a challenging, fun, and unique program based on the philosophy that the natural environment is an ideal site for community-based learning.  The Trailside Discovery experience provides children with nature-based opportunities and assists youth in developing attributes that will later enable them to work alongside others in a non-adversarial and mutually beneficial fashion.



Trailside Discovery’s success stems from our ability to create an atmosphere conducive to expanding interest, appreciation, and knowledge of the natural environment.  Programs emphasize natural science & history, outdoor skills, and leadership development.  Furthermore, campers learn first-hand about stewardship while attending camp.  Service projects comprise a key component of each camp program - in the past two years campers and staff have completed more than 1,000 service hours while assisting community projects at the Campbell Creek Science Center alone!  Trailside campers have demonstrated that youth enjoy making a positive impact in their world, so they spend a short part of each week-long session planting trees, engaging in trail maintenance, removing invasive plants, working on stream bed erosion projects or the like.  Even the youngest campers (ages 4-5) participate in environmental stewardship by watering the grounds and picking up litter.  The result of these community projects coupled with our extraordinary experiential education programs equates in youth who not only become invested in caring for the land, but who are now able to make informed decisions regarding how to use natural resources wisely.