Classes filling quickly! Enroll today.

Nature & Sustainability
Smiling nature camp students surrounded by a tortoise
Home / Summer Camp / Departments / Nature & Sustainability

Our Summer Nature Program on Long Island

Let Your Child Learn About Ecology, Farming & the Nature Around Them!

 

Usdan’s forest is an ideal place to experience and learn about the natural world. Led by experienced nature educators, this hands-on program helps students foster a connection with the environment through exploration, creativity, and mindfulness. At our Nature Center and Organic Garden, students learn about the plants and wildlife of Usdan, make art from natural materials, care for Usdan’s pets, grow food and other plants, learn about sustainable practices and design, and connect with other nature enthusiasts. 

Nature & Sustainability students will be outdoors all day. When it rains, they will work on projects in well-ventilated studios with windows and doors open. 

For up-to-date information on COVID procedures in the Nature & Sustainability Department, please visit our COVID Updates page.

 

In addition to their three-period Major, Nature & Sustainability students enjoy a rotating one-period Recreational Activity every day with their group. Visit our Recreational Activity page for more information.

Usdan’s forest is an ideal place to experience and learn about the natural world. Led by experienced nature educators, this hands-on program helps students foster a connection with the environment through exploration, creativity, and mindfulness. At our Nature Center and Organic Garden, students learn about the plants and wildlife of Usdan, make art from natural materials, care for Usdan’s pets, grow food and other plants, learn about sustainable practices and design, and connect with other nature enthusiasts. 

Nature & Sustainability students will be outdoors all day. When it rains, they will work on projects in well-ventilated studios with windows and doors open. 

For up-to-date information on COVID procedures in the Nature & Sustainability Department, please visit our COVID Updates page.

In addition to their three-period Major, Nature & Sustainability students enjoy a rotating one-period Recreational Activity every day with their group. Visit our Recreational Activity page for more information.

 

Hands-On Ecology, Sustainability, and Gardening Classes For Kids

Usdan’s forest is an ideal place to experience and learn about the natural world. This hands-on program, led by experienced nature educators, helps students foster a connection with the environment through exploration, creativity, and mindfulness. At our Nature Center and Organic Garden, students learn about the plants and wildlife of Usdan, make art from natural materials, grow food and other plants, learn about sustainable practices and design, and connect with other nature enthusiasts. Nature & Sustainability students spend most of their day outdoors.  

 

 

Summer Camp Busing for Long Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens Kids

For over fifty years, Usdan has offered an enriching summer camp experience to children all over the region, from Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn in New York City, to Port Washington and Huntington, and all over Nassau and Suffolk counties. Usdan offers busing to and from camp from convenient central pickup locations. For more information on busing, please visit our Transportation page. 

 

 

 

Classes

Link

Nature, Ecology & Design

Available for
  • 4-Week A
  • 4-Week B
Major and Minor classes
Usdan green laurel icon
Usdan green laurel icon

Nature, Ecology & Design

4-Week A

Major: Grades 2–6
Minor: Grades 2–6
REC - N/A

4-Week B

Major: Grades 2–6
Minor: Grades 2–6
REC - N/A

1-Week Rec

MAJOR - N/A
MINOR - N/A
REC - N/A

Usdan’s amazing woodland setting provides an ideal opportunity to explore Long Island’s vibrant ecosystems. Get your hands dirty as you gain an appreciation for the natural world, viewed through the lenses of creativity and sustainability. Connect with nature through learning, mindfulness, observation, and reflection under the guidance of experienced nature educators. Learn about plants, wildlife, sustainable practices, and more with daily activities in gardening, art-making, and forest exploration. Students remain outdoors except when it rains; then they continue their projects in a studio with plenty of windows, exposed to their natural surroundings. 

“You get to see animals, do crafts, go on hikes, and make new friends.”
—Jayden

 

 

Department Faculty & Staff