Our summer Nature Quest Camp is where adventure awaits amidst the natural beauty of our local arboretum! Led by the Arboretum Education staff, campers embark on exhilarating hikes through our winding trails, discovering diverse tropical flora and a maybe some fauna along the way. Back at camp, budding artists unleash their creativity through nature-inspired art projects, from leaf rubbings and other eco-friendly art activities. Meanwhile, hands-on science experiments deepen campers’ understanding of the natural world, fostering a lifelong appreciation for environmental conservation. Join us for an unforgettable journey of exploration, creativity, and discovery at Nature Quest Camp!
Summer Camp Information
The Lyon Arboretum Education Department would like to invite your children to join us for a week of learning, exploring, and creating in the Mānoa rainforest!
This time our theme is “Nature Quest – Exploring Art and Science at the Arboretum “
Camp will feature outdoor exploration, science investigations, and behind-the-scenes tours at Lyon. Camp participants will do activities including, but not limited to, informal science, hiking the grounds, nature-based arts & crafts projects, and kōkua within our Children’s Garden. The experience takes full advantage of Lyon’s vast plant collection, conservation efforts, and other features that are unique only to Lyon Arboretum.
We hope your child’s experiences at Nature Camp foster a positive relationship with the environment and the image of themselves as land stewards. It promises to be a time of fun-filled learning that your child will always remember!
When
Dates: There are two sessions, one week each.
Week A: Monday, June 3rd – Friday, June 7th FULL
Week B: Monday, June 10th – Friday, June 14th
Families may sign up for week B. Week A is full.
Time: Camp each day goes from 8:30 am – 2:30 pm. Children may be dropped off no earlier than 8:00 am each morning.
Who
This camp session is open to children entering grades K-6 in the next school year. All campers must be 5 or older on the first day of camp.
Campers should be physically able to participate in outdoor activities regardless of the elements (Sun? Rain? Mosquitoes? Mud? No problem!). Camp participants are expected to be able to take direction and follow guidance from the Lyon Education Staff and constructively and safely work together in large or small groups, with up to 14 other children of varying ages and backgrounds.
For each session, the maximum number of campers is 15.
Cost
Week A ( June 3rd-June 7th, five days) – $300
Week B (June 10th-June 14th, five days) – $300
Weeks A and B (Ten days): $600.
No partial payments or discounts.
Refunds
If Lyon Arboretum needs to cancel the camp (e.g., for changes in COVID19-related regulations) all families will be refunded in full.
If a family that has already paid needs to cancel their registration & withdraw their campers, the refund policy will be as follows:
- More than 2 weeks prior to the first day of the camp session in question: A full refund will be issued.
- Less than 2 weeks prior to the first day: A refund of 50% of the cost of the camp will be issued.
- First day of camp or later: no refund or credit will be issued.
If you need to withdraw your camper(s), please notify the Business Office immediately at 808-988-0456 and email LyonEdu@hawaii.edu. Please leave a message with the Business Office if they are unable to answer the phone.
Infectious Disease Safety Notice
Aloha! This page contains information about Lyon’s Nature Camp for Summer Break 2024.
Lyon has hosted several camp sessions since the pandemic began. Masks are encouraged but not required both indoors and outdoors. Lunch and snacks will be enjoyed outdoors. Lyon follows UH’s COVID-19 guidelines: https://www.hawaii.edu/covid19-guidelines/
All families are expected to keep campers who are feeling unwell at home. If a camper exhibits COVID-19 symptoms, their family will be contacted and asked to take them home. Campers who test negative for COVID-19 may be permitted to return to/remain at camp.
If you have any further questions about COVID-19 as it pertains to our camp, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at LyonEdu@hawaii.edu. We hope that together we can have a safe and fun week together in beautiful Mānoa Valley! Mahalo nui!
Registration Dates
Registration is divided into multiple phases.
| Phase 1: Registration opens | Friday, April 12, 2024. NO EARLIER THAN MIDNIGHT (12:00 am Hawaii Standard Time) |
| Send in your Registration Form and Minors Waiver using UH FileDrop (see instructions below). We process all registration forms in the order in which they are received, and we will send you an email to let you know of your campers’ registration status. Your child’s application will not be accepted if it is submitted before registration opens. Please do not attempt to pay until you have been instructed to do so. | |
| Phase 1b: Confirmation or waitlist notification | After registration opens |
If your camper is registered, we will email you to confirm that your camper is on our registration list and send you payment instructions. If your camper is not registered (for example, because all spaces in the camp are already claimed), we will email you to let you know that they are not registered and add you to the waiting list. If you do not hear from us within 3 business days of sending in your camper’s form, please feel free to contact us by email (LyonEdu@hawaii.edu) or phone (808-988-0461). |
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| Phase 2: Payment | After confirmation received |
| PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS ARE DIFFERENT FROM PREVIOUS CAMPS. All families that received confirmation during Phase 1 are expected to pay within 2 weeks of the confirmation email. Payment instructions will be sent in the confirmation email. |
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| Registration closes and deadline to receive pay | Wednesday, May 22nd, 2024 |
| If payment is not received, the camper will be removed from the registration list, and their spot will be offered to the next family on the waiting list. (We will send a reminder before removing a family from the registration list.) | |
How To Register
Your child’s registration is not complete until their forms are received and payment has been made.
- Complete the Children’s Registration Form (click to open PDF).
- It is helpful but not required if you name the file something like “LastName-CamperFirstName-Info.”
- We prefer that you send us a typed, electronically filled version of this form. (It is a form-fillable PDF.) However, sending us another format (e.g., printed, handwritten, and scanned) will not negatively affect your registration.
- Indicate which session: Session A (Week1), Session B (Week 2), or both Session A and B on the Session Name line.
- Complete the Minors Waiver for camp (click to open PDF).
- It is helpful if the filename is something like “LastName-CamperFirstName-Waiver.”
- You will need to print and sign this form, then send us an electronic version.
- A PDF or a good-quality (legible, not blurry, well-lit) photograph are both acceptable.
- When registration opens: Send both documents securely to the Lyon Arboretum Education Department using UHFileDrop.
- Full instructions for using UH FileDrop to send your files can be found here (PDF). You do not need a UH email address to use this system!
- More information about UH FileDrop can be found on the UH ITS website: https://www.hawaii.edu/askus/673
- After confirmation of acceptance into the camp, payment can be made. We no longer accept credit card payments over the phone. Checks can be mailed in or dropped off to the Business Office in person. Please do not make a payment until instructed to do so. We are closed on state and federal holidays; see our home page for any other upcoming closure dates. Please note that your child’s registration is not complete until their forms are received and payment has been made.
- We will be sending out an informational packet a few days prior to the start of camp, which will include drop-off/pickup information, a camp packing list, tax information, and other details. Email is our primary means of communication about camp. If you don’t receive the packet within one week before camp, please contact us at (808) 988-0461 or LyonEdu@hawaii.edu.
Questions or Comments? Contact Us!
Call or email the Education Department at 808-988-0461 or LyonEdu@hawaii.edu. E-mail is our primary form of communication for any questions or concerns regarding Nature Camp.
Future Camps?
To receive email updates about future camps (including announcements of registration dates), please fill out our camp information sign-up form. Other inquiries can be directed to LyonEdu@hawaii.edu