SWIFTS Nature Summer Camp
Thanks for an unforgettable 2023 camp season!
Join Portland Audubon for truly amazing, nature-based adventures all summer long! Camps combine art, science experiments and games with explorations of our beautiful, 172-acre Nature Sanctuary neighboring Forest Park and adventures all over the Pacific Northwest.
We’ve given our camps a name for the first time! SWIFTS is an acronym that encompasses much of what makes camp here so unique: Science, Wildlife, Imagination, Friendship, and Taking a Stand. We chose swifts as a mascot because they embody so much of what we strive to foster in children. They’re collaborative—they roost together and help each other raise young. They’re at home in the city and in the forest. They do everything on the wing. They’re both hyper-local and roaming explorers. And they’re iconically Portland. We can’t wait to welcome our first roost of SWIFTS campers this summer!
What’s new in 2023?
- Read more about our new SWIFTS Nature Camp model and changes to our camps this year.
- Want to view our website in another language? Click here to learn how.
- Find the right camp for your camper. Click here to learn more about our three-week camp tracks.
- Where are the Week 7 camps? This week is called SUPER SWIFTS and will feature exciting, guest educators and experts from across the Portland Audubon community (Remaining programs will be released by March 20, 2023)
- Time change and Friday early release: We’ve made some changes to the camp structure. To help our staff bring their best selves each day, we’ve shortened the day to end at 3 p.m. and set an early 2 p.m. release time on Fridays. Camp hours are 8:30/8:45 a.m. – 3/3:15 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8:30/8:45 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Friday.
- Aftercare: To support working parents, we’re offering aftercare for the first time, enabling campers to stay until 5:30 p.m. Read more about Aftercare.
- Questions? Write to camp@audubonportland.org.
Summer Camp Sliding Scale
Please read about our sliding scale before you register for camp.
We offer a Sliding Scale fee structure to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to experience camp with Portland Audubon. Families are invited to pay at the level that works for them!
*For more information around selecting the right sliding scale level, please see the guidelines here.
Portland Audubon is committed to creating an inclusive summer camp that welcomes families from all socioeconomic backgrounds. Give directly to our Spencer Higgins Education Fund to support this work and ensure environmental education is accessible to all children.
SWIFTS Nature Camp 2023 Schedule
Science – Wildlife – Imagination – Friendship – Taking a Stand
Find the right camp for your camper. Click here to learn more about our three-week camp tracks.
| Weeks | Grades 1 & 2: Forest Friends | Grades 2 & 3: Creature Creators | Grades 2 & 3: Wilderness Scouts | Grades 3-5: Nature Explorers | Grades 6-8: Outdoor Naturalists |
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| Weeks | Grades 1 & 2: Forest Friends | Grades 2 & 3: Creature Creators | Grades 2 & 3: Wilderness Scouts | Grades 3-5: Nature Explorers | Grades 6-8: Outdoor Naturalists |
Camp Registration Details
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- Camps that are listed in gray are currently full. Please click on the link within each camp to fill out the inquiry form – this function serves as our waitlist. Once you have submitted your inquiry for the waitlist, you will only be contacted if a space becomes available. Thank you!
- HOW TO REGISTER: When registering for a camp, please enter the parent or guardian name to create the account and reservation. You will receive a follow-up email with instructions on how to complete your camper’s registration forms. Don’t see the email? Check your junk/spam or promotions folder. Click the blue link in that email to complete your camper’s forms and waivers. Please complete these forms promptly! We greatly appreciate it.
- This page is updated at 9:30 a.m. Monday-Friday. If you’ve received an inquiry page over the weekend or after hours, that camp is likely full or the level on the sliding scale you wish to pay for is at capacity. Filling out the inquiry form adds you to the wait list for that camp.
- Week-long day camps start between 8:30/8:45 am and end 3:00/3:15 pm daily, unless otherwise noted. The camp day ends at 2 p.m. every Friday. Aftercare will run from 3:00-5:30 p.m.
- Please register your camper for the grade they will be going into in the fall.
- View Camp Cancellation Policy.
- View COVID Policy.
- View the facilities at Portland Audubon’s beautiful Marmot Cabin in Sandy, Ore. Archery and Wilderness Camps will spend part of the week here.
- Please review our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have a question that is not answered here or need assistance regarding camp, please write to camp@audubonportland.org.
At Portland Audubon’s SWIFTS Nature Camp…
We know that every child learns in their own way, and we invite kids to learn by doing, seeing, touching, smelling, hearing and, at times, tasting! Our holistic, student-directed approach allows learning to unfold from the student’s personal passions and interests in the natural world. Campers are also invited to express themselves individually through art, poetry, skits, and conservation action, and we give children opportunities to master the skills and crafts that build competence and self-reliance in the outdoors.
Each week-long camp, led by our expert educators, helps children bring their authentic selves to learning, playing, and making friends – taking them on a journey they will remember for a lifetime. Together, we create a culture of care and respect for each other and the Earth through teamwork and big belly laughs. Come learn and play at Portland Audubon this summer!
Aftercare Registration is Closed.
To better accommodate parents’ busy schedules, our full-day camps have a start time window between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m. and a pick-up window of 3:00 and 3:15 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Camp will run between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Fridays. An aftercare fee of $25 will be charged for any child picked up after 3:15 p.m. (M-Th) and 2 p.m. (Fridays).
Pre-registration for Audubon Aftercare is required. Space is limited so please note that it may not be possible to add aftercare after your initial registration. Register online for aftercare at checkout when you register for camps.
