A First-Time Camper’s Bird’s-Eye View of the Platte River Safari

Each summer, young explorers arrive at Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary ready to discover the wonders of the Platte River ecosystems. From scooping up insects with sweep nets to daily birding adventures to making new friends and learning about the natural world, Rowe’s summer camps create opportunities for curiosity and connection to the outdoors. This month, we sat down with one of our campers to hear firsthand what made their week at camp such a memorable experience.

Meet Scarlett. She’s 9 years old. And she attended camp last year and plans to do so again this year!

Hi Scarlett. Last year was your first year of camp. That’s so exciting!  What made you want to come to camp at Rowe Sanctuary?

My mom went to camp at Rowe when she was young. And I like nature and learning. It sounded fun!

That’s right! Your mom did come to camp at Rowe- we even found pictures with her at camp in our archives. Were you nervous or excited before camp?

I was a little nervous. I hadn’t been to nature camp before, but I had been to Rowe before. I caught bumble bees there (during a Bumble Bee Atlas survey day). And I also saw cranes and made a crane picture (during a Family Art Workshop with an Indoor Crane Viewing Experience). I had fun when I was there, so I thought camp would be fun.

It sounds like you’ve come to Rowe Sanctuary for lots of different events. Would you say camp was your favorite?

Definitely. I love making friends, and I made lots of friends during camp.

What was your favorite activity of camp?

I liked the wetland. We caught bugs and frogs in nets and then looked at them under a microscope. That was cool!

What was your favorite thing to learn about?

I liked learning about birds. Every day we went out to look at birds and figured out which ones we saw. We even made our own birds during camp!

Are you excited for camp this year?

Yes! I love crafts and making things, so I’m excited for the art and nature camp.

And we’re excited to have Scarlett back! There’s still time to register for camp! We have 3 weeks of Platte River Safari Camps for youth currently in 2^nd-5^th grades during the 2025-2026 school year. Registration is open through May 26^th. Learn more about our camps here.

While our Flying Higher camp will unfortunately not be offered this summer due to low registration, we’re so grateful for campers like Scarlett who remind us just how meaningful these outdoor experiences can be. We look forward to welcoming new and past campers back to the prairie and Platte River for another camp season of discovery!

Summer Camps at Rowe Sanctuary
Platte River Safari Camp
9:00 am-4:00 pm | Monday-Friday 
Grades 2-5 
·      June 15-19 – Bird Week!
·      June 22-26 – Habitats Week!
·      June 29- July 3 – Art & Nature Week!

Camp Registration