"Daniel was delighted to see himself in the newspaper after enjoying the whole week of wonderful summer camp at your site. We feel this is the best camp he went to this summer. Mary did an excellent job as the camp teacher."
Xuemei Ouyang

Become a S.T.E.W.A.R.D. this Summer

Looking for something different for your child this summer?  Send your child to a fun, but meaningful camp experience at the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens.

Campers will be participating in fun-filled, educational activities, experiments, and games all while discovering how to be a:

Daily Schedule and Price per Session per Day:
Pre-care: 8:00am to 9:00am $20
Morning Session: 9:00am to 1:00pm $40
Afternoon Session: 1:00pm to 5:00pm $40
Post-care: 5:00pm to 5:30pm $10

Do you have to sign up your child for the whole week?  No! You can customize your child’s experience by signing them up for as many morning and afternoon sessions as you like. Each week is divided into five daily themes (see descriptions below), and each day is divided into morning and afternoon sessions. Campers will have a blast whether they attend for half a day or for the full week.  Pre-care and post-care options are available.

Daily Themes:
Monday, Day 1: Stewardship
An action-packed introduction to stewardship.  Campers will play games and participate in outdoor activities to develop their own definition of stewardship and find out what they can do to conserve their community’s resources.

Tuesday, Day 2: Guadalupe River
Get ready for a day full of recreation and river science as campers study the ins and outs of the Guadalupe River. Campers will learn how to conduct water quality tests in the morning and will end the day playing exploratory games to discover how humans can impact local watersheds.

Wednesday, Day 3: Outdoor Adventurer
Calling all outdoor adventurers!  Campers will spend the day discovering the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens, a downtown wilderness located in the heart of San Jose.  They will find out how to navigate the world around them using compasses, maps, and GPS technology.  

Thursday, Day 4: Paws, Tracks, and Talons
Has your child ever wondered what the prints in the mud mean?  Or do your children love to watch birds soar through the air and sneaky mammals slink through open fields?  On Thursday, campers will learn about the world of animals, predator-prey relationships, how to read tracks, and will perform the duties of a wildlife biologist.

Friday, Day 5: Thinking Green
Campers will learn to think green during a day packed full of science activities and experiments.  They will discover the world of green energy, composting, and recycling and harness science and technology to begin developing their own creative solutions to environmental issues.

*The daily topics will be the same for all age levels, but the activities and content will be different based on ages.  This means that campers can return year after year until they graduate from the Guadalupe Guardians level!

The Guadalupe River Park & Gardens (GRPG) is an education destination like no other.  A natural oasis located in the heart of downtown San Jose, the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens features 254 acres of park that include the Heritage Rose Garden, the Historic Orchard, a community garden, and 2.6 miles of trail that runs adjacent to the Guadalupe River.  The GRPG provides a natural outdoor laboratory for science experiments, stewardship activities and creative learning adventures.

Read more about why your child should become a S.T.E.W.A.R.D. this summer here.

This camp is designed to be small, so that each camper has an excellent opportunity to experience science and stewardship activities first-hand. As a result, space is very limited and pre-registration is required.  Call 408-298-7657 for more information or to register.

Read more about Head Camp Teacher and Curriculum Developer of Guadalupe River Park Conservancy’s Summer Camp, Jennifer Van Blair:

Jennifer Van Blair earned a B.A. degree in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Education, as well as a preliminary Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from San Jose State University. She has worked as an outdoor educator for the Youth Science Institute, Santa Clara Valley Water District, and Guadalupe River Park Conservancy. Jennifer also has diverse classroom experience with students in kindergarten through the eighth grade. She enjoys developing hands-on programs that ignite a passion for learning, particularly in the field of science and environmental awareness, as well as creating meaningful learning experiences for all campers.