Biodiversity Camp
An Overnight Experience for High Schoolers

Engage your students outdoors! Biodiversity Camp is an overnight program for high school students that makes the outdoors as accessible as possible by providing meaningful experiences with science and the natural world. Programming is collaborative and tailored to best fit you and your students’ needs. This is an opportunity for hands-on place-based learning that relates to what is happening in the classroom and beyond!

Biodiversity Camp fits into high school curriculum for environmental science, engineering, biosciences, communication, art, and more!

This program falls under Well Rounded Education as described by the Arizona Department of Education!

Before and After Buffelgrass Pull Burrowing Owl Camera Campfire Cooking Grass Bouquet Green Tent Looking at Plants MIcroscopes Morning Campsite On trail to watchtower Over Look Stinknet Pull

Depending on your needs, there are two models for Biodiversity Camp:

Desert Museum Overnight
(2 days and 1 night) 		Camping Trip
(3 days and 2 nights)
Desert Museum Overnight Sample Schedule Camping Trip Sample Schedule

This model includes:

  • 4 meals + snacks
    • Day 1 — Lunch & Dinner
    • Day 2 — Breakfast & Lunch
  • Sleeping accommodations in the Packrat Playhouse
    • We have up to 22 sleeping pads and bags for loaning out
  • All curriculum and scheduling
  • Highly experienced outdoor education staff
    • 1+ staff member trained in Wilderness First Aid (WFA)
  • A safe environment for students to explore

This model includes:

  • 7 meals + snacks
    • Day 1 — Lunch & Dinner
    • Day 2 — Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
    • Day 3 — Breakfast & Lunch
  • Sleeping accommodations at a group campsite
  • All camping gear for up to 20 people
    • Tents, sleeping pads, sleeping bags, mess kits, stoves etc.
  • Highly experienced outdoor education staff
    • 1+ staff member trained in Wilderness First Aid (WFA)
  • A safe environment for students to explore
Interest Form

Pricing:

As Biodiversity Camp is such a highly personalized program, pricing is variable. Cost may vary depending on weather, campsite availability, number of students, etc. We will work with you on price as our Biodiversity Camp plan comes together.

If you are interested in Biodiversity Camp, you will need to:

  • The most important thing I learned was how to get comfortable with things I have never done before
  • The most interesting thing that I learned during Biodiversity Camp was the differing biomes; I found it genuinely incredible that the Sonoran Desert has so many plants and life.
  • I learned about sky islands, adaptations in cacti and other organisms, variations in pine, spruce, and fir... so much more. I feel smarter.
  • I learned how I can positively affect the world/biodiversity and what affects biodiversity.
  • The most important thing I learned at Biodiversity Camp was that to make a change you could use a community.
  • I learned that I can rely and count on the people around more
  • My favorite part was the experience, meeting new people, spending time with my friends, and getting closer with my teacher and classmates
  • I learned that Nature is awesome and we need to take care of it
  • The most valuable aspect of Biodiversity Camp is the students getting to get out of the classroom and experience nature first hand.
  • The most valuable aspect of Biodiversity Camp is talking about how we interact with our environment, the opportunity for reviewing big scientific ideas and phenomena. It is a very valuable review opportunity for my AP environmental kids and they felt more confident in some of the environmental science topics.
  • As a teacher, it was incredible to have the two Desert Museum guides leading the children's experience-- everything from instruction, animal experiences, to every meal accounted for.
  • It was a life-time, hallmark experience for them and will create lasting ripples of flora-and-fauna-love for all of them as they become adults.

Expected Timeline:

Fill out the interest form
Keep an eye on your e-mail for a response from [email protected]
↓
Meet with the Biodiversity Camp coordinator
Together we will establish potential dates and goals for the trip
↓
Set the date!
Once we have established the date for our trip the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum team will begin planning the specifics.
Ensure you have classroom coverage and transportation for the chosen dates
↓
Fill out and return all required documents
↓
Coordinate a meeting with the Biodiversity Camp coordinator for students, chaperones, and guardians
The goal is to get everyone on the same page so that everyone feels prepared for our adventure!
↓
Biodiversity Camp!

Related Links/ Documents:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

Currently, up to 20 people can attend Biodiversity Camp (including adults/chaperones). The Museum has a limited amount of camping gear that can be lent out to participants, and this is the primary limiting factor. If some participants have their own gear to bring there may be some flexibility in the 20 people maximum.

Absolutely! Biodiversity Camp programming can be tailored to fit curriculum covered in any classroom.

Yup! As long as you can provide all necessary documentation and transportation for your group you are welcome to participate in Biodiversity Camp. Fill out the interest form now!

Once you have filled out the interest form, someone from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Education team will reach out to set specifics in place (see timeline above). Once a date has been established, a unique link will be sent directly to you for adults and students to fill out digitally for registration.

No, transportation to and from Biodiversity Camp must be provided by you. It is recommended to rent school vans or small buses for the duration of the trip.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum does not have any discounts for this program.

Participants should be prepared for a variety of weather conditions. It is highly recommended that you bring layers that can easily be put on and taken back off as we explore.

At our preferred campsite (Molino Basin) there are two pit toilets. As we travel throughout the program there will likely be a bathroom at each stop, but this is variable. There are no showers or running water.

Yes. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Education team works very hard to be fully prepared for all situations. We have a highly trained staff that you can feel safe knowing has prepared specifically for you and your group.

Students are welcome to bring their phones with them to camp though we encourage limited cellphone use. Service and charging availability is not guaranteed. There will be time at the end of each day to find service for students to contact their caregivers.

It is the goal of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum to provide accessible educational opportunities for all. We are excited to work with many different individuals and can tailor our programming as needed. The most common limitation that we may come across is uneven or difficult terrain, but we can easily adjust our programming to avoid this (we just need to know before hand).

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