Summer Camp Scholarship Opportunity

Do you have a child that loves nature…birds in particular? One that really wants a deeper connection with nature and the wonders of the Blue Ridge? Well, we have a camp for them!

Through the generous donation of Katherine Higgins, the William Roberts Scholarship Fund will provide 10 lucky kids ages 11-17 the opportunity to experience the amazing life of birds…for *FREE!

With our quality binoculars and spotting scopes they’ll see detail, color and action that you could never imagine! Looking for birds is a gateway to enjoying the outdoors that anybody at any level can dive right into. The Blue Ridge is an ideal place to start because of its phenomenal density of bird life, including: eagles, warblers, swallows, herons, wrens, woodpeckers, owls, thrushes, and more! From sunrise to the moonlit night, they’ll have tremendous fun with our expert guides, learning all about the fascinating world of birds. While honing their birding skills, they will also play games, meet other young people with similar interests, participate in citizen science projects, learn field ecology, and explore careers in ornithology. Each participant receives a journal and their very own field guide to study and keep. During the adventure we will identify between 80-100 different species of birds!

If your child has a drive to attend this camp, we encourage you to fill out the Scholarship Application and get ready to explore, discover, and share with BRDC during this Ornithology Camp! Camp runs from June 8th through 11th and is an overnight camp.

*Scholarships are given for both MERIT and NEED. To apply for the scholarship, please submit the following digital form http://blueridgediscoverycenter.org/scholarships. The scholarship application will be open until May 1st, 2022. On May 2nd, BRDC will notify the recipients of the scholarships! For more information on the Camp, visit http://blueridgediscoverycenter.org/ornithology-camp. To learn more about the scholarship contact info@blueridgediscoverycenter.org or call 276.388.3155

BRDC will provide all camp gear, meals, materials, and supplies for all camps. Personal gear, sleeping bag, and toiletries are required by participants.

Summer Camp Scholarship Opportunity

Do you have a child that loves nature? One that really wants a deeper connection with nature and the wonders of the Blue Ridge? Well, we have a camp for them! If you reside in Smyth County, your child may be eligible for a great week of fun outside with our team of guides.

Through the generous support of the Smyth County Community Foundation, Blue Ridge Discovery Center is offering full scholarships for our overnight summer camps! This Foundation supports select initiatives that promote health and wellness within our community. What could be healthier than spending time outside engaged in nature? Check out our summer line-up and apply today!

Get ready to explore, discover, and share with BRDC at one of our unique overnight camps. Youth ages 11-17 welcome at all overnight camps!

Available camps:

• Ornithology Camp - April 23-25 and September 17-19, 2021

  From our basecamp, we will explore the region's top birding hotspots including the New River, Rural Retreat Lake, Whitetop Mountain, Fairwood Valley, Blue Ridge Parkway, and more! During the adventure, we will identify between 80-100 different species of birds!

• Primitive Skills - July 14-17, 2021
  From primitive fire building to tool making and wild harvesting, this camp offers a multidisciplinary approach to wilderness activities including hands-on crafts, natural history, ethnobotany, camping, wilderness adventure, and plain old fun!

• Wilderness Expedition - July 26-30, 2021

  Learn new backcountry skills including meal preparation, orienteering, and fire building! On the trail, you’ll observe and document the wildlife we encounter along the way, including unique birds, trees, plants, insects, mushrooms, salamanders, and many others. Join our expert naturalists and wilderness guides on this journey of discovery through the highest mountains of the Blue Ridge.

BRDC will provide all camp gear, meals, materials, and supplies for all camps. Personal gear, sleeping bag, and toiletries are required by participants.

Birds of a Feather

Birders are passionate about birds. Age plays no factor here. From 9 to 99, they love them all and will sometimes go to great lengths to see them. The campers at BRDC’s Ornithology Camp were tough! It was cold (for June) and the days were long but nary a complaint came from a one of them. They were on a mission to see as many species (mostly new ones) as they could in our time together.

We visited multiple habitats where a diverse number of birds could be seen. It’s that life list. A list of all the species one has seen. Everyone added birds to their list! We managed to hear and view nearly 80 species from hummingbirds to bald eagles. Not only did they observe birds all day each day, but we listened for and saw them at night too. We viewed the Center’s resident screech owl and attempted to hear a Northern saw-whet owl.

This camp was the epitome of all that is BRDC. We explored an array of habitats, discovered new birds, and shared it with the world. As rain entered the forecast and our day, we sought shelter in the cottage at the Center. We connected to eBird as citizen scientists and documented our findings in the Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas. Did I mention that they also observed all birds for breeding activity? Well they did that too! It was not just “I see hummingbirds!”, it was “Oh…they are building a nest!” For every species seen, our ornithology campers also noted any type of breeding behavior, be it nest building, food gathering, or singing.

This was an amazing bunch of passionate, knowledgeable young people. We all learned from one another and shared that information lovingly and cheerfully. Our feathered friends are in good hands.

A big THANK YOU shout out to Allen Boynton, Katie Cordle, and Aaron Floyd for all their help during this very special camp!

2018 Summer Camp registration is now open!

We are excited to announce our 2018 Summer Camps. Online registration is now open!

Blue Ridge Discovery Center has put together six exciting camps for next summer, including backpacking, fly fishing, kayaking, ornithology, and two discovery day camps. Even though each of these camps originates with different subjects of focus, they are all ultimately gateways to exploring the rich natural history of the Blue Ridge. There is nothing more powerful than spending time outdoors with mentors who can connect you to the wonders of nature.

ORNITHOLOGY CAMP
$355 (Members) / $395 (Non-members)
Wednesday-Saturday, June 6-9
4 days / 3 nights
Ages 9-13

NEW RIVER EXPEDITION
$355 (Members) / $395 (Non-members) 
Wednesday-Saturday, July 11-14
4 days / 3 nights
Ages 11-15

WILDERNESS DISCOVERY
$455 (Members) / $495 (Non-members)
Monday-Friday, Jun 30 - August 3
5 days / 4 nights
Ages 11-15

FLY FISHING
$795 (Members) / $755 (Non-members)
Tuesday-Saturday, July 24-28
5 days / 6 nights
Ages 11-15

DISCOVERY DAY CAMP: KONNAROCK
$50
Monday-Friday, June 11-15
8:30am-3:30pm daily
5 Days including lunch and snacks
Ages 6-10

DISCOVERY DAY CAMP: GALAX
$50
Monday-Friday, June 25-29
8:30am-3:30pm daily
5 Days including lunch and snacks
Ages 6-10

We are keeping the limits of the camps low to provide an engaging experience for the kids and allow us to take flexible trips in the BRDC van. With this slate of camps we have the opportunity to serve 64 kids throughout the summer. We need your help getting the word out and connecting us with youth who could really benefit from our camps! Tell your friends and family about BRDC and get them signed up! You can sign-up and learn more on our webpage.

Of those 64 kids, we aim to offer 22 full scholarships to our camps, opening the door for everyone in our community to participate in these opportunities. If your child has a real drive to attend camp or your family has a financial limitation, we encourage you to apply for one of our scholarships at: Summer Camp Scholarships 

Birding Adventure in the High Country

12 kids went on a gravity-defying adventure in the high country participating in BRDC’s inaugural Ornithology Camp in honor of William Roberts.  For four days and three nights, the kids camped out and honed their ornithology skills, searching for bird species that inhabit the diverse Appalachian ecosystems of southwest Virginia.  

Each morning the campers woke bright and early before leaving base camp to search for birds. They explored the region's prime birding spots including Cox's Chapel Low Water Bridge, Rural Retreat Lake, New River State Park, Fairwood Valley, Elk Garden, and Whitetop Mountain. They found a wide range of birds and logged a total of 80 species by the end of camp! When they weren’t actively searching for birds, the campers learned valuable birding and naturalist skills from guides Allen Boynton, Scott Jackson-Ricketts, Ashley Peele, Joyce Roberts and Aaron Floyd. They learned how to keep a naturlist's journal, how to use a guidebook and how to be good stewards to birds and other fauna and flora that are part of the Blue Ridge. 

Everyone enjoyed many other activities, like searching for crayfish in the creek, playing stickball, and telling stories around the campfire after a long day of birding.

At the conclusion of camp, the campers gathered together in a circle and discussed what they had enjoyed most. The highlights included seeing bald eagles and their nest, observing an oriole pair, hearing a hermit thrush and making lots of new friends. On the drive back from camp, the campers excitedly talked about coming back next year! 

Ornithology Camp Bird List:

Herons:
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
 
Waterfowl:
Canada Goose
 
Raptors:
Bald Eagle
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
 
Shorebirds:
Spotted Sandpiper
Killdeer
 
Pigeon-like:
Mourning Dove
 
Swifts and Hummingbirds:
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
 
Woodpeckers:
Red -bellied Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
 
Flycatchers:
Eastern Wood Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Acadian Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Great-crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
 
Vireos:
Red-eyed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Blue-headed  Vireo
 
Jays, Crows, Ravens:
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
 
Swallows:
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Chimney Swift
 
Chickadees, Nuthatches:
Carolina Chickadee
House Wren
Carolina Wren
White-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Tufted Titmouse
 
Thrushes:
Catbird
Mockingbird
American Robin
Veery
Brown Thrasher
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
Eastern Blue Bird
 
Warblers:
Louisiana Waterthrush
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Northern Parula
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Yellow Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Black-throated Blue
Black-throated Green
Canada Warbler
Hooded Warbler
 
Tanagers:
Scarlet Tanager
Indigo Bunting
Northern Cardinal
 
Sparrows and Juncos:
Dark-eyed Junco
Song Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Eastern Meadowlark
 
Blackbirds, Orioles:
Red Winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
Orchard Oriole
Common Grackle
European Starling
 
Finches:
American Goldfinch
 
80 Species!
 

Still time to apply for an Ornithology Camp Scholarship!

BRDC's Ornithology Camp, for kids ages 9-12, offers 4 days and 3 nights all about birds: eagles, warblers, herons, wrens, woodpeckers, owls, thrushes and more!! The camp, which is funded through the William Roberts Memorial Fund and volunteer support, runs Wednesday-Saturday, June 7-10, and includes all meals and snacks.  

From the crack of dawn to the moonlit night, participants will join our expert guides and learn all about the fascinating world of birds. While honing your skills, you will participate in citizen science projects and learn field ecology. Campers will have opportunities to take their birding skills to the next level, meet other young people with similar interests, explore careers in birding and ornithology, and of course, learn about the bird life and natural history of the Blue Ridge! (Binoculars and spotting scopes provided) 

The William Roberts Memorial Fund honors BRDC's most principled birder and outdoor enthusiast, and advances his contagious interest in birds, flight, the majesty of raptors, seasonal surprises of migration, and his boundless curiosity. We invite young people to immerse themselves in the art of bird study through the guidance of BRDC’s pool of experienced birders. The Ornithology camp provides an opportunity for young explorers to experience the many facets ornithology through a variety of hands-on learning activities and field trips. 

Participation is awarded through a need and/or merit Based scholarship application. To apply please view our Scholarship Application.