Camp KEEP (Kern Environmental Education Program)

Camp KEEP (Kern Environmental Education Program) is a residential outdoor science program where students take nature walks to beaches, tidepools, forests, creeks, sand dunes, and Morro Bay. During the day, students participate in field studies of the estuary, examine plankton, observe underwater habitats, explore the salt marsh and mudflats, learn about the riparian ecosystem, study the geology that helped form the coastline, and study unique flora and fauna of the sand dune community. The program also includes recreation such as sand volleyball, basketball, Ping-Pong, soccer, tetherball, Frisbee golf, and time at the nature center with snake holding and touch tank exploration, along with campfires, stories, songs, art projects, writing letters home, filling out KEEP journals, and playing various science games.

• Schedule: Daily schedule includes morning and afternoon nature walks, a picnic lunch, late-afternoon recreation and shower time, dinner, and an evening program with science games followed by a campfire, songs, and stories.

For over 50 years, students have participated in this shared living experience, developing personal responsibility and gaining respect for others. Camp KEEP is guided by the Next Generation Science Standards, with naturalists using hands-on, experiential activities and ecological concepts taught in the natural environment to support school science curriculum. The program is an outdoor science school providing environmental education, where students conduct field studies of the estuary, explore beaches, tidepools, rocky shorelines, and the sand dune community, and experience views of the Pacific Ocean from mountain hikes. Camp KEEP is an outdoor education program certified by the California Outdoor School Association (COSA).

Last updated June 20, 2026.