Outdoor Education at Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary
3499 S. Bird Sanctuary Rd., Connersville, IN 47331
About
Outdoor Education at Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary offers week-long sessions built around the themes Incredible Insects and Creepy Crawlies, where students take part in hikes, a Bug Safari in the woods, prairie, pond, and creek, and a variety of hands-on science and art activities. Campers participate in activities such as learning insect vocabulary, how insects produce sounds, the role of bees and other insects in pollination, compound eyes, and the metamorphosis of butterflies and moths, including observing life cycle stages and releasing three monarchs and a luna moth. They also compare human and insect strength and speed in an insect Olympics, study the strength of hexagonal beehive cells, learn to identify the four main types of arthropods and other invertebrates, conduct experiments with earthworms and pill bugs, observe crayfish anatomy, explore spiders’ webs through a photo hunt and crayon-resist paintings, study camouflage and mimicry, construct “pooters” to safely capture very small insects, and join games, a cookout, theme-related songs such as “Going on a Bug Hunt,” read-aloud time after lunch, and a field trip to Hueston Woods State Park.
• Ages: 7–12 years old
• Schedule: One-week sessions in June 2025 for students in grades two through six, meeting daily from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, participants rotate through four 30-minute stations in groups of 12–14, with a morning hike from 9:15 to 9:55 and lunch in Brooks Hall at 12:15, while special events or speakers are scheduled on the other two days of the week. Each camper receives a camp shirt, field guide, nature journal, and a net for catching bugs to take home, and each day’s rotation includes a Bug Safari in different sanctuary habitats. A family night on the last Friday of Outdoor Education includes three rotating activities: a shady hike, creek exploration, and an ice cream sundae bar in the barn, with approximately 90 people attending.
Outdoor Education at Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary held its seventh year of programs in June 2025, with 55 students attending each one-week session and all 55 spots filled during both weeks. The program is supported by funds from Indiana Audubon Society, Whitewater Valley REMC, Yaryan Eye Care Center, Roots Blower, USLA Bank, and FCN Bank, and there were seven teen volunteers and 15 adult volunteers assisting during camp. Funds were used to provide stipends for qualified and experienced staff, and a special presentation about bees is given by apiarist Bill Cummins along with a staff-led activity called “Life in a Bee Colony/Bee Metamorphosis.” Indiana Audubon Society states its mission as engaging communities in the enjoyment of birds in their habitats through conservation, education, and research, and notes that Indiana Audubon is the oldest conservation organization continuously operating in Indiana and the fourth oldest “Audubon” in the country. Over 85 percent of campers surveyed rated camp at a 4–5, and nearly all said they would like to come back next year.
Last updated May 12, 2026.
• Ages: 7–12 years old
• Schedule: One-week sessions in June 2025 for students in grades two through six, meeting daily from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, participants rotate through four 30-minute stations in groups of 12–14, with a morning hike from 9:15 to 9:55 and lunch in Brooks Hall at 12:15, while special events or speakers are scheduled on the other two days of the week. Each camper receives a camp shirt, field guide, nature journal, and a net for catching bugs to take home, and each day’s rotation includes a Bug Safari in different sanctuary habitats. A family night on the last Friday of Outdoor Education includes three rotating activities: a shady hike, creek exploration, and an ice cream sundae bar in the barn, with approximately 90 people attending.
Outdoor Education at Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary held its seventh year of programs in June 2025, with 55 students attending each one-week session and all 55 spots filled during both weeks. The program is supported by funds from Indiana Audubon Society, Whitewater Valley REMC, Yaryan Eye Care Center, Roots Blower, USLA Bank, and FCN Bank, and there were seven teen volunteers and 15 adult volunteers assisting during camp. Funds were used to provide stipends for qualified and experienced staff, and a special presentation about bees is given by apiarist Bill Cummins along with a staff-led activity called “Life in a Bee Colony/Bee Metamorphosis.” Indiana Audubon Society states its mission as engaging communities in the enjoyment of birds in their habitats through conservation, education, and research, and notes that Indiana Audubon is the oldest conservation organization continuously operating in Indiana and the fourth oldest “Audubon” in the country. Over 85 percent of campers surveyed rated camp at a 4–5, and nearly all said they would like to come back next year.
Last updated May 12, 2026.
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