Outdoor Education at Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary
3499 S. Bird Sanctuary Rd., Connersville, IN 47331
About
Outdoor Education at Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary focuses on themes called Incredible Insects and Creepy Crawlies and includes hikes, games, and a cookout. Students take part in a Bug Safari, construct “pooters” to safely capture and observe very small insects, and use nets for catching bugs that they then take home. Activities include hands-on projects to learn insect vocabulary, how insects produce sounds, the role bees and other insects play in pollination, compound eyes, and the metamorphosis of butterflies and moths, including observing life cycle stages and releasing three monarchs and a luna moth.
• Ages: 7–12 years old
• Schedule: One-week sessions in June 2025 for grades two through six, meeting daily from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Students compare human and insect strength and speed at an insect Olympics and explore the strength of the hexagonal cells in a beehive. They learn about the four main types of arthropods and how to identify them, study other invertebrates, and run experiments to see which type of matter earthworms choose to inhabit and whether pill bugs prefer light or dark and wet or dry habitats. The program includes observing crayfish to study their anatomy and body part functions, learning about spider web types and functions through a photo hunt in the woods, and creating crayon-resist paintings of spider webs that are later used as thank-you notes. Students also study camouflage and mimicry and complete an art activity using leaves in a printmaking process to create paintings of various butterfly species.
Each one-week session in 2025 had 55 students attending, and all 55 spots were filled during both weeks of camp. Each camper received a camp shirt, a field guide, a nature journal, and a net for catching bugs to encourage continued investigations as young entomologists. Round-trip bus transportation from Connersville to the sanctuary was provided, and a field trip to Hueston Woods State Park was included. On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, participants rotated through four 30-minute stations in groups of 12–14, with a morning hike from 9:15 to 9:55, lunch in Brooks Hall at 12:15, and departure at 1:30.
A family night was held on the last Friday of Outdoor Education with a shady hike, creek exploration at Garrison Creek, and an ice cream sundae bar in the barn, with about 90 people attending. The program also included a sing-along of theme-related songs such as “Going on a Bug Hunt” and a family night shady hike and creek exploration. A special speaker, apiarist Bill Cummins, presented about bees and led an activity called “Life in a Bee Colony/Bee Metamorphosis.” Over 85 percent of campers surveyed rated camp at a 4–5, and nearly all said they would like to come back next year.
Outdoor Education at Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary held its seventh year of programs in June 2025. Funds awarded by Indiana Audubon Society, Whitewater Valley REMC, Yaryan Eye Care Center, Roots Blower, USLA Bank, and FCN Bank supported rent for facility use, scholarships for disadvantaged students, transportation, the field trip experience, supplies, snacks, ice cream and toppings for family night, and staff stipends. There were seven teen volunteers and 15 adult volunteers assisting during camp, and funds were used to provide stipends for qualified and experienced staff. 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.
Last updated May 12, 2026.
• Ages: 7–12 years old
• Schedule: One-week sessions in June 2025 for grades two through six, meeting daily from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Students compare human and insect strength and speed at an insect Olympics and explore the strength of the hexagonal cells in a beehive. They learn about the four main types of arthropods and how to identify them, study other invertebrates, and run experiments to see which type of matter earthworms choose to inhabit and whether pill bugs prefer light or dark and wet or dry habitats. The program includes observing crayfish to study their anatomy and body part functions, learning about spider web types and functions through a photo hunt in the woods, and creating crayon-resist paintings of spider webs that are later used as thank-you notes. Students also study camouflage and mimicry and complete an art activity using leaves in a printmaking process to create paintings of various butterfly species.
Each one-week session in 2025 had 55 students attending, and all 55 spots were filled during both weeks of camp. Each camper received a camp shirt, a field guide, a nature journal, and a net for catching bugs to encourage continued investigations as young entomologists. Round-trip bus transportation from Connersville to the sanctuary was provided, and a field trip to Hueston Woods State Park was included. On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, participants rotated through four 30-minute stations in groups of 12–14, with a morning hike from 9:15 to 9:55, lunch in Brooks Hall at 12:15, and departure at 1:30.
A family night was held on the last Friday of Outdoor Education with a shady hike, creek exploration at Garrison Creek, and an ice cream sundae bar in the barn, with about 90 people attending. The program also included a sing-along of theme-related songs such as “Going on a Bug Hunt” and a family night shady hike and creek exploration. A special speaker, apiarist Bill Cummins, presented about bees and led an activity called “Life in a Bee Colony/Bee Metamorphosis.” Over 85 percent of campers surveyed rated camp at a 4–5, and nearly all said they would like to come back next year.
Outdoor Education at Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary held its seventh year of programs in June 2025. Funds awarded by Indiana Audubon Society, Whitewater Valley REMC, Yaryan Eye Care Center, Roots Blower, USLA Bank, and FCN Bank supported rent for facility use, scholarships for disadvantaged students, transportation, the field trip experience, supplies, snacks, ice cream and toppings for family night, and staff stipends. There were seven teen volunteers and 15 adult volunteers assisting during camp, and funds were used to provide stipends for qualified and experienced staff. 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.
Last updated May 12, 2026.
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