Wildheart Nature School Camps and Programs

Wildheart Nature School Camps and Programs offers theme-based camps that include primitive skills, wilderness skills, tracking, survival techniques, and nature arts and nature art. Camp days include games and crafts as part of the daily activities. Some programs also focus on themes such as “Primitive Skills” and “Local Animals.”

• Ages: 3–14 years old
• Schedule: Camp options run in 4- or 5-day sessions with 9:00am–3:30pm or 9:00am–1:00pm days, with offerings across June, July, and August 2026.
• Price: Tuition ranges from $217–$437 per camp, with early bird discounts, possible additional material fees, payment plans, sibling and multi-session discounts, and an $8 per-child smoke relocation fee to the High Desert Museum that is waived with Registration Protection.

At Wildheart Nature School, the stated mission is to help people remember their place in the web of life by nurturing wildness, wonder, and reverence for the Earth through nature-immersive experiences with story, song, and soil. The mission also states that the school offers a living education that restores kinship, sparks curiosity, and inspires heartfelt stewardship.

Wildheart Nature School Camps and Programs has been voted “Best Summer Camp” in Bend Nest Parenting magazine three out of the past four years. The organization also offers a Pre-K – Kindergarten Early Childhood Program at Juniper Jungle Learning Farm for ages 3–6 in a small group setting, a No School Nature Day program aligned with the Bend/Lapine School District schedule, and Homeschool Programs with weekly outdoor outings for children ages 6–13 with themes like “Primitive Skills” and “Local Animals.” Camps are described as pure fun, games, and crafts with no homework, and smoke contingency plans include relocating to the High Desert Museum if the air quality index exceeds around 150, with a backup location smoke fee that is waived with Registration Protection. Adventure Camp uses a Wildheart van to travel from Rosie Bareis Community Center to destinations.

One parent, Jenny Kettle, states that the programs changed her son’s life in powerful ways and that he learned to embrace his uniqueness and be more in touch with himself and nature. Another parent, Robine, reports that her daughter came home from camp happy, peaceful, content, mindful, and excited about what she made, what she did, and the animals and plants she spent time with, and says she would recommend the camp to everybody. A third parent, Sharon Richards, shares that her daughter chose to go sit in her “sit spot” to calm down during an argument and describes this as an important tool their children gained from the teachings.

Last updated June 11, 2026.