Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center

Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center offers outdoor enrichment day camp experiences that include guided outdoor programming, hiking trails, and time at the KinderWoods playground. The program also hosts school field trips, teambuilding activities, and rentals, and it features native pollinator-garden templates and demonstration plantings in partnership with community groups. Indoor spaces are used along with outdoor areas for year-round opportunities to explore, gather, and learn.

• Ages: 5–12 years old
• Schedule: Office hours Monday–Friday 9:00am–4:30pm, with grounds and KinderWoods open Monday–Friday 1:00pm to dusk and Saturday–Sunday dawn to dusk; summer day camp runs Monday–Friday 8:45am–3:30pm with extended camp care available 8:00am–5:30pm

Since 1950, Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center has offered outdoor enrichment day camp experiences for children in Central Virginia, and its signature program has been a long-running tradition for young campers. The mission of the program is to give campers 47 acres to explore the natural world, experience personal discovery through new and challenging activities in a safe and encouraging environment, and build friendships through shared responsibility and community. Camp Kum-Ba-Yah, Inc. operates as a nonprofit organization and pairs activities with Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) during its programming.

The leadership team includes Executive Director Kyle Simpson, Programs Director Gage McAngus, and Director of Finance Kerry Silva, along with a board of directors. Kyle Simpson has worked in conservation since 2003 in federal, state, and nonprofit roles and holds a Master of Science in Parks & Resource Management and a B.A. degree. Programs Director Gage McAngus has experience as a summer camp counselor, camp technician, and public school teacher and administrator over thirteen years before joining the camp. Director of Finance Kerry Silva brings experience in operations, financial oversight, and nonprofit governance from work in engineering in the aerospace industry, the military, and volunteer board service.

Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center partners with Wild Ones of the Greater Lynchburg Area to showcase native pollinator-garden templates and demonstration plantings that support habitat restoration and local wildlife. A local story notes that two campers from the program created an award-winning documentary that received statewide and Smithsonian recognition, and staff and board members seek out chances to work and play alongside neighbors in the community.

Last updated July 19, 2026.