 |
770-535-1976 2125 Elachee Drive Gainesville, GA 30504 elachee@elachee.org |
| Register Online |
| Online Camp Survey |
| Camp Brochure |
| Registration Form |
| What to Bring? |
| Camp Waiver |
| Camp Health Form |
| Join Elachee |
| Support Elachee |
| Volunteer |
| Calendar of Events |
| Photo Gallery |
Camp Elachee
Elachee has hosted quality environmental education day camps for over 30 years. Each week of camp uniquely blends traditional outdoor camp activities and inquiry-based learning opportunities. The pace is slow and child-friendly. Our campers study nature while walking trails, wading in creeks, creating crafts, and singing songs. Their adventures and educational experiences increase their knowledge and appreciation of nature.
Our Staff & Group Sizes:
We pride ourselves in attracting and selecting experienced, enthusiastic, friendly, and knowledgeable camp staff who enjoy and respect children. Our counselors have degrees or are pursuing degrees in science, education or related fields. Excellent staff to camper ratios are the rule. Pre-K ratios are 1 to 5. Elementary and middle school ratios are 1 to 12.
Extended care available. Pre-registration is required and spaces are filled on a first-come basis.
Register Online, Fill out the Registration Form and mail in, or call 770-535-1976 to register.
If you are registering on a Friday or Saturday for the coming week's camp, Please Call to Register. Online Registration is not guaranteed.
Camp Programs
Pre-K Camp
For 3, 4, and 5 year olds not entering kindergarten this fall. All campers must be completely toilet trained. Camp is from 9 am - 12 pm daily. Activities include: an age-appropriate condensed version of each week’s description along with mini-hikes, songs, creative play and movement, story time, crafts and special visits from Elachee staff, and visiting creeks.
Elementary Camp
For children entering grades K-5 this fall. Camp is from 9 am - 2 pm. Activities include creek wading and walks, woodland hikes, nature study, songs, crafts and games, and special visits from Elachee staff and special guest presenters. All camp activities may vary due to group age, group interest, and weather conditions.
Middle School Camp
Young people entering grades 6-8 this fall Camp is from 9 am - 2 pm. Activities vary by camp week. Some camps are physically challenging or require specific equipment or gear. Camps may include special visits from Elachee staff and/or special guest presenters and a special evening program. An off-campus field trip or special overnight adventure is included in the middle school camp weeks.
Counselor-In-Training (CIT) Program for High School Students
Youth entering grades 9-12 can apply for Counselor-In-Training (CIT) positions and assist counselors for a minimum of two weeks (only one of which can be bike camp). This is a great opportunity for students to learn about their natural world while developing interpersonal and leadership skills through assisting counselors with teaching and supervising campers.
Hours are Monday-Friday 8:30-2:30. A nominal fee of $75 covers training and supervision. Call for an application.
Before & After Camp Care
Our morning and afternoon care for campers is a low-key extension of the camp day. Supervised play, games, crafts, and individual activities before and after camp are entertaining for campers and a convenient child care solution for working moms and dads. Morning Care: 8-9 am, After Care Elementary: 2-5:30 pm, Aftercare Pre-K: 12-2 pm
2013 Spring Break Camp
April 1-5 Spring Sampler Pre-K & Elementary
Get an early taste of summer at Camp Elachee: hike to Vulture Rock Creek, set off water rockets, learn about chemistry & physics, identify bugs & explore the worlds of fungi & lichen. Celebrate spring during this unforgettable week of camp.
2013 Summer Camp
for Pre-K & ElementaryJune 3-7 Water Week
Join us at Camp Elachee for an early summer’s dousing of fun and learning. Slip into your water shoes to sample some of the cool invertebrate life found in Walnut Creek or take a creek hike to see where our water flows. Does a good soaking at Camp Elachee sound like fun?
June 10-14 Wilderness Survival
Learn basic wilderness skills, including fire building, shelter making, tracking animals, tool-making, first aid, natural dyes, crafts and more! Learn how to use a map and compass to navigate your way through Chicopee Woods and try one of our setup orienteering courses!
June 17-21 A Heap of Herps!
Summer is the time for all cold-blooded creatures and their admirers to step out at Camp Elachee. Count the different lizards, turtles, frogs, salamanders and snakes you spot along the trails and creeks of the Chicopee Woods. Guest herpetologists will share their knowledge and remarkable animal collections with us during the week.
June 24-28 Seeing Stars
Explore stars and constellations in Starlab. Safely search for sunspots on our closest star with our solar telescope. Explore the Chicopee Woods for unique plants and animals that depend on the sun’s energy for survival and enjoy some cookies baked in a solar oven.
*July 1-5 Camp Closed for 4th of July Holidays!
July 8-12 Exploring the Animal Kingdom
Kick off another week of summer camp in the Chicopee Woods with furry, feathery and scaly fun. Special guests will provide a variety of seeing and touching opportunities. Animals and fun go hand in hand, paw, wing and fin at Camp Elachee.
July 15-19 Elachee Mad Scientists
It’s everything science this week of camp. Unlock some intriguing mysteries by dissecting owl pellets and tree galls. Make your body and other objects glow in the dark and see how high a hand-made rocket can soar through the air.
July 22-26 Bugs, Slugs and Katydids!
Summer is the time to discover all things crawling, flying, climbing, weaving, burrowing, and swimming in the magical invertebrate world of the Chicopee Woods. Look for caterpillars around every corner and discover which plants they love to eat. Find spiders on the web and millipedes on the ground. It’s the little things that make this a special week at Camp Elachee!
July 29 – Aug 2 Water Week II
Water and fun are always flowing at Camp Elachee. Hike creeks, visit wetlands and bogs, conduct chemical tests to measure water quality, race ping pong balls in Walnut Creek to determine velocity and enjoy the woods for one last time before school begins.
August 5-9 Birds of a Feather
Explore feathers, flying, camouflage, talons, beaks, feet and calls. Learn how to use binoculars to spot a variety of birds from tiny warblers to majestic hawks. Keep a life list to record all the birds you see this week in Chicopee Woods.
2013 Summer Camp
for Middle School & CITAn off-campus field trip or special overnight adventure is included in the middle school camp weeks.
June 10-14 Extreme Creek Week
Keep cool on hot summer days while hiking in and around creeks in the Chicopee Woods. Determine the water quality of some of the streams and search for small water critters. Spend a day at Lake Lanier on the Chota Princess II catamaran and end the week canoeing on the Chestatee River.
June 17-21 Outdoor Leadership
Learn leadership skills to increase self-confidence and outdoor awareness while having lots of fun in nature! Spend a day zipping through the trees on a canopy tour of Lake Lanier Islands. Then don special safety equipment before climbing one of the tall oaks of the Chicopee Woods under the expert supervision of a professional tree climber. Team up with other campers to do some low-ropes activities.
June 24-28 Wilderness Survival
Discover what it takes to survive in the wilderness. Learn to identify edible plants and other food sources. Build shelters and navigate with and without a map and compass. Learn valuable first aid skills through simulated scenarios on the trails and at the center. Enjoy night hikes and a variety of nocturnal activities during a thrilling sleepover at Camp Elachee.
July 8-12 Exploring the Animal Kingdom
Walk the trails, ford the creeks and scan the tree tops to see the abundant wildlife of northeast Georgia’s most important nature preserve. Special guests will provide a variety of seeing and touching opportunities. End the week tubing down the Chestatee in search of native fauna and flora.
July 15-19 Elachee Mountain Bike Camp
Join us for a week of cycling fun and adventure on some of North Georgia’s best mountain bike trails. Expert Camp Elachee staff will help you improve your riding techniques throughout the week. Spend your afternoons cooling off in the Chicopee Woods creeks and learning basic bike maintenance. End the week with an off-campus rock climbing trip.
July 22-26 Super Science Sampler
It’s everything science this week for the last week of 2013 middle school camp. Make your body and other objects glow in the dark during an overnight adventure and see how high a hand-made rocket can soar through the air. Locate sunspots while safely scanning the sun with our solar-filtered telescope, enjoy some cookies baked in a solar oven and tour Elachee’s new Energy House.
Check out the Camp Brochure for more detailed descriptions
Camp Fees
Member |
Non‐Member |
|
Pre‐K |
$110 |
$130 |
Elem |
$120 |
$140 |
Middle |
$165 |
$185 |
Off-campus field trip / overnight adventure included in middle school camp.Full or partial scholarships based on need are available - call for more info |
||
Extended Care: AM $20/week PM $50/week Both $60/week |
||
Other Information
Back to TopScholarships
Thanks to the generosity of many of our donors, full or partial scholarships based on need are available. Scholarships are awarded for one week of camp per child. Deadline for application is June 1st. Late applications may be considered on a case-by-case basis, as funding allows. Please call us for a copy of our guidelines and application.
Membership Discount
Elachee family level members receive a discount off the price of camp.
Your membership must be current for the camp week(s) attended in order to receive the member's discount.Forms/Procedures/What to Bring
All campers must have completed registration, health, and waiver forms on file at Elachee in order to attend camp. Campers requiring any medications to be administered by camp staff are required to complete an additional medication permission form available from camp staff personnel. A checklist of appropriate clothing, food, and personal gear may be found on the What to Bring? list.
Changes, Cancellations, Refunds:
We will gladly accommodate your request for a change in camp weeks or Before & After Camp Care, provided space is available. Changes made with less than two weeks notice will include a $10 administrative fee. Cancellations made two weeks or more prior to your child’s camp session are eligible for a refund minus a $20 administrative fee for each week per child. No refunds are made for cancellations with less than two weeks notice except in the case of doctor-documented illness. Elachee reserves the right to dismiss any camper to ensure the safety/health of all campers. In such a case, we will refund pro-rata for any time lost.
A Typical Day at Camp Elachee
8:45 am Arrival, join your group and enjoy pre-camp activities with your Counselor and your camp friends.
9:00 am Begin the Camp Day: Join your group, sing camp songs, and learn about the day’s activities – swimming, guest presenters, crafts, and learning games. “Elachee, Camp Elachee . . . the place we love to be”
9:30 am Join your counselor and your friends in the Education Hall for the week’s guest presentation. “I didn't know Georgia had so many reptiles!”
10:00 am Change into your swim suit, grab a net and don’t forget to pack your lunch and your water shoes. It’s time to head for Walnut Creek for some stream sampling. "I found cool crawfish, salamanders, and dragon fly nymphs!"
11:30 am Lunch and hike back to the Nature Center. "Wow! Look at the size of that Black Rat Snake crossing the trail!”12:15 pm Change out of your suit and then join your group as an Elachee Naturalist answers your questions about Rat Snakes. Visit the Live Animal Room to meet “Gopher Boy”, our resident Gopher Tortoise, and learn more about these important animals from an Elachee naturalist.
1:00 pm Craft time. Let’s make an alligator out of pieces of mountain bike tire.
1:45 pm Collect your craft, backpack, and all your personal things and hike with your counselor to front pavilion for pick-up.
2:05 pm “Hi Mom and Dad! I had the best time and you won’t believe what I saw!"