Junior Naturalist Camps: Literacy, Science, and Stewardship in Action
December 2025
Wren Works’ Junior Naturalist Camps—developed in partnership with the Little Miami Watershed Network, Warren County Park District, Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District, and the City of Lebanon—have grown into a powerful countywide model for combining literacy development with hands-on environmental science. For two years, the camps have engaged children ages 5–14 in joyful exploration of local ecosystems while strengthening reading motivation and building home libraries.
A Multi-Year Track Record of Impact
Across the 2024 and 2025 camp seasons, children explored creeks, met native animals, analyzed soil samples, identified trees, and created art inspired by the natural world. Campers practiced using scientific tools such as hand lenses, specimen jars, and field guides and learned from environmental educators, naturalists, and wildlife rehabilitators.
A core feature of the program has remained its literacy component:
every camper received a free nature-themed book each day, helping families build home libraries and deepen environmental literacy. These books are selected to be the center of family engagement activity at home.
After a 4 day camp experience:
2024 (ages 6–9) – 30% improved attitudes toward reading; more than half were emerging readers
2024 (ages 10–14) – 73% increased motivation to read; 100% showed more positive attitudes toward animals
2025 (ages 6–8) – 100% increased interest in reading, including many pre-readers
2025 (ages 9–12) – 64% increased reading interest, supported by daily discussions about their take-home books
2025 Program Highlights
In July 2025, Wren Works held two camp sessions across Warren County for children ages 6–14. Camps took place at Miller Ecological Park and Hob Camp Nature Center, immersing campers in creek studies, field science, native species identification, and nature-focused artmaking.
Campers encountered composting worms, monarch and swallowtail caterpillars, rehabilitated baby squirrels, and a beloved box turtle named Tucker. Taxidermy specimens—including red fox, raccoon, mink, and great horned owl—sparked extended curiosity and conversation.
Campers’ reflections captured the magic of the program:
“I liked catching the crickets and running down the hill and up. The box turtle and the caterpillar and the mason bees were my favorite lessons… I loved the book about listening to the language of the trees. It's my new favorite book.”
Parents echoed the sense of excitement and transformation:
“My kids came home each day excited to share everything they’d learned… Jr. Naturalist Camp was a gift to our whole family—we can’t wait to do it again!”
“As a parent of a new camper, I was impressed by the variety of fun, age-appropriate learning activities, the safety, the books they brought home, and the enthusiasm of the staff. I highly recommend the camp.”
“It was absolutely worth it. The books and journal became fantastic homeschooling materials for the entire summer.”
After camp ended older campers wrote directions for “seed-bomb” activity published in the most recent literacy link on Butterflies. These resources were distributed to hundreds of families at the Butterfly Release event in Lebanon, included in the Warren County 100-hours-outside achievement awards, and shared with patrons of the Countryside YMCA. Check out our literacy link resource here.
Looking Ahead: Junior Naturalist Camps 2026
Inspired by the success of 2024 and 2025, Wren Works is planning an expanded series of Junior Naturalist Camps in July 2026, projected to include several camp sessions serving children ages 5–14.
Each 2026 camp will continue the program’s signature blend of:
Daily free books to build home libraries
Nature exploration and field science
Artmaking connected to environmental themes
Literacy activities that link reading with real-world discovery
New for 2026: Stream Quality Monitoring (SQM) Certification
In partnership with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, all 2026 campers will participate in Stream Quality Monitoring (SQM) training, learning to:
identify macroinvertebrates
assess water quality
conduct habitat evaluations
collect and interpret water samples
Every camper will receive an SQM Volunteer Certification, empowering them as young citizen scientists contributing to the health of Warren County’s watershed.
Additional 2026 program features include:
Educators trained in Project WILD and Project Aquatic
Continued support from Warren County Parks and Soil & Water experts
City of Lebanon facilities, registration platform, and outreach assistance
Family engagement field days across the school year
A Growing Movement for Literacy and Stewardship
The continued growth of the Junior Naturalist Camps affirms a powerful truth:
When children explore nature with curiosity, guidance, and a book in hand, they grow into readers, scientists, and thoughtful stewards of their environment.
Wren Works and its partners look forward to another year of inspiring young naturalists across Warren County.
See article Embracing Nature Through Poetry: Wren Works’ Commitment to Literacy, Art and Environmental Education in Environmental Education Council of Ohio Newsletter, Winter 2024
Put Books in the Hands of Children, Families, and Educators
Across all our programs, Wren Works has seen firsthand the power of books to inspire curiosity, strengthen literacy, and build lifelong learners. This year, we aim to expand book distribution to:
Children attending camps and family literacy events
Educators participating in professional learning workshops
Families building home libraries at the Lebanon Food Pantry