2010 Summer Programs

Mission: ORDOVICIAN! Discover & take home your very own fossil collection! Travel through geologic time on an Ordovician fossil hunt for Wisconsin's fascinating past above & below ground! Campers will learn about the life of ancient animals, uncover the wonder of fossil formation, and create & discover fossils you can keep!

Pioneers on the Prairie Make & take some cool pioneer crafts! Life was different on Brigham Farm in the late 1820's. Every season dictated the work that needed to be done & survival was tough. Discover the mineral that lured Ebenezer to Blue Mounds and explore some of the customs of Wisconsin's earliest pioneers.

Water Works Do experiments and create art using water! Whether you're underground in the Cave or above ground exploring Chert Creek, water is ever at work all around the mound! Come discover how water changes the land—and what it can sustain from the pond skaters above to the springtails below.

Rock Hounds Discover & take home your very own rock and mineral collection! Be a true Rock Hound - from ledges of limestone to purple quartz crystals - we'll do it all ! Campers observe and manipulate specimens out on the trail, examine samples in our private collection, investigate rock formation and explore the rock cycle.

Gems & Geodes Crack open & take home your very own geode! Discover the wonder of earth's treasures—rocks & minerals! Meet Geo the Geode and investigate the life of a geode and what minerals grow in there. Uncover your own collection of rocks & minerals at the mining sluice AND pick out & crack open your very own geode!

Upland Challenge! Go on a clue quest to find a secret treasure—for keeps! Take the plunge—clues all around the grounds lead you on an adventure of epic proportions! Travel the trails both above & below ground using clues, a compass, maps, and other tools to get your bearings. See if YOU can complete the Upland Challenge!

Blue Mound Bound Use & take home your very own Cave of the Mounds flashlight! Get an up close look at the underground environment, check out above ground clues that there's a cave here. Discover & learn about early cave exploration, why caves are protected, longest & deepest caves in the world, uniquely adapted cave creatures, and much more!

ECOartists Create & take home art made from nature! Sketch the Cave, paint the prairie, create art from natural materials—the ideas are endless! Campers decide on type of media, desired environment, and plan an individual personalized art project that can be taken home at the end of the day!

ECOtrek Learn about & take home your very own little piece of the prairie! Go on a journey through four unique ecosystems—all contained right here at Cave of the Mounds! The hot, dry prairie in full bloom, the cool, moist Oak Savanna, the cool, shaded woodland, and the world of 100% humidity and total darkness underground!

Investigate: INSECTS! Investigate & take home your very own prehistoric insect! Learn about the many insects that call the grounds around the mounds home. From caterpillars to chrysalis' see the wonder of the insect world unfold right before your eyes! We'll look at insect life both above and below ground so prepare to get dirty!

Prairie Peaks and Peeps Take home a prairie seed starter packet! Discover the prairie in full bloom! Observe animals who call the prairie home. Identify many species of plants in the priairie and explore their varied uses. Learn how prairies have been “managed” by people all the way back to Native Americans who lived here.

Ranger Series = Water Works + Investigate: INSECTS! + ECOtrek

Join the Munch Bunch! $5 per child/per day 12:00 - 12:30 PM

Extend your morning adventure with stories, reflections and maybe even some songs with your camp instructor over a picnic lunch! Includes choice of sandwich, chips, soda (or water) and a cookie!