Through Camp MBG programs your child will get to know the Garden in a whole new way. Children will explore the Garden and learn about botany, ecology, and conservation. Camps will include journal activities, arts and craft projects, plant and ecosystem observation and data collection, games, and snacks. Children will not only enjoy time outside and meet new friends, but also learn about ecosystems, gardening, and sustainability.

Gotta Grow (Ages 4–5)
Do you know what plants need to grow? Do they need water or sunlight? What will happen if plants don’t have what they need? Join us as we learn about all of the things that help plants grow. You will enjoy garden-inspired art projects, meet new friends, and learn how to care for their very own plant.

August 4–6, 2009
10 a.m. to Noon
Instructors: Jessica Kester and Kelly Wehrheim
$48 member, $54 non-member
Download a registration form, view registration information or view FAQs.

Extreme Botany (for kids entering grades 1–3 in Fall 2009)
Do you know where to find the biggest plant in the garden? Did you know that there are meat-eating plants at the Garden? Join us as we learn about basic botany and how to care for plants as we seek out the plant extremes at the Garden.

June 29–July 2, 2009
9 a.m. to Noon
Instructors: Jessica Kester and Kelly Wehrheim
$72 member, $80 non-member
Download a registration form, view registration information or view FAQs.

Ecology Essentials (for kids entering grades 1–3 in Fall 2009)
Can you explain the difference between a wetland and a pond? What do Missouri woodlands and tropical rainforests have in common? Join us to learn how plants, animals, and weather depend on each other in these ecosystems.

July 20–23, 2009
9 a.m. to Noon
Instructors: Jessica Kester and Kelly Wehrheim
$72 member, $80 non-member
Download a registration form, view registration information or view FAQs.

FUNdamentals of Forests and Prairies (for kids entering grades 4–6 in Fall 2009)
What did Missouri look like 150 years ago? Our state was a lot different before big cities, farms, and highways—even the plants were different. Join us to study the forests and prairies at the Garden. You’ll design your own investigation and share the results on the last day of camp.

July 6–July 10, 2009
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Instructors: Jessica Kester and Kelly Wehrheim
$168 member, $184 non-member
Download a registration form, view registration information or view FAQs.

Earth-wise (for kids entering grades 4–6 in Fall 2009)
What is sustainability? Why is it important at the Garden? Let’s explore this and other ways we can help by becoming Earth-wise. We’ll learn how to save our resources—starting with our own backyards and traveling all the way to the rainforest.

July 27—31, 2009
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Instructors: Jessica Kester and Kelly Wehrheim
$168 member, $184 non-member
Download a registration form, view registration information or view FAQs.

Please call (636)530-0076 if you have questions about any of the Butterfly House classes. Registration through Missouri Botanical Garden. Download registration form.

BUZZ: Lifestyles of the Six-Legged (Ages 6–8)
What kind of animals can swim, jump, dig, and fly? That’s right, it’s the insects! Find out how they can live in so many different habitats.

Sundays: June 28 and July 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2009
12:30 to 2 p.m.
Location: Butterfly House
Instructor: Chris Hartley

Backyard Science (Ages 6–8)
Covering pollination, beetles, roaches, and a special field trip; students will explore the smallest contributors to the environment.

Wednesdays: July 8, 15, 22, 29, 2009
3 to 5 p.m.
Location: Butterfly House
Instructor: Chris Hartley
$43 member, $55 non-member

Butterfly Pinning (Ages 8 and over)
Do you love the artistry of butterflies? Learn to display them as a permanent reminder of the beauty. Learn how to mount butterflies for display. On June 10, you’ll complete a butterfly pinning. On June 17, you’ll mount the display.

Wednesday, June 10 AND Wednesday, June 17, 2009
10 to 11 a.m.
Location: Butterfly House
Instructors: Chris Hartley and Donna Dupske
$12 member, $15 non-member

Creepy Crawlers (Ages 9 and up)
Inspect the wide world of insects. Most bugs are harmless and many have important jobs that benefit humans. But some insects can really BUG our beloved pets. Get up close and personal with these pesky, creepy crawlers. Join The Butterfly House and the Humane Society of Missouri for the crash course in entomology.

Thursday, July 16, 2009
10 a.m. to noon
Location: Butterfly House
Instructors: Donna Dupske, Chris Hartley, JoEllyn Klepacki
$17 member and non-member

Please call (314)577-0220 if you have questions about either of the Camp EarthWays classes. Registration is through Missouri Botanical Garden. Download registration form.

Camp EarthWays: Green Builders
Do you dream in green? What do you imagine when you envision a fantasy green home? During these week long experiences, campers entering grades 5–8 will explore sustainable home design, from the inside to the outside, from the compost bucket in kitchen to the green roof or solar panel in the backyard.

NOTE: All campers can participate in the first week of Camp EarthWays: Young Green Builders, but campers must have attended at least one week of a Young Green Builders camp, in this or previous years, to enroll in the Advanced Green Builders session.

Young Green Builders (kids entering grades 5–8 in Fall 2009)
Campers will apply new ideas to design their own green home. We will interact with professionals in the green building arena and visit urban homes to discover new neighborhoods as we navigate the city via public transportation. At the end of the week campers will present and display their home designs at an open house event.

July 13–17, 2009
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: EarthWays Center
$168 member, $184 non-member

Advanced Green Builders (kids entering grades 5–8 in Fall 2009)
This week will build on previous sessions, and campers must have attended at least one other week of a Young Green Builders camp prior to this session. We will visit new sites, meet different professionals working in the green building field, and put our skills to the test with a hands-on project. Campers will continue to work on past original green home designs while developing new ones, and end the week exploring green careers while promoting campers’ green home designs with local green builders.

July 20–24, 2009
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: EarthWays Center
$168 member, $184 non-member

Computer Game Design Camp (kids entering grades 5–7 in fall 2009)
Have you ever wanted to design your own 3D computer game? This is your chance to work with StarLogo TNG, developed at MIT to make creating a game easy. Instead of learning a lot of programming, you can build your game by assembling blocks on the screen. You’re in control: these blocks tell your characters where to go and how to interact with each other. Chasing, hunting, or just getting along…it’s up to you.

After the camp is over, you can continue designing games on your own. The StarLogo software is free.

July 6–9, 2009 full
9 a.m.–noon
Location: Litzsinger Road Ecology Center, Ladue, MO
Free!