Young Explorers’ Camp

Welcome to our fun summer day camps for all the young explorers in the area. The camp's programs and activities are focused on exploration, improving observational and outdoor skills, encouraging critical thinking, increasing knowledge of Missouri's native species, physical activities, and, of course, having fun!

Our activities fall under the Missouri Learning Standards and can further reinforce concepts your student is learning in school. Our campers have fun and go home with new knowledge and new friendships. Each session of camp will repeat some favorite activities, like fishing and exploring the spring, but will also have new activities as well.

We will be continuing the Junior Naturalist Camp for youth ages 11-14! Campers will further develop their observational and outdoor skills while deepening their connection to nature through hands-on activities and exploration.

Our camp is more than just an outdoor and social experience for our campers. Our programs and activities aim to not only give our campers a fun experience, but also teach them about their environment and give them new skills. The programs and activities at Young Explorers’ Camp are focused on exploration, improving observational and outdoor skills, encouraging critical thinking, increasing knowledge of Missouri’s native species, physical activities, having fun, and building new friendships. Our activities fall under the Missouri Learning Standards and can further reinforce concepts your student is learning in school. Also, we limit the number of participants each week to 12 campers to ensure a quality experience for everyone.

Information and Registration

All forms and payment must be received by MRBO by the deadline. If you would prefer to get the forms by USPS and mail them, please call our office at (660) 837-3888.

Registration is currently closed! Check back for updates!

Additional Registration Requirements

The below mandatory forms must be downloaded and sent via file upload below or mailed. If you need paper copies mailed to you or have any other questions/concerns, please email education@mrbo.org!

  • Camp is held in Arrow Rock, MO. Arrow Rock is a National Historic Landmark and a great site for camp because of its rich natural and cultural history. We love to visit the Big Spring, Big Soldier Lake, and the Missouri River plus explore the prairie and woodland trails nearby.

  • We are excited to continue to provide a transportation option for the young explorers who live in the Marshall, MO area. We have partnered with OATS Transit to provide buses to and from Arrow Rock from camper's homes in Marshall or from a central location(s) depending on the number of sign-ups. Pick-up time will be around 7:30-8:00 am and drop-off time will be around 4:30 - 5 pm. If you are interested in this option, please select it on the Registration form. You may also request a paper copy by emailing education@mrbo.org.
    Note: If you have used OATS transit last year and have the same information and location, you do not need to fill out a new form.

    • Backpack

    • Water bottle

    • Nature Journal

    • Butterfly Net

    • Aquatic Insect Net

    • Hand Magnifier

    • Bug Observation Container

    • Pencils and Eraser

    • Pencil Sharpener

    • Ruler

    • Colored Pencils

    • CAMP T-SHIRT!

  • We have scholarships available for interested young explorers who require financial assistance. To apply, fill out the form below and upload it to the file upload above no later than two weeks prior to the deadline. You may also request a paper copy by emailing education@mrbo.org.

History of Young Explorers’ Camp

The first year of our Young Explorers’ Camp was 2017! This year, we had campers ages 7-9 years old in June and campers 10-12 years old in July. The camp ran for three hours, two days a week and we had some incredible volunteers! Years two and three (2018-2019) showed incredible growth. Camp ran for three days a week during the summer, being full days with lunch in 2019, and we introduce a Family Camping Night in 2018 that continued in 2019. We were also able to hire summer interns to assist with camp activities!

In 2020, year four, our camp ran entirely virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each camper received an Exploration Kit in the mail along with written instructions for activities the campers could do at home. We then met every Friday via Zoom to discuss what we discovered! This was a new challenge, but it was a great success as we were able to serve more explorers and reach new campers in other states!

Year five, we began to hit our stride and we provided two options for camp - in-person, virtual or both! With the smaller capacity and mostly outdoor environment of camp, we decided to provide an in-person camp during two weeks in June and a virtual camp option during two weeks in July. Our in-person camp reached full capacity for the first summer! We also partnered with OATS Transit to be able to provide transportation to and from Marshall, MO. In addition, we were, once again, able to hire a summer intern to assist with camp activities as well as other summer programs.