What ages are currently invited to participate in the Programs?

• Kids ages 9 to 16 are welcome.

What if my child has never been camping before?

• That's OK! We will provide all of the knowledge and guidance necessary for your child to have a rewarding and fun summer, regardless of how many camps or camping experiences that he/she may have.

Will my child make friends in the Programs?

• Yes, we draw campers from a diversity of backgrounds and communities.
• We incorporate team building games into the first day of camp so that kids get to know each other right off the bat.
• All campers receive individual attention so that we can provide the best all around summer camp experience possible.
• Campuser are housed together with 7 other campers from the save sex.

Are all of the Programs co-ed?

• Yes, our programs are offered to both boys and girls.

Where are the Programs located?

• 15 minutes southwest of Flagstaff, Arizona at an elevation of 7,000 feet.
• On the School of Forestry's Centennial Forest, NAUs 47,000 acre research and education forest.
• Approximately one mile south of the Arboretum at Flagstaff, off of Woody Mountain Road.
• In the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in the world.
• See Camp Facilities for more information.

How can I apply for a scholarship to a Program?

• A scholarship application is located on page four of the camper application.
• Scholarship applications can be requested by mail, please call 523-8175 or they can be downloaded via each "Registration" page.
• Several scholarships will be awarded based on demonstrated financial need.
• "Early bird" deadline for scholarship applications is April 15.
• Scholarships have been generously donated by Coconino County and other community sponsors.
• This is an exceptional opportunity for your kids and we want to make every effort to meet your financial needs, please call us if you need further assistance.

How can I find out more information about the Centennial Forest Environmental Education Programs?

• Call or email the Centennial Forest Environmental Education Programs at (928) 523-8175 or CFcamps@nau.edu . Please leave your phone number and the best time to call you back.
• Visit our website at nau.edu/CFcamps where parents and kids can read descriptions, view pictures from last year and download forms.

Where are campers picked up and dropped of each week?

• Campers will be dropped off on Monday of each session and picked up on Friday of each session in the main parking lot (parking lot #P46) for the NAU School of Forestry, located on the southern part of campus (building #82).
• Drop off on Monday morning is 9:00 am.
• Pick up on Friday is 5:00 pm.
• Maps will be provided in each camper's confirmation packet. This packet will be issued to parents within two weeks of receipt of camper application materials.

What should campers bring (or not bring) to camp?

Please note: The Centennial Forest Environmental Education Program is not responsible for any items lost or stolen during camp.

Please refer to our "What to Bring and What Not to Bring" document.

What are the camps facilities like?

• Campers are housed in cabin-like tents including 8 beds per tent.
• Each camper will be housed with 7 other campers of the same sex and one counselor.
• There are two outdoor showers.
• There are two bathrooms, or outhouses. One for boys and one for girls.
• See Camp Facilities for more information.

Junior Forester Academy FAQ's

What is the Junior Forester Academy?

• A week long overnight camp for youth ages 9-16.
• Environmental science-based summer camp.
• A rustic summer camp including camp fire songs, star gazing, and good old fashioned fun.
• An adventure for kids that enjoy the outdoors and want to learn more about it.
• An opportunity for kids to restore our forests through community service projects.
• A non-profit venture and community service provided by the Northern Arizona University School of Forestry's Centennial Forest.
• An experience that includes art, community service, plant identification, wildlife and more.
• A healthy summer program that encourages kids to be physically active.
• An opportunity to learn and have fun under the stars in the world's largest ponderosa pine forest.
• An opportunity for the students at NAU to put classroom learning to work in NAU's living laboratory by serving as counselors, mentors, curriculum. developers, environmental educators, graphic artists, nurses and leaders for our Programs.

What type of curriculum does the Junior Forester Academy offer?

• Hands-on curriculum designed around forests, nature, stewardship and fun.
• Focal point of the curriculum is crew based forestry plot projects where campers spend time each day measuring forest characteristics so that at the end of the week they can present their data and stewardship recommendations.
• A collaboratively based experiential program designed by NAU faculty, staff and students, natural resource professionals, and environmental educators.
• Campers learn to make maps and designate boundaries using pacing, map and compass, measure forest attributes such as tree height and diameter, biodiversity, risk of wildfire, squirrel habitat value, and tree age. Using this data, each crew presents a poster that displays the data they collected along with their prescription for management of the plot.
• Crew assignments are designated by age and are made up of 3-4 campers each.
• The curriculum challenges kids to become active in their communities and think critically about environmental issues.

What type of community service projects do campers at the Junior Forester Academy participate in?

• Projects that work towards restoration of our fire-adapted ponderosa pine ecosystem.
• Junior Foresters use rakes, shovels and elbow grease to clear decades worth of pine needles from the bases of old growth ponderosa pine. This is an effort to save the trees from both prescribed and catastrophic wildfire by reducing the amount of dry fuel at the bases, which can cause root damage, cambium scorch, and death to some of our forest's oldest trees.

Senior Forester Academy FAQ's

What is the Senior Forester Academy?

• The Senior Forester Academy is for Junior Foresters that have already graduated from their first year in the Programs.
• Seniors will build on the knowledge and skills gained as juniors by participating in more advanced projects and activities such as insect surveys, the NAU ropes course, scientific research, and more.
• Seniors will be challenged, but they will also have fun in the forest while hiking, making art and playing games.
• An opportunity to learn about riperian ecosystems and have fun at West Clear Creek.

What type of community service projects do Seniors participate in?

• Senior Foresters will learn to restore native plants in areas that have been invaded by exotics. Campers will learn to identify both native and exotic plants, remove exotics and then replace them with native plants. Each summer we can continue to increase the size of our restoration plots until, eventually, the entire area surrounding camp will be restored by our own campers. These projects will serve as a demonstration area where the community can come out and see what our forests look like when native plants are restored.

What is the difference between the Senior Forester Academy and the Junior Forester Academy?

• The main difference between JFA and SFA is the focus of camper projects during the week. JFA focuses on how to measure vegetation in tenth acre plots, while SFA integrates how wildlife, insects and vegetation vary between areas of the forest.
• Seniors get the opportunity to participate in the NAU Challenge Course. This is a wonderful team building and self esteem building high ropes course that challenges campers to set goals and meet them individually and as a team.
• Seniors use the skills they learned as Juniors to complete a scientific research project comparing three different forested areas (burned, restored and unrestored forests). They will create and test hypotheses while gathering scientific data throughout the week.

Can my child attend the Senior Forester Academy even if they have never attended the Junior Forester Academy?

• Yes, any child between the ages of 11 and 16 may attend SFA, although we do recommend they attend JFA initially.

What type of curriculum does the Senior Forester Academy offer?

• Hands-on curriculum designed around forests, nature, stewardship, and fun. Focal point of the curriculum is a crew based forestry research project where campers learn to identify local song birds by sight and sound, learn to survey for insects, and then learn how to tie in tree measurements. These measurements are taken in three different forest conditions (burned, restored and unrestored) throughout the week as well as hypothesis formulation. On Friday, each crew presents their data to the group and discusses whether their hypothesis was correct and what they could do to make their work more scientific. A collaboratively based experiential program designed by NAU faculty, staff and students, natural resource professionals, and environmental educators. Crew assignments are designated by age and are made up of 3-4 campers each. The SFA curriculum challenges kids to become active in their communities and think critically about environmental issues.

Outdoor Leadership Academy FAQ's

What is the Outdoor Leadership Academy?

• The OLA is an opportunity for campers to gain confidence in their leadership and outdoor abilities and skills.
• A great way to teach kids about environmental leadership and how we apply our leadership skills to everyday interactions with friends and family.
• A new way to make new friends from across the state.
• An opportunity for kids to see what careers are available in the outdoor leadership field.
• A fun experience that includes an Adventure Race and an overnight trip to sleep under the stars.
• A chance for kids to increase their survival skills and comfort level in the outdoors.
• A rustic summer camp including camp fire songs, star gazing, and good old fashioned fun.
• An adventure for kids that enjoy the outdoors and want to learn more about it.
• A non-profit venture and community service provided by the Northern Arizona University School of Forestry's Centennial Forest.
• A healthy summer program the encourages kids to be physically active.
• An opportunity to learn about riperian ecosystems and have fun at West Clear Creek.
• An opportunity for the students at NAU to put classroom learning to work in NAU's living laboratory by serving as counselors, mentors, curriculum developers, environmental educators, graphic artists, nurses and leaders for our Academy.

What type of curriculum does the Outdoor Leadership Academy offer?

• Hands-on curriculum designed around forests, nature, leadership and fun.
• Focal point of the curriculum is an Adventure Race that takes place on the last day of camp.
• A collaboratively based experiential program designed by NAU faculty, staff and students, natural resource professionals, and environmental educators.
• The curriculum challenges kids to become active in their communities and think critically about environmental and leadership issues.

Can my child attend the Outdoor Leadership Academy even if they have never attended the Junior Forester Academy or Senior Forester Academy?

• Yes, any child between the ages of 13 and 16 may attend OLA. Please contact the Centennial Forest Environmental Education Programs at (928) 523-8175 or CFcamps@nau.edu for more details.

Climate Change Challenge FAQ's

What is the Climate Change Challenge?

• The Climate Change Challenge (CCC) is a curriculum focused towards our high school students and serves as our final program in the Centennial Forest Environmental Education Programs.
• The CCC curriculum is a problem-based learning curriculum focused around solutions to global climate change as seen through the eyes of field experts in natural resources.
• A new way to make new friends from across the state.
• A great way to become more involved with the environment and the changes that are taking place.
• By the end of camp, each student will find a solution to climate change.

What type of curriculum does the Climate Change Challenge Offer

• Throughout the week, campers will meet professionals in the natural resource field through interactive and informative presentations.
• Campers will be introduced to the varying environmental careers of researchers and professors within Northern Arizona University, including a Forester, Environmental Engineer, Political Scientist, Environmental Scientist, and a Biologist.
• Campers will have access to computer labs on the Northern Arizona University campus to learn new computer skills to create their presentation to share with their fellow campers and family members who are invited to view the presentations with us at the NAU School of Forestry.
• Along with researching climate change within their career field, students will have the opportunity to participate in exciting games that focus on trading and selling carbon credits and energy usage throughout the United States.