A Summer of Science, A Lifetime of Curiosity!

Arundel Rivers Federation
2 days ago
2 min read

We’ve hung up the waders. We’ve dried our watershed models. We’ve pinned the artwork to our corkboards. As you read this, we’re wrapping up our final summer camp session for the 2026 Summer of Science.

Since June, your Arundel Rivers Education team has engaged over 1400 students through our summer camp programs alone on sites across the South, West, and Rhode watersheds. We worked with squirmy 6 year olds at Camp Letts, inquisitive teens with Marshall Hope Learning Center, and a host of enthusiastic environmental champions at West River Center. Together, Mairin, Sydney, and over a thousand 5-to-18-year-olds used scientific models and tools, defined key environmental vocabulary, caught near-shore creatures to study their adaptations, picked up over 60 pounds of litter, and so much more.

We also saw the impact of three years of consistent, standards-aligned, intentional education. Returning campers remember our names, our jobs, the precious natural resources we steward, and some of the key STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) skills and themes we aim to teach them. One favorite camper entered each of her six sessions with us proclaiming: “Habitat! That’s our word for today!” And we didn’t just hear their enthusiastic knowledge; we got to hear their joy in it, too! Favorite quips included: “Native plants rock!” “Where’s Fran the Fish?” and “That thing we did on the whiteboards last week? I loved that; can we do that again?” We also got to see campers outside of camp, including Annabelle and her baby brother, who joined us for our annual oyster cage building volunteer event!

We are so grateful for our incredible partners, including Phil, Meredith, Isaac, and the amazing counselors at Camp Letts, Tatiana Klein and her incredible staff at Marshall Hope, and Liz Brown, Mr. Luke, and the sensational counselors and volunteers at West River Center. A special thank you to The Brick Companies, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Beverly and Steven Marcus, BGE and all of our amazing supporters who believe that educated youth manifest a better today and a brighter tomorrow.

Want to linger on summer a little while longer? Check out our carousel of camp favorite photos below!