Matagorda Bay Nature Park

Explore the elements wind, water, fire and earth to learn their unique properties and how each play an important role in our environment.  

• Give back to Earth by planting. Campers will learn the process of photosynthesis by planting their own flower and watching it grow.  
• Don’t be a litter bug. Campers will use an EnviroScape 3D model to demonstrate the impacts of human pollution on our coastal watershed, as well as make their own water filtration system out of recycled soda bottles. 
• It’s gonna blow! Campers will delve into underwater volcanoes then make their own to watch it erupt.  
• Let’s check the Richter scale. Campers will work together to build a shake table and even stand on an earthquake simulator.  
• Time for arts and crafts. Campers will choose their favorite element to create their own craft, such as kites and pet rocks, as well as food like coke floats and gummy worm cupcakes. 
• We’ve got a weather emergency. Campers will take a closer look at historical hurricanes, simulate a tornado and learn about acidification by experimenting with oyster shells. 
• Are we there yet? Campers will take a field trip to LCRA’s irrigation site to witness the power of water firsthand and learn ways to conserve it. 

From boat captain to biologist and everything in between, discover different coastal careers and how professionals put those special skills to the test. 

• Aye, Aye, Captain! Campers will aboard the Gina Marie and get the chance to talk to the captain and crew about their profession. They’ll also learn how to tie nautical knots and construct their own small boat to test its floating capabilities. 
• A strong foundation is key. Campers will dive into engineering with Project Manager, Tom Bolfing, to learn how Matagorda jetties were designed as well as other hurricane-proof structures.
• Time for arts and crafts. Campers will explore how the moon affects ocean tides then model the moon phases using cookies – yum! They’ll also construct kites to identify air current in order to fly.
• We can learn a lot from animals. Guest speakers from the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory will demonstrate how they keep track of tagged birds and get to see how they use radio telemetry to do so.  
• Have you ever wanted to know what the inside of a shark looks like? Or what about a fish? Explore your inner Marine Biologist with guest speakers from the Matagorda Bay Foundation. They will be taking a closer look at marine life and you will get to explore with them!
• Tag, you’re it! Campers will get to meet a local fisherman, Chris Mckinley, who will demonstrate trout tagging technique for campers to learn how impactful conservation efforts are when collecting valuable data. Campers will get to test their luck by throwing out a few lines themselves. 

Dive into the many layers of the ocean’s ecosystems with crafts, creatures and tasty treats along the way. 

• Something seems fishy. Campers will watch a fish dissection to identify its anatomy then create their own fish bladder to test its buoyancy. They’ll also meet a Texas Game Warden to learn the importance of fish conservation.  
• Fins and pinchers. Campers will take an up-close look at different species found in our coastal habitat on a guided nature walk.  
• Time to hit the road! Campers will take a field trip to Crocodile Encounter in Angleton, TX to get an up close and personal look at some of nature’s most impressive creatures. 
• It’s nice to be at the top. Campers will explore a food chain to determine which animals reside where in the hierarchy then make their own food chain with fish-shaped gummies. 
• Shell science. Campers will experiment with oyster shells and eggs to examine the effects that a highly-acidic atmosphere has on them and how we can help save these special organisms in the future.  
• Let's take a closer look. Just like marine biologists, campers will use special tools to collect tiny organisms to observe under a microscope then create a scientific journal to document their findings.