Registration for the 20th season of Camp Mummichog, Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust’s summer day camp for campers ages 5 to 14, opens at 6 p.m. on Feb. 12.  

At Camp Mummichog, nature education takes many forms: hands-on exploration, physical activity, art, music, writing, games, and more. All camp sessions are held at Coastal Rivers Salt Bay Farm on Belvedere Road in Damariscotta, a beautiful nature preserve featuring rolling fields, forest, and both fresh and saltwater marshes. Some sessions also include a field trip to a nearby preserve. 

On a typical day, campers may be found exploring a salt marsh creek looking for horseshoe crabs, building emergency shelters and practicing survival skills in the forest, or roaming the fields with bug nets, collecting insects to identify and observe.  

Seven camp sessions are scheduled between July 6 and Aug. 14. Each session has a different theme and is designed for a specific age group.  

The “Estuary Explorers” session for ages 9 to 12 will include conducting experiments, dissecting a squid, and visiting a lab at the University of Maine Darling Marine Center to learn from marine biologists in the field. “Grandparents & Kids Camp” for ages 7 to 11 gives grandparents the opportunity to join their camper for a few days of exploration, art projects, games, and more. Other sessions invite campers to enter the world of insects, create nature-inspired art, and practice survival skills. 

Beginning at 6 p.m. on Feb. 12, registration will be active through Coastal Rivers’ website at coastalrivers.org/events/youth-families/camp-mummichog. More information, including the full 2026 schedule, is available on the same webpage.  

Full and partial scholarships are available, and discounted tuition is offered to Lincoln County public school students as well as to Coastal Rivers members. 

Individuals and businesses interested in making camp Mummichog affordable to all can sponsor full or partial scholarships. This can be done online at bit.ly/mummichog-sponsor.