LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

YMCA Camp Thunderbird

Provides environmental education programs to North and South Carolina K-12 students in bird study, fish dissection, orienteering and forest ecology.

Preview your trip on the web: YMCA Camp Thunderbird

Learn more

  • North Carolina Ecological Services Images and information on endangered species, wetlands, conservation, invasive species, and habitat restoration efforts in North Carolina.
  • Natural Inquirer Learn all about the environment including topics in nature, trees, forests, wildlife, insects, outdoor activities, and water.
  • Lesson plan: Decomposition in freshwater This lesson includes hands-on activities to demonstrate the process of decomposition in a freshwater ecosystem. It also focuses on the importance of decomposition and its critical role in the food chain.
  • North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission - Wildlife Species and Habitat Information A North Carolina Wildlife Resources site with detailed information about wildlife resources and management in the state. Information about animals such as the wood duck, white-tailed deer, beaver, wild turkey, quail, sea turtles, and predators such as various owls, osprey, black bear, wild boar and the gray fox is found here.
  • Lesson plan: Sky watching In this lesson, students will make their own night-sky observations and then look at pictures taken by telescopes. They will compare the two ways of observing to confirm what telescopes can reveal about the night sky.
  • Lesson plan: If a tree falls in the forest... Students will explore the role that forests play in their own lives by listing everyday products made from trees. Then students will research and categorize less common products that may be less familiar to them.

Related pages

  • Camp Don Lee: Check out the programs available to classroom students at this beautiful camp located near Arapahoe, North Carolina.
  • Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H Educational Center: This 4-H Educational Center provides year-round programming, including team-building and environmental education to students in 2nd through 6th grades.
  • Horizons Unlimited: This wonderful education center and museum provides hands-on programs for students in the areas of history and the physical and biological sciences.

Related topics

Legal

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Camp Thunderbird is located near Carowinds on beautiful Lake Wylie. While it may be better known for summer camping, it also has wonderful environmental education programs. Each of the programs follows the North Carolina Standards. They include forest ecology, aquatic biology, wildlife ecology, ornithology, astronomy, and even pioneering and survival. Students can learn how to use a compass on the Camp’s compass course or study the stars in the Camp’s star lab planetarium. Educators will find everything they need to prepare for their trip to the Camp from a planning packet to permission forms in both English and Spanish.

For more information or to schedule a field trip to Camp Thunderbird contact John Gordon John.Gordon@YMCACharlotte.org or call 1-800-732-3855.

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