Critter Camp registration is now closed for Summer 2024. Check back soon for information on 2025 summer camps.

ABOUT

GBHS offers eight separate week-long camp sessions throughout the summer: four sessions for ages 6-9 and four sessions for ages 10-13.

Camp is from 9AM – 4PM each day. Activities include animal interaction, presentations by guest speakers, crafts, games, etc. Campers will learn about shelter animals, Alabama wildlife, reptiles, animal behavior and body language, homes and habitats, and how conservation, shelters, and rescues work!

Critter Camp is a great option for children who love to help animals and is offered to students that have completed kindergarten through sixth grade.

Price: $300 per Session
Time: M-F* from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

The GBHS Critter Camp registration fee includes all camp activities, a t-shirt, and a daily snack. Space is limited. Please be sure to select the correct camp date correlating with your camper’s age. If you have any questions please reach out to the Director of Outreach and Education, Kasey Rawlings, at krawlings@gbhs.org.

CRITTER CAMP REGISTRATION IS CURRENTLY CLOSED FOR SUMMER 2024.

Registration IS closed for summer 2024

CRITTER CAMP DATES 2025

Coming Soon!

CRITTER CAMP GUIDE

WHAT TO BRING

Campers should bring a positive attitude and a desire to learn about all of our friends in the animal kingdom. Dress in clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, since you’ll be exploring in an animal shelter, outside, and working with various craft materials each day. Campers should wear tennis shoes instead of flip-flops. Campers should bring a reusable water bottle with their name on it, that can be refilled throughout the day. All personal items will need to be labeled clearly with the Camper’s FULL NAME and all campers will be responsible for keeping track of their personal property. GBHS will not be responsible for any lost or damaged items. Campers will be given a name tag. Please ALWAYS wear your name tag.

WHAT NOT TO BRING

Campers should not bring toys, pets, electronic games, jewelry (or other valuables), or anything that may cause a distraction to other campers. Weapons of any kind are not allowed. Lighters and matches are also not allowed. If you bring an item that is not acceptable, your Camp Teacher or Counselors will take it from you and return it to your parent at the end of that day’s session. Campers may not use their cell phones while at camp, except for an emergency. Campers must put phones away when they arrive and can retrieve them at the end of each day.

PICK UP/ DROP OFF:

Camp is from 9am to 4pm, daily. Your child can be dropped off as early as 8:30am and must be picked up by 4:15pm. Pickup and Drop off will now occur outside, at the front of the building using the roundabout. Someone will be outside to check your camper in every morning. On the first day of camp, you'll receive a car tag with your camper's name on it - please make sure this is visible when you arrive for pickup in the afternoons so that the individual doing check out can see your camper's name and send it to the classroom.

LUNCH/SNACKS

GBHS will provide snacks to our campers once each day. (We will do our best to provide snacks that are friendly to all campers, but if your child has a specific dietary need – please pack a snack for them.)

Due to the sensitivities of those with nut-related allergies we CANNOT allow campers to bring any items containing nuts with them to Critter Camp. (However, GBHS is a facility with many employees who bring food from outside sources. As well, we do use Peanut Butter for some of our enrichment programs. Because of this we cannot guarantee that our shelter is a nut-free facility, or that your child will not come into contact with nuts. We will make every attempt, though, to keep the Camp classroom nut-free.)

Lunch will not be provided and there will be no opportunity for your child to order lunch once they have arrived. PLEASE PACK A LUNCH FOR YOUR CHILD EACH DAY. (Preferably one that does not require refrigeration.)

BEHAVIOR

We expect our Critter Campers to interact with our animals and staff in a respectful, humane manner. Campers will do what they are instructed and failure to do so may result in a disciplinary write-up, that will be signed by our teacher and sent home with the student that day. If a camper is written up more than once, they may be asked not to return to Camp and no refund will be given. GBHS reserves the right to remove a child from our camps at any time.

MEDICAL POLICY

First Aid will be administered for all minor cuts/scrapes/bruises, etc. GBHS is not authorized or able to provide advanced medical care for any injury that requires treatment beyond basic First Aid. If your child becomes injured while at our camp, and we are unable to reach you, we will have your child sent to the nearest hospital by ambulance. GBHS is not able to pay for any medical treatments your child receives outside of our facility as a result of injuries sustained at Critter Camp.

WEATHER POLICY

Since the majority of our camp takes place indoors, Camp will be held regardless of weather. However, should Severe Weather occur (i.e.: A Tornado Warning is issued for Jefferson County.), we reserve the right to cancel camp immediately in order to get our campers to the safety of their homes. You will be notified as soon as a cancellation happens, and – of course – if a parent wishes to pick up a child before the camp is officially canceled, they certainly may. (However, if camp is cancelled due to severe weather or if a student is taken out of camp early – they will not be able to make up any missed camp time and no refunds will be given.)

SHELTER ANIMAL SAFETY

Your child will be interacting with Shelter Animals of different ages, breeds, backgrounds, and temperaments. Your child will be instructed on how to properly interact with these animals, and they must follow these instructions for the safety of themselves and the animal. However, unauthorized interactions with any shelter animals or going into any restricted areas is absolutely prohibited.