What is Dragonfly Nature Club?
Dragonfly Nature Club is a way to get kids in Jacksonville and St. Johns County exploring nature in a fun way. Each session is unique, drawing from the seasons, the surroundings, and the kids involved to create a memorable experience.
What does a Nature Club session look like?
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Groups of 10 or less for strong team building
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Hikes and Forest Exploration
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Skill Builders: Tool use, fire lighting, hand crafts, observation, science
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Provocations: Rope, tree climbing, pond dipping, natural art, mud!
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Photos of your child and a session summary emailed after each event
Nature Club is different from our other classes and camps because it is student-led. A student-led ethos means that we give students the tools to explore nature and make discoveries at their own pace. We walk them through the process of making safe choices (how do you know if a branch is safe to climb?) so they can learn to do it on their own. We follow curiosity where it leads (what is this bug doing?) and strive to build resilient kids. We are not afraid to get muddy or messy - kids are 100% washable!
What kind of topics will be included?
Below are some examples of things that may be covered during a Nature Club session. These topics will change based on the time of year, the age of students, the students interests, the student's current studies, and more.
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Bugs & Insects
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Pond Life, Microorganisms, Fish
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Soil and Decomposers
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Fire Safety, Fire Lighting, Knife Safety, Whittling, Bushcraft
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Reptiles and Amphibians
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Nests and Burrows, Animal Signs and Tracking
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Chemistry and Physics in Nature
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and Much More!
Event Policies
Jax Dragonfly Academy designs and implements programs based on enrollment. We invest in program planning, site licenses, equipment and other costs before the program begins. These expenses cannot be recovered in the event of a cancellation. When considering a cancellation, please be aware and respectful of our policies and commitment to facilitating quality programs.
Weather: Programs run rain or shine. We don’t provide refunds for days missed due to weather. All participants should come to programs with weather-appropriate clothing and related gear. In the event that extreme weather jeopardizes the health and safety of participants and staff, the Dragonfly Academy may choose to reschedule the session. You will be notified 12-24 hours in advance of a schedule change.
Park access: Jax Dragonfly Academy operates in public parks. In very rare circumstances where access to the park has been restricted without notice, programs may be cancelled if an alternative location can not be secured. Credits will be issued.
Low enrollment: Jax Dragonfly Academy reserves the right to cancel a program due to low enrollment. A full refund will be issued.
Circumstances beyond our control: The Dragonfly Academy will determine whether a refund is warranted.
Other refunds and credits: You can request a full refund 28 days prior to the start of each Nature Club semester. We do not provide refunds for missed days of Nature Club. If you are unable to make one of the sessions, please let us know in advance and we may be able to add you to another session based on availability.
All cancellations must be requested in writing by emailing info@jaxdragonfly.org.
We reserve the right to cancel a program or change a program’s duration, price or location. You will be notified via email of any changes to programs you are already registered for.
Nature Club meets once per month on Wednesdays. Click here for calendar.
**Schedule may change due to weather/holidays**
Fall 2022
1st Week
*9:30am - 12pm Bobcats (Ages 5-10)
2nd Week
9:30am - 12pm Marsh Rabbits (Ages 5-9)
1pm - 3:30pm River Otters (Ages 10-13)
3rd Week
9:30am - 12pm Tree Frogs (Ages 5-9)
Spring 2023
1st Week
9:30am - 12pm Bobcats (Ages 5-10) *begins in Feb
2nd Week
9:30am - 12pm Marsh Rabbits (Ages 5-9)
1pm - 3:30pm River Otters (Ages 10-13)
3rd Week
9:30am - 12pm Tree Frogs (Ages 5-9)
1pm - 3:30pm Red Foxes (Ages 10-13)
4pm - 6pm Black Bears (Ages 5-10)
These sessions fill up very quickly. If a session you are interested in is full, please Join a Waitlist by clicking below. You will be notified if there are any openings in our program.