​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ​Join Inside the Outdoors
for Summer Day Camp 2026!​

Experience unique activities that incorporate science, fun, learning, and being outdoors​.  Summer Day Camp is geared toward campers age 6 to 12 years old, with leadership and camp opportunities for campers age 13-17.  Each week of summer camp will have themed daily activities that are science/nature based that also include a daily nature journal prompt and a take-home craft.  

Dates 2026

• July 6 - 10, 2026​:  Animal & Habitat Expl​​orers - $295
  
• July 13 - 17, 2026:  Creature Keepers ​- $295
  
• July 20 - 24, 2026:  K-P​op Bug Hunters​ - $295
  
• July 27 - 31, 2026:  ​​Animal Superheroes​ - $295
  

​Registration Summer 2026​​

New Link- PayPal Payment for ITO Summer Day Camp  ​​
Note:  Click the blue link on the top of the PayPal page to add different weeks, extended camp, and the number of participants, to the cart.

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We are looking forward to another great year of songs, skits, making great friends, science experiments, live animals, crafts, games, FUN and laughter! If you have any questions, please feel free to call/email us. Thank you for giving your camper the opportunity to connect with science as they have hands-on experiences in nature!​  Once you have registered:

Payment:

Online Payment - PayPal Payment,  or send a check to: 
OCDE-Inside the Outdoors, 200 Kalmus Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Attn:  Summer Camp

Important Forms / Documents:

Medical Release Form - Must be completed prior to your first day at camp.  Two options to submit.

• Medical Release Form​ via Droplet​ - Upon completion it will be sent direclty to us for our records.

• Medical Release Form​ - PDF email: insidetheoutdoors@ocde.us​ the completed version.

Map to Camp - Shipley Nature Center, Huntington Beach, California

What to Bring

Reminders:

​Behavior standards apply to all campers/participants.​​

Summer Day Camp is an outdoor experience using Shipley Nature Center and Huntington Beach Central Park.

Students with special needs are welcome with their aides (aides or one-on-one care is not provided by program). One-on-one aides who accompany children are responsible for supervision, restroom assistance and ALL the individual care services the child may require throughout the program.

Extended Camp is only available to campers that particpate during regulart camp hours (no exceptions).​

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Description of Themes 2026

Week 1:  Animal & Habitat Explorers

Step into the role of an Animal & Habitat Explorer for a week of hands-on adventure! Campers will journey through diverse environments—including a redwood forest, oak forest, coastal sage scrub, and even a pond habitat—while journaling their discoveries along the way. From creating animal tracks and meeting animals to building their own habitats, this week is all about exploring how animals live, adapt, and thrive in the wild.

​Week 2:  Creature Keepers

Step into the shoes of a wildlife expert and become a Creature Keeper! Campers will discover the essentials of animal care by meeting live animals, crafting their own keeper badges, and building personalized animal first aid kits. Through a mix of hands-on crafts and high-energy games, it’s an exciting week dedicated to teamwork, creativity, and our favorite furry, scaly, and slimy friends!

Week 3:  K-Pop Bug Hunters

Get ready for a week where K-Pop meets the great outdoors! At our K-Pop Bug Hunter camp, campers will explore nature, get creative with crafts inspired by insects and music, and move to fun, catchy tunes. From games and challenges to hands-on projects, every day is packed with energy and imagination. It’s a playful, unforgettable week for kids who love nature and a little K-Pop sparkle

Week 4:  Animal Superheroes

Superpowers aren’t just for comics, animals have them too! Campers will explore the amazing world of animals, get creative with superhero inspired projects, and take on fun, action packed challenges. Each day is full of adventure, imagination, and hands-on fun. It’s a heroic week where kids can discover, play, and bring out their superpowers!​

Trip Schedule - 2 Hour Field Trip​ - Investigating Ecosystems at Irvine Park, Mt. SAC, OC Landfill, Santiago Oaks, Shipley Nature Center, Wild Wetlands

• ​9:00 am-11:00 am/11:30 am-1:30 pm: 
• Please return to our office at least 4 weeks before your program.
  
  

Trip Schedule - 2 Hour Field Trip​ - OC Landfill Field Trip​

• ​OC Landfill Resource Page​
  
• OCDE & OC Landfill​ - OCWR Accident Waiver & Release of Liablity Form - Bring this form and ITO Medical Releasse Form​​

Trip Schedule - Full Day Field Trip - ​Crystal Cove and Irvine Regional Park

• 9:00 am-2:30 pm
  

• Please return to our office at least 4 weeks before your program.​
  

​Teacher Checklist - What to do before, day of, and after program.
Medical Release Forms - Inside the Outdoors must keep these forms and file them for two years.  
Group Lists
Name Tags​
Maps to Sites
Field Trip Fees
Letter to Send to Parents​
Clothing List

Field Trip Post Trip Information

Take our Field Trip Program Evaluations online!

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​Traveling Scientist
Pre-Program Planning (In-Person Traveling Scientist)

Teaching Schedule - Traveling Scientist Programs
Teaching Schedule- Science Night​ - Science/STEAM Night

Teacher Checklist - What to do before, day of, and after program.
Room Set Up for Programs

Traveling Scientist Post Program Information

Take our Traveling Scientist Program Evaluation online!

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Virtual Programs ​

​Teaching Schedule​​ - click here to access the VIRTUAL Teaching Schedule (fillable PDF)

• ​Please submit your Teaching Schedule at least FOUR weeks before your program. 
• ​Each class should be scheduled for their own presentation (exception- ​Drip Drop).
• ​​We request 10-15 minutes in between presentations.  ​​​​​​​
• Combo classes and SDC students can be combined with another class. 
• Class sizes should be limited to 35-40 students per presentation (exception- Drip Drop)​. 
• ​TK/Kinder programs are 30-45 minutes, and first grade and up are 60 minutes. 
• For pre-and post activities, please refer to your confirmation email to access our activities.

​Sample Teaching Schedule - click here to view a pdf sample schedule

AESD ONLY:  Sample Teaching Schedule​​ - click here to view a pdf sample schedule (AESD ONLY)

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Lessons, Curriculum, and Background Information

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​A partnership between the Orange County Department of Education's Inside the Outdoors and OC Waste & Recycling. 

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Sample images from the Kindergarten Curriculum​

Welcome to the OC Landfill Field Trip

Pilot Program Spring 2026
NGSS PE Supported: 

The Frank R. Bowerman Landfill is one of Orange County’s active waste management facilities, designed to safely contain waste while protecting air and water quality. In this 2​-hour field program, students take on the role of environmental engineers to investigate how landfills are managed and how waste impacts the environment. Through a guided bus tour of the landfill and hands-on investigations, students analyze methane monitoring systems and explore composting processes that reduce methane production. Overall, students will investigate how engineering solutions and community actions work together to manage waste and protect natural systems.

Planning Documents​

• ​​​Trip Schedule - 2 Hour Field Trip​ - OC Landfill Field Trip
• ​OC Landfill Resource Page​
  
• OCDE & OC Landfill Waivers​ - OCWR Accident Waiver & Release of Liablity Form - Bring this form and ITO Medical Releasse Form​​
  

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Site Details
Location: Frank R. Bowerman Landfill - 11002 Bee Canyon Access Rd, Irvine, CA. 92602.
Time: Two-hours: 9:00-11:00, 10:00-12:00, ​​
Parking: no fee
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible

​​​Project Zero Waste (formerly EcoChallenge) is a free K-12 curriculum from Inside the Outdoors, the Orange County Department of Education's environmental education program, offered in partnership with OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR). 

The refreshed program helps students explore the importance of waste diversion, recycling, and composting through engaging, hands-on, standards-aligned lessons that connect to real-world environmental careers. 

​Sign Up to Stay Informed

Project Zero Waste is currently being updated and expanded to include new grade-specific curricula and classroom activities. By signing up, you'll be among the first to receive: 

• ​Grade-specific Project Zero Waste lessons when they're released
  
• Access to free OCWR classroom resources you can use right away
  
• Updates on future opportunities and educator workshops
  

While the new curriculum is being finalized, you can start exploring waste reduction and recycling with your students today with free downloadable resources provided by OC Waste & Recycling, including: 

• ​Anatomy of a Landfill Poster (available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean)
  
• Educational Videos: Bad Apples, Angels World Cleanup Day, and Talking Trash Trivia with Wild Wing
  
• 2025 Activity Book for classroom learning
  
• Household Hazardous Waste Facts Sheets (English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean)
  
• Compost Postcard (English, Spanish, Vietnamese)
  
• What Can I Take to the Landfill?​
  
• Landfill Fact Sheets: Frank R. Bowerman, Olinda Alpha, and Prima Deshecha Landfills
  

​Timeline

• ​Now: Sign up to receive OCWR resources and Project Zero Waste updates.
  
• Coming Soon: Release of new grade-level lesson sets and hands-on classroom activities.
  
• Future: Continued rollout and educator support throughout the school year. 
  

Who Can Participate

• ​K-12 educators across Orange County
  
• STEM, CTE, and environmental science educators
  
• Club advisors and curriculum leads interested in sustainability education
  

About the Partnership

​​​Project Zero Waste is a collaboration between OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) and Inside the Outdoors, the Orange County Department of Education's (OCDE) award-winning environmental education program. 

Together, OCDE and OCWR are committed to empowering Orange County students to become stewards through meaningful, hands-on education that inspires action toward a cleaner, more sustainable future. 

​Questions?

​For more information about Project Zero Waste or to connect with our team, please email insidetheoutdoors@ocde.us or call (714) 708-3885.​

Shipley Nature Center (TK - 4th Grade)​

Mt. SAC​ (TK - 4th Grade)

​Wild Wetlands (2nd Grade)

Santiago Oaks (3rd Grade)​

Crystal Cove (5th Grade)

Irvine Regional Park​ (4th Grade)​

Irvine Regional Park​ (5th Grade)

Irvine Regional Park​ (6th Grade)

OC Landfill Field Trip​ (various grades)

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