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Nature Camp Counselor Intern

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Do you love working with children? Do you love the outdoors, nature, and hiking? Are you passionate about children's books, reading, and writing, and do you want to make learning fun for kids? How about combining your passions into a fun camp counselor opportunity?

 

At Inspire Behavioral Learning, LLC, we are looking for teen camp counselors and college/university student camp counselors to intern for seasonal day camps. Interns learn to work with kids in grades K-5 in Call of the Wild Camps in Oakland, Berkeley, Cupertino, and Vacaville, CA. Our nature camps are for kids to connect with nature, hike, read, write, explore, learn, and play in forests and nature sites of the Bay Area!

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Our ideal nature camp counselor interns are outgoing, friendly, dynamic, creative, fun, energetic, and dependable outdoor lovers who are eager to inspire and gain experience with elementary school aged kids. The #1 preferred quality is eagerness and openness to learn and develop your skill set. Students interested in future careers in education and environmental science are encouraged to apply!

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INTERN SCHEDULE: 

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• Orientation and Training: ​depending on the season, orientation and training are online, followed by onsite or may be entirely onsite. For all seasons, orientation and training take place before camp sessions for your selected season begin, i.e., before you begin working with the children. For summer internships, a minimum of 3 days attendance at orientation and training is mandatory for full-time internships and 2 days for part-time internships. Intern training is also ongoing during camps.

  • Oakland summer camp full-time orientation and training:

    • Saturday, 6/7/25, 8:30 AM-12:30 PM, 1:00 PM-4:30 PM, at Joaquin Miller Park.

    • Saturday, 6/14/25, 8:30 AM-12:30 PM, 1:00 PM-4:30 PM, at Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park (Canyon Meadow Staging Area).

    • Saturday, 6/21/25, 8:30 AM-12:30 PM, 1:00 PM-4:30 PM, at Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park (Skyline Gate Staging Area).

  • Oakland summer camp part-time morning orientation and training:

    • Saturday, 6/7/25, 8:30 AM-12:30 PM, at Joaquin Miller Park.

    • Saturday, 6/14/25, 8:30 AM-12:30 PM, at Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park (Canyon Meadow Staging Area).

  • Oakland summer camp part-time afternoon orientation and training:

    • Saturday, 6/7/25, 12:30 PM-4:30 PM, at Joaquin Miller Park.

    • Saturday, 6/14/25, 12:30 PM-4:30 PM, at Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park (Canyon Meadow Staging Area).

• Summer Camps 2025:​

  • Vacaville: June 9-13 (applications closed)

  • Berkeley: June 23-July 18 (applications open)

  • Oakland: June 23-July 18 (applications closed)

  • Los Gatos and Cupertino/Los Altos Hills: July 21-August 8 (applications open)

• Intern Hours in Camp Sessions:​

  • Full day: M-F, 8:30 AM-4:30 PM

  • Half day option: M-F, 8:30 AM-12:30 PM

  • Half day option: M-F, 12:30 PM-4:30 PM ​

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INTERN ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

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• Actively participate in and complete intern training before camps start and ongoing training during camps

• Develop internship goals, and actively participate in weekly 1:1 training with the camp trainer 

• Punctually and reliably attend scheduled hours, rain or shine

• Safely lead hikes for K-5th graders in small groups up to approximately 6 mi. per day

• Create and facilitate outdoor language arts activities for day campers with nature and wilderness themes, including circle time with story time and singing, literary show-and-tell, skits, nature journaling, mapmaking, creative writing, and authoring and illustrating books

• Create and facilitate hands-on science activities in biology, ecology, zoology, life science, environmental science, outdoor education, environmental stewardship, conservation, preservation, etc.

• For Berkeley and Oakland summer camps, implement activities for the theme weeks Enchanted Forest Art, Enchanted Forest Reading, Enchanted Forest Writing, Enchanted Vegan Nature, and Trailblazers

• Facilitate fun and positive nature education curriculum on vegan topics such as animal rights, speciesism, health, food, clothing, and the environment

• Engage day campers in outdoor activities that blend recreation and education, such as nature-themed field games, hide and seek and chase games, crafting and playing forest "I Spy" games and scavenger hunts

• Create and facilitate nature-themed arts and crafts 

• Engage children with a fun teaching style and high energy, creativity, adaptability, spontaneity, dynamism, and positivity

• Supervise children's snack and lunch breaks

• Provide prompting and positive reinforcement to help children learn

• Facilitate emergent curriculum and child-centered, student-centered, experiential, incidental, and play-based teaching and learning opportunities

• Work closely and cooperatively with camp staff, assisting in daily scheduled activities

• Keep work materials neat, organized, and in good working condition

• Follow all health and safety requirements

• Assist day campers in following safety rules and leave no trace principles

• Proactively communicate camp questions and concerns with the camp supervisor

• Follow directions and implement feedback from camp supervisor

• Represent Call of the Wild Camps in a positive manner with campers, parents/guardians, staff, and park visitors

• Perform other intern duties as assigned

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

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Education:

 

• Current enrollment in grade 9-12, enrollment in grade 9 in Fall 2025, or current enrollment in a college/university program in education, biological sciences, environmental science, or closely related field

• Minimum 3.5 current GPA and in good academic standing

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Experience:

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• Experience hiking trails of moderate difficulty on hilly and uneven terrain up to approximately 6 miles per day

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Skills:

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• Ability to hike trails of moderate difficulty on hilly and uneven terrain up to approximately 6 miles per day five days a week (for multiple consecutive weeks in summer)

• Ability to assist teaching kids with a fun and engaging style, high energy, creativity, adaptability, spontaneity, dynamism, and positivity

• Kind, caring, compassionate, and patient with learners of all skill levels

• Ability to make biology and language arts fun and interesting for elementary school age children 

• Eagerness and openness to continually learn and develop your skill set

• Ability to break concepts down into simple and easy steps

• Ability to work as part of a team

• Punctuality and reliable attendance

• Demonstrable love of nature and the outdoors

• Enthusiastic about making education relevant to children's lives

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Other Requirements:

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• Access to reliable transportation for getting to and from camp sites in Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park, Joaquin Miller Park, Tilden Regional Park, Vasona Lake County Park, Rancho San Antonio County Park, and/or Lagoon Valley Park

• For adults (age 18+), pass a DOJ and FBI Live Scan background check after accepting an offer to intern

 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

 

• Some experience with elementary school age children (does not need to be formal volunteer work, internships or employment)

• Experience hiking in the parks you apply to intern in: Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park, Joaquin Miller Park, Tilden Regional Park, Rancho San Antonio County Park, and/or Lagoon Valley Park

• You are vegan, as defined by The Vegan Society, and/or you would like to learn the benefits of veganism on animals and the environment

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SUMMER INTERNSHIP STIPEND (OUSD STUDENTS ONLY):

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For students interning through OUSD's ECCCO program, a stipend is available upon completion of a Demonstration of Mastery Project and the below hours in a summer internship experience:

• 100 hours - eligible for a stipend of $1,000.00

• 50 hours - eligible for a stipend of $500.00

• 25 hours - eligible for a stipend of $250.00

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WHAT YOU GET:

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• Have fun assisting with teaching kids in the outdoors!

• Supportive and friendly environment with coaching and mentorship

• Free intern program to expand your knowledge and job skills with hands-on training 

• Intern experience to enhance college/university applications and build a resume

• Volunteer hours for unpaid internships

• Some colleges and universities offer internship course credit

• Successful interns may be invited to return to intern for future seasonal camps (summer, fall, winter, or spring!)

• Successful interns may be invited to apply for employment upon receiving a high school diploma and turning 18 (Inspire's camp counselor employee position is $20-22/hr DOE)

• Become part of a company that truly cares about the happiness and success of all interns, employees, and students!

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LOCATIONS: Bay Area parks. Click the locations below for links to the addresses on Google Maps.​

 

Spring camps 2025 

• Oakland, March 31-April 4: Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park

• Cupertino/Los Altos Hills, April 7-11 and April 14-18: Rancho San Antonio County Park and Open Space Preserve

• Vacaville, April 21-25: Lagoon Valley Park

 

Summer camps 2025:

• Vacaville, planned dates June 9-13: Lagoon Valley Park

• Berkeley, June 23-July 18: Tilden Regional Park. Mondays-Thursdays: Lake Anza. Fridays: Tilden Nature Area.

• Oakland, June 23-July 18: Joaquin Miller Park (first two weeks). Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park (last two weeks). At Redwood, every day except Thursdays, camp starts and ends at Canyon Meadow Staging Area. On Thursdays, camp starts and ends at Skyline Gate Staging Area.

• Los Gatos, July 21-25: Oak Meadow Park and Vasona Lake County Park

• Cupertino/Los Altos Hills, July 28-August 8: Rancho San Antonio County Park and Open Space Preserve

 

CLASSIFICATION: Internship, seasonal.

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Ready to get started? We look forward to connecting with you!

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Apply to Intern as a Nature Camp Counselor: ​