Eleven Bermudian teenagers had close encounters with Mother Nature in the week before school broke for the summer holidays.The teenagers were participating in the annual Nonsuch Island Camp run by Bermuda Zoological Society and Bermuda Audubon Society. Since 1972, the camp has offered secondary school students aged 15 to 18 a unique opportunity to broaden their knowledge of local natural history in Bermuda’s only co-educational, conservation-education camp. During the week of June 20 to 24, the students spent their days on guided field trips to marine parks, such as North Rock, and national reserves around the Island, including Paget Marsh, Spittal Pond and Walsingham Nature Reserve. Evenings were spent doing laboratory work at Nonsuch, or listening to talks by local scientists and experts. “We hope it fosters an active and life-long interest in Bermuda’s natural history,” said Bermuda Audubon’s Karen Border, who was working as “Camp Cook” at Nonsuch this year. “It provides students with an opportunity to experience advanced-level fieldwork, plus access to Bermuda’s top scientists. We hope it inspires all of them to become environmental stewards of the future.”Environmental learning during this year’s course has included fieldtrips to Walsingham for cave-spelunking and an inland pond snorkel; to Spittal Pond and coastal dunes for fieldwork; snorkelling at North Rock and coral-reef fieldwork; a field trip to Paget Marsh; snorkelling and fieldwork around Harrington Sound; a conservation project on Nonsuch with Terrestrial Conservation Officer Jeremy Madeiros; and evening labs and lectures on everything from Bermuda geology and hurricane ecology to bird life, marine ponds and a study of man’s impact on fragile habitats. Participants in the innovative programme were chosen on the basis of a written application, in which they described why they wanted to take part. Teachers also had to submit recommendations for student applicants. The camp was funded by Catin Insurance, PartnerRe, Rubis Bermuda and supported by the Department of Conservation Services.