Cooper Center for Environmental Learning (Camp Cooper)

We’re excited to share that Camp Cooper will be joining the 2026 Garden Explorerz camp on June 8th at Las Milpitas de Cottonwood Community Farm! 🌱🌵

Hosted by the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, Garden Explorerz is a hands-on summer camp experience that helps kids connect with gardening, food systems, nature, and the environment through interactive learning and outdoor exploration.

Make sure you register at the link below! 🔗

https://www.communityfoodbank.org/event/garden-explorerz-2026/?_gl=1*1rrrszt*_gcl_au*MTI3NDQzMDczMS4xNzc4NjE5NzM3

Happy last day of school to all Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) students, teachers, and staff! ☀️📚

As we wrap up our 2025–2026 field trip season, we’re feeling incredibly grateful for another amazing year of learning and connection in the Sonoran Desert.

This season at Camp Cooper:
Over 4,200 students reached
131 Cooper trips (including in-person programs and classroom visits)
33 volunteer events
More than 500 student contact hours

From hikes and animal encounters to Earthkeepers and more, it has been such a joy to learn alongside all of you this year. Thank you to every teacher, student, volunteer, and supporter who made this season so meaningful. We hope you all have a safe, restful, and adventure-filled summer! 🌵✨

We had an incredible Earthkeepers key ceremony with Miles students last week! 🌎🔑

The students wrapped up their Earthkeepers journey by sharing thoughtful and creative presentations inspired by everything they learned throughout the program. From a model of the volcano that once stood where the Tucson Mountains are today, to a papier-mâché javelina, a graphic showing the flow of the energy cycle, a future map of Camp Cooper, and so much more, it was amazing to see their curiosity and creativity come to life.

One of our favorite parts of Earthkeepers is seeing the lasting impact it has on students and the knowledge and connection to the natural world they carry home with them. We are so proud of this group! 🌵

Celebrating our graduating seniors 🎓🌵

We have had the honor of celebrating Samantha, Lyndale, and Santiago these past couple of weeks, and we are so sad that today marks their last day out at camp. Watching these three grow over the past two years has been such a privilege, and we are incredibly proud of all they’ve accomplished.

Samantha and Lyndale are graduating from the University of Arizona later this week! Samantha is earning her Bachelor of Science in Biological Anthropology, and Lyndale is graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science. As our UA Campus Sustainability Fund students, they have both done an amazing job working with kids at Camp Cooper. Their eagerness to learn and deep love for the Sonoran Desert have made a lasting impact on our community.

Santi is graduating from San Miguel High School and plans to attend the University of Arizona this fall to study Wildlife Ecology. Over the last two years, Santi has grown tremendously in his teaching and public speaking, bringing so much curiosity and enthusiasm to his work in the desert environment. He’s shared that his time at Cooper inspired him to continue working with animals, and we can’t wait to see where that passion takes him.

We are so proud of each of you and grateful you’re part of the Camp Cooper family. Congratulations grads! 🌎

Today is our last field trip out at Camp Cooper for the season! 🌵☀️

This year, we welcomed over 3,000 students to the Sonoran Desert to explore trails, meet animal teachers, learn about sustainability, ask questions, and build deeper connections with the natural world. From first-time desert discoveries to meaningful moments of curiosity, every group brought something special to camp.

As temperatures rise and summer approaches, we’re feeling incredibly grateful for all the students, teachers, families, interns, volunteers, and partners who made this season so impactful. Thank you for learning and growing with us, and we can’t wait to do it all again next season! 💚

Colin and Rowan recently attended the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) ICON Conference in San Diego, where they spent three days connecting with fundraisers from around the world. 🤝

Rowan attended as a Chamberlain Scholar, and Colin marked his second ICON conference and attended the Community-Centric Fundraising workshop, helping uplift our mission and gain more local interest. Through workshops, sessions, and conversations with peers, both explored new strategies to strengthen donor stewardship, better support the board, and expand outreach to new audiences. They also got to see some of our favorite Tucson peeps, who are apart of the Arizona AFP chapter, throughout the week!

Bringing these insights back to Camp Cooper will help us continue building meaningful relationships with our supporters and grow the impact of our mission even further.