2026 Kayak Camp (June 22-23)

These past two days at Kayak Camp were a blast! On day one we learned about wetlands, created our own tiny wetlands, invented brand new wetland creatures (including the frogachog, butterfly bird, pizza fish and the chickodile) and played with some mud to create our very own beaver dams. At the Provo River Delta we saw some amazing birds and even some ash falling from the nearby wildfires while out kayaking. 

On day two we went on a birding expedition, found treasure and kayaked out to a bald eagle nest! The kids had so much fun and we can't wait for the adventures we will go on next year!

Audrey, museum educator

2026 Kayak Camp (June 17-19)

This week we learned all about wetlands and their importance to different organisms. On Wednesday, we learned about types of wetlands and made filters using materials found in wetlands. Then we went kayaking on the Provo River Delta, where we learned how to kayak and identify birds. During lunch, Andrea from the Nature Conservancy taught us about wetlands and Utah Lake, and the campers played a trivia game. 

We learned about life cycles and ecosystems on Thursday, and we practiced being “ecosystem architects” by building our own beaver dams at the museum. Then we went to Alligator Park to kayak on the river, where we saw ducklings, fish, a mink, and even a great blue heron! 

On Friday we spent all day at the Provo River Delta. We kayaked out to see a bald eagle nest and saw coots, egrets, ibises, gulls, carp, and pelicans along the way. On land, we did a scavenger hunt and took our binoculars to use in the birding tower, writing and drawing our observations in our field journals. Both educators and campers had so much fun and learned a lot this week! 

Camilla, museum educator

2026 Kayak Camp (June 15-16)

We started off this session of kayak camp with inventing our own weird wetland creatures, like the ayexolotl, petal bird, tere, and jeff. We explored life cycles and the impacts of keystone species on the environment. After making our way to the delta, we spotted avocets, carp, and several massive flocks of pelicans. The next day we brought out our binoculars on the Provo River Delta trail and found eastern kingbirds, white-faced ibises, and even a great blue heron. We documented our findings in field journals and returned to the water, taking a closer look at the bald eagle nest at the edge of the delta. 

Samantha, museum educator

 

2026 Kayak Camp (June 10-12)

This week, we got to learn a bunch about the wildlife living in and around the Provo River Delta, and how wetlands help so many other environments. On Wednesday, we learned about different types of wetlands, then went out on the Provo River Delta to see waterfowl, shorebirds, fish, and bald eagles in their nest! On Thursday, we learned about the life cycles of animals and how beavers shape their environment. We went to Alligator Park to kayak, where we saw some ducks and a great blue heron! We spent all Friday on the Provo River Delta, either kayaking or birdwatching and going on a treasure hunt. We saw a bunch of cool birds and fish, including hawks, hummingbirds, herons, carp, egrets, pelicans, and bald eagles! The whole week, both the kids and the educators had a wonderful time and learned lots!

Elise, museum educator

2026 Kayak Camp (June 8-9)

This week of kayak camp for our younger group was filled with making new friends, learning all about Utah wetlands and the animals that live in it, and exploring our very own Provo River Delta, both on land and in the water! We saw many exciting things this week. On Monday we learned all about the Provo River Delta, its ecosystems, what keystone species are, and even made our very own animals! We made our very own field journals, which we put to use both Monday and Tuesday as we went out on the Delta. After exploring and finding all sorts of birds and animals on Monday (including a real beaver lodge!), we split up into two teams on Tuesday to see what we can find on the water and on land.

We saw large eagle nests, and saw real eagles flying above us. We also found ourselves deep in carp territory, and though it was scary at times, our campers were very brave as we watched and felt the carp splash around and bump against our kayaks! After bracing some wind, we met back up for lunch and continued on our adventures, with some of us going to a nearby river to explore the wildlife that lives there, including some baby ducks.

We look forward to seeing what adventures will come next week, and are so grateful for the time we could spend with these amazing, curious, and courageous campers!

Eliza, museum educator

2026 Kayak Camp (June 3-5)

Kayak Camp June 3-5

A Wetland Expedition

Over the past three days we got to see our amazing campers learn to kayak, identify birds, and explore marshes and rivers. On Wednesday, we learned how wetlands act as filters and how to kayak leaving no trace. We traveled to the Provo River Delta to kayak, spotting bald eagles, a muskrat, and a partially submerged telephone pole. On Thursday, we created life cycles for imaginary organisms and built beaver dams. We explored the Provo River at Alligator Park, where we encountered stonefly larvae, ducklings, and water beetles. On Friday, we looked at algae and insects collected from both sites underneath microscopes. Then, we returned to the Provo River Delta to bird along the shore with binoculars, go on a treasure hunt, and kayak to the bald eagle nest. Our campers had a blast and us educators did too!

Samantha, museum educator

2026 Kayak Camp (June 1 & 2)

2026 Kayak Camp 

June 1&2 Adventures

The first week of Kayak Camp 2026 with third and fourth graders was a blast! The boys and girls learned about wetlands, keystone species, animal life cycles, habitats, and explored the Provo River Delta from both land and kayaks.

On Monday, they learned what defines a wetland and discovered that wetlands act as important filters in the environment. They then learned about animal life cycles and experimented with creating their own animals with unique lifestyles. There were animals ranging from taco-birds to snogs (snake dogs)! Understanding keystone species was the next task on the list. The campers built their own miniature beaver dams using materials they found outside and participated in a challenge to see who could build a dam that held back the most water while still allowing a little to flow through. In the afternoon, the campers learned how to kayak - how to hold their paddles, how to turn, and other basic skills. They spent an hour and a half on the water in the Provo River Delta practicing what they had learned.

On Tuesday, they spent the entire day at the delta! Half of the day was spent on land. During this time, they took part in a scavenger hunt, birded with binoculars, spent time writing in their field journals, and explored a trail along the delta. The other half of the day was spent on the water, kayaking to a small island and finding animals along the way. They spotted bald eagles, ospreys, muskrats, hummingbirds, yellow-headed blackbirds, killdeer, pelicans, gulls, and so much more!

What a fantastic week of Kayak Camp! From building beaver dams to spotting wildlife and exploring the delta by kayak, the campers packed a lot of learning and adventure into just two days. We are looking forward to next week and all the fun, exploration, and discoveries that await our next group of campers.

Lydia, museum educator

2026 Easter Family Night Report

The Monday following Easter, the Bean Life Science Museum celebrated the night filled with an assortment of fun activities. Guests could go to a face painting station with the option to have a butterfly, Easter egg, or some cougar stripes painted. There was a paper flower craft for anyone feeling artsy. And we had a balloon animal station going. One of the most popular activities of the evening was the Easter egg scavenger hunt. Guests used a bingo sheet of different Easter egg designs to spot throughout the museum. Anyone who got a bingo got the chance to spin our prize wheel!

There also was a photo booth to pose with some unique museum specimens and show off cool face paint designs. Lastly, was a special interactive presentation about Easter traditions and animals found all around the world. The night was a success and hundreds of guests of all different ages came and participated. We look forward to many fun family nights in the future.

Laurel, student educator