Turtleback is an outdoor conservation camp in Mattituck for kids ages 5 to 12. Each of the nine weeks has its own focus species: horseshoe crabs, diamondback terrapins, endangered shorebirds, marine mammals, and more. Days mix nature study, conservation work, games, art, and cultural activities. Guest visitors join each week, bringing something connected to the week's focus.
The camp is small by design, with counselor ratios of 5:1 for younger kids and 7:1 for older ones, both below NYS standards. Turtleback also offers a Counselor-in-Training (CIT) program for returning campers ages 13 to 15.
Weeks 1-5 are held at Veterans Memorial Park and weeks 6-9 at Bailie Beach, both in Mattituck.
The camp runs Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm and costs $500 per week. Aftercare until 3:00 pm is available for an additional $100 per week. A 5% sibling discount applies.
