Green Mountain Conservation Camp (GMCC) offers hands-on learning experiences about fish, wildlife, ecology, botany, forestry, hunter firearm safety, outdoor first aid, and so much more.
2020 Registration is now open - join us and explore the outdoors!
Given the current situation with COVID-19, we want to let parents know we are still planning on holding the Green Mountain Conservation Camp sessions this summer. In the event we need to cancel one or more sessions, full refunds for the camp registration will be issued.
GMCC offers opportunities for hiking, canoeing, fishing, archery, .22 rifle and shotgun shooting, orienteering, and other fun activities. Campers have a unique opportunity to meet Vermont State Game Wardens, foresters, fisheries and wildlife biologists, and others who work in the outdoors.
Wildlife education and outdoor skills are the focus of GMCC and the program’s goal is to cultivate a caring attitude among our youth for Vermont’s fish and wildlife resources.
A GMCC Summer: Life Through the Eyes of a Camper
Camp Locations
Buck Lake Camp
1051 Buck Lake Road
Woodbury, VT 05681
802 472-5066
Map | Directions
Buck Lake Camp in Woodbury, Vermont is pleasantly nestled in the woods alongside Buck Lake.
Edward F. Kehoe Camp
636 Point of Pines Road
Castleton, VT 05735
802 265-4577
Map | Directions
Kehoe Camp is located on Lake Bomoseen in Castleton, Vermont and features a particularly beautiful mountain view.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can attend GMCC?
There are separate weeks for boys and girls.
Basic Week Session:
boys and girls ages 12-14 (Children must be 12 years old before or during the week they attend camp.)
Advance Week Session:
boys and girls ages 12-16 whom have completed the basic week.
Campers cannot attend both a basic week session and an advanced week session in the same summer.
What do campers do at GMCC?
We focus on activities about natural resource conservation and outdoor recreation skills, with topics including:
- Vermont's fish and wildlife
- Wetland ecology
- First aid and outdoor safety
- Fly-fishing and spin casting
- Fly-tying
- Archery
- Hiking and camping
- Canoeing
- Firearms education
- Forests and forestry
How do I register my child for GMCC?
Cost: $250 for a fun-filled week of learning in Vermont's great outdoors!
Are scholarships available?
Yes. GMCC offers a limited number of scholarships thanks to the Vermont Legislature. To request a scholarship, you must submit the GMCC Income Eligibility Form with your application.
Download a Printable GMCC Scholarship and Income Eligibility Form
Call the Montpelier Office at (802)-828-1460 if you would like the form sent to you.
If your household income is within the allowable limits then your child may be eligible to receive a full scholarship. These scholarships are awarded on a first-come first-served basis and are based on economic need.
Due to the limited number of scholarships not everyone who qualifies will receive scholarship funding. All scholarship applications and information will be kept confidential.
GMCC Sponsors
Civic organizations and fish and game clubs throughout Vermont will sponsor campers. Many of these scholarships are not based on economic need. You must contact your sponsor first and if they agree to sponsor your child they will give you a “GMCC Sponsorship Agreement”. You should keep the original until early December should discrepancies in the billing occur. A PDF copy of the sponsorship agreement is now required to be attached to your application. The GMCC Scholarship form is the only form we accept as proof of sponsorship.
IMPORTANT - Campers receiving a scholarship or a sponsorshipand not attending the session they are registered for, will be billed for the scholarship or sponsorship amount unless written notice of cancellation is received at least two weeks prior to the start of the session. An e-mail to FWGMCC@vermont.gov constitutes written notification.
If you are unable to download the file, contact the GMCC office at (802)-828-1460 or E-mail us at FWGMCC@vermont.gov
What else should parents know?
- Arrival Time: 2pm to 4pm on the Sunday the session starts.
- Pick Up Time: Friday at 5pm. Parents and siblings are invited to join us for a cookout and small graduation ceremony starting at 5pm. Everything will wrap up by 7 pm at the latest.
- Basic Week-Check List of What to Bring
- Advanced Week-Trapper Education-Check Listof What to Bring
- Advanced Week-Waterfowl-Backpacking-Check List of What to Bring
- Hunter Education Registration Form
- Medical Certificate Form (Please Note:This is the only acceptable medical form.)
- Camp Addresses and Phone Numbers
If your child is a basic week camper, please remember to complete the pre-camp reading of the hunter education and bow hunting education study guides. Use the links below to access the online study guides.
Online Hunter Education Study Guide
Online Bow Hunting Education Study Guide
For those participating in the advanced week trapping course, please read the pre-camp trapper course guide. Use the link below to access the online study guide.
Questions regarding camp availability and registration:
Call (802)-828-1460 or email us at FWGMCC@vermont.gov
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