Following two years of research and planning, El Ranchito summer camp began in 2007 as a collaboration between Shield Ranch, El Buen Samaritano and Westcave Preserve.  We work together in this endeavor because we believe it is important to provide urban kids with opportunities to discover the natural world – and themselves.

El Ranchito's first summer consisted of two one-week sessions and 36 campers entering the 5th through the 7th grades.  For 2008, a third session and three more grade levels were added, and El Ranchito served 76 campers entering the 4th through the 9th grades.  In 2009, a new program, the Conservation Corps was added which provided high school youth an opportunity to participate in conservation work for which they were paid a modest stipend.  El Ranchito served a total of 83 campers in 2009, entering the 4th through 12th grades.  In June of 2010, we held three one-week sessions for the newly named Nature Discovery Camp for 4th-9th graders and we extended the Conservation Corps program to 12 days.  El Ranchito hosted 91 4th-12th graders in 2010, nearly half of whom were returning El Ranchito campers and Corps members. In June of 2011, we had 79 NDC Campers and 22 Corps members come to El Ranchito, most of whom were returning.  It was hot AND fun!

El Ranchito has enjoyed broad community support from volunteers who have assisted with camp planning, trail building and site preparation, camp set-up and take-down, and special camp programs. Volunteer doctors have provided free well-checks and oversee the health program during camp.

El Ranchito received significant start-up funding from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and several private foundations along with numerous individual gifts and matching funds from local businesses.  In 2011 we received our second grant from TPWD.  This funding supported some of our nature programs, equipment purchases, and transportation and staffing costs, plus three healthy and delicious meals each day of camp.

We are deeply grateful to our funders and the many volunteers and supporters who have enabled us to realize our dream of a nature-immersion summer camp.