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Nature Explorers
weekly outdoor enrichment
for school-age children
2026-2027 Program year registration timeline:
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March 2nd at noon, registration will open to all current 3P families.
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March 9th at noon, registration will open to the public.
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June 1st - Tuition Assistance requests due
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​September - Orientations for Nature Explorers and their families
*REGISTRATION NOW OPEN*
2026-2027 Program Year
Nature Explorer Sites
Three Pines Projects serves three counties in Southeastern NC; New Hanover, Pender and Brunswick County. Below are the sites for the Nature Explorers program in each county.
Carolina Beach
State Park
New Hanover County
1010 State Park Rd, Carolina Beach, NC 28428
Abbey Nature
Preserve
Pender County
90 Heart Pine Ave, Wilmington, NC 28411
Brunswick
Nature Park
Brunswick County
2601 River Rd SE, Winnabow, NC 28479
Enrollment Options & Locations
REGISTRATION OPENS 3/9/26
(follow links below to register)
Contact us if you'd like to schedule an observation day during the Spring 2026 semester
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2026-27 Tuesday Nature Explorers at Abbey Nature Preserve *FULL, join the wait-list here
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2026-27 Wednesday Nature Explorers at Carolina Beach State Park *Register HERE
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2026-27 Thursday Nature Explorers at Abbey Nature Preserve *FULL, join the wait-list here
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2026-27 Friday Nature Explorers at Brunswick Nature Park *FULL, join the wait-list here
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*Nature Explorers Mini Sessions
Monthly program option and sessions offered during breaks*
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Details and Registration here: Summer Mini 1
June 16th - 18th
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Details and Registration: Summer Mini 2
June 30th - July 2nd
Program Year
9:00am - 2:00pm
October 6, 2026 - May 21, 2027
*See calendar for holidays and breaks.
Mandatory site orientations will take place in September
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To register, there is a $125 enrollment fee that goes towards the tuition, plus a $60 supply fee. The enrollment and supply fee are non-refundable.
A sibling discount of 10% is applied at checkout.
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There are three payment options available:
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Pay in full, due at checkout
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Pay in 8 monthly installments ($215.78/month): auto-draft starts September 5th 2026 with the last installment on April 5th, 2027​​
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*NEW* Pay in 11 monthly installments ($156.94/month): auto-draft starts June 5th 2026 with the last installment on April 5th, 2027
Participants Will Receive
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Three Pines Project nature journal and pencil
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3P T-shirt
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Fiber art project
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Woodworking project
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Plant product
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Child-made group field guide
*all projects will be sent home after the student showcase at the end of the program year
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Tuition Assistance:
Tuition assistance requests are submitted through Brightwheel after enrollment.
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requests due June 1st
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tuition assistance awarded by August 1st
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Dependent on funds available
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Tuition Assistance request form
Nature Explorers Participant Requirements
Nature Explorers are busy and on the go! We ask that caregivers practice with their children to meet the below milestones before registering for the Nature Explorers program. This ensures facilitators may focus their full attention on safety, community building, and hands-on skills activities.​
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Child is able to toilet and change their clothes independently
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Child is able to pack and carry their backpack with required gear
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Child is able to open water and food containers independently
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Child can zip and button their own packs and clothes
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Child is able to communicate their needs
Enrollment Timeline
1
Open Enrollment
Enrollment opens to our currently enrolled families the week before open enrollment.
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Our open enrollment window is from March 9th, 2026 - September 4th 2026
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Site orientations are in September.
If registering after the site Orientation you and your explorer will need to arrange a meeting with a facilitator for a one-on-one orientation.
2
Scholarship Requests
Three Pines Project hopes to make our program accessible and realize cost can be a barrier.
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Since 2016 we have provided over $30,000 in tuition assistance. In 2024 we provided $2,700 with 17% of our Nature Explorers receiving tuition assistance.
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We also offer a 10% sibling discount (available at checkout).
3
Late Adds
Explorers wishing to join our program after September 18th:
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Schedule a trial day if space is available
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Watch the orientation video with their child
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Dependent on space and is up to facilitator discretion
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No late adds after December 5th, 2026
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Participants on the wait-list will have priority should a spot open.
