St. LOUIS, Mo.-Everybody grows up eventually. But being adult doesn't mean a person can't still be a kid . . . at least sometimes.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is inviting adults in the St. Louis region to become kids again and experience a bit of what it felt like to be out of school for the summer, one more time.

MDC is hosting Camp Hellbender 2024, a series of nine events in June and July for those age 18 and over that recreate the fun of a day at summer camp. Camp Hellbender returns after proving to be an extremely popular series of events in 2023. Each camp session is free and will be held at a different MDC site in the St. Louis region. Adult summer campers can register for one session per location, at as many sites as they wish. Each session will have a different agenda of activities that will highlight the resources its location has to offer.

"This summer camp is designed to let adults feel like a kid again and have fun in the outdoors while exploring some of the best conservation areas in the region and the unique resources each one has," said MDC Naturalist, Sabrina Hansen.

Hansen also explained that the summer camp sessions will give out a button "badge" for each session that participants attend. Some of the activities at Camp Hellbender, depending on location, will range from kayaking, archery, and cooking wild edibles, to tree climbing, surveying for bumblebees, and big river fishing.

All the events will culminate in a closing campfire at the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles on August 2. Those who participated in at least one session will be invited to the wrap up campfire event to reflect around on their time at camp and enjoy free s'mores and snow cones.

"We encourage you to participate in as many Camp Hellbenderdays as you'd like," Hansen said.

Camp Hellbender 2024session dates and locations are as follows:

• Sunday, June 2

August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles

• Friday, June 14

Rockwoods Reservation in Wildwood

• Friday, June 21

Powder Valley Nature Center in Kirkwood

• Saturday, June 22

Rockwoods Reservation in Wildwood

• Friday, June 28

August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles

• Friday, July 12

Columbia Bottom Conservation Area in Spanish Lake

• Friday, July 19

Tower Grove Park in St. Louis City

• Saturday, July 20

Tower Grove Park in St. Louis City

• Saturday, July 27

Columbia Bottom Conservation Area in Spanish Lake

Each session requires online pre-registration. A list of the dates, locations, and highlights for all sessions of Camp Hellbenderseries for adults, along with registration links, can be found at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/42M. Registration for all events opens May 1.

Sign up for email or text alerts to stay informed of MDC's latest programs and events by going to https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZoP.