POCACITO Summer Camp 2026

Last updated on 10 Sep 2026

M for MISSISSIPPI - POCACITO Summer Campers celebrating their host state, together with Tracy Galloway at Galloway Farms

POCACITO Network went back to Biloxi, Mississippi for two weeks of 2026 POCACITO Summer Camp. For the first time, we expanded our programming to two weeks. Campers attended one or both sessions.

FIRST SESSION, July 5-11, Student Naturalist Program
SECOND SESSION, July 12-18, Restore and Rebuild program focused on nature restoration projects along with the Art for Nature program with music ethnographers

SESSION 1. The first week focused on nature education with Mississippi State University's Coastal Research and Extension Center (CREC) taking us to a whirlwind of activities and locations:

biodiversity safari at Camp Wilkes
birding at Camp Wilkes
microplastics, composting and more at MSU CREC
planting marsh grasses in the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge in Gulf Shores, Alabama
exploring the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR)
beach cleanup and seine fishing on Deer Island
kayaking
swimming
podcasting and zine production
cooking
lots of time on the pier and in the woods.

SESSION 2. Our second week aimed at getting things done together with Mississippi State University's Gulf Coast Community Design Studio.

removing invasive vines and waste along Bayou Auguste Neighborhood Wetland Park in East Biloxi
removing invasive plants and mulching of bio-swales at Kreole Primary Elementary in Moss Point, Mississippi
removing invasive vines and trees at Keegan Bayou behind Back Bay Mission in Biloxi
learning about the historic Biloxi Wade-Ins that desegregated Gulf beaches and the plan to build a memorial
visiting Galloway Family Farm & Education Center by Tracy Galloway
sharing our music and the role music plays in our history together with Will Buckingham and Hannah Rogers, both with the Institute for Public Ethnomusicology in Louisiana who came to meet us in Biloxi

"Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to witness the beauty of Biloxi, learn more about the environment (like protection of it and the local ecosystem), and meet interesting people. Thank you for making fresh bread every morning, probably the most delicious bread I ever had in my life. Thank you for teaching us to make granola (still remember the instructions), and being kind no matter what. I've made friends I still keep in contact with. It was inspiring to see people have such wonderful time here, either as their first time in America, or just as a cool experience. I would love to stay involved in the opportunities pocacito has to offer."
Rebecca Bowers, POCACITO Summer Camper 2026 & 2025

We hope to see you next year in Biloxi again.