St. Louis Astronomical Society

Camp Hellbender - Closing Camper Event at Powder Valley Cons Nature Ctr

Friday, August 8, 2025

Event

The Missouri Department of Conservation is hosting another year of Camp Hellbender, the summer camp for adults! Throughout the summer, our sites across the Saint Louis area host days where adults come out and participate in classic summer camp activities like archery, kayaking, tree climbing, nature art, outdoor cooking and more! While we usually host a closing campfire as our summer sendoff for our participants, we wanted to do something a little different this year and go stargazing instead! We were hoping to partner with you all to pull off some fun stargazing for our campers to be inspired by the night sky above us for a classic camp experience. 

Bill Breeden is leading and handling this event.

Date: Friday, August 8, 2025

Time: 8:45 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Central

Location: Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center
11715 Cragwold Rd
Kirkwood, MO 63122

Information for Visitors
Instructions for the Public:

Bill Breeden is leading and handling this event.

Location Details

Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center
11715 Cragwold Rd
Kirkwood, MO 63122
(click to get directions)
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Event Report

Comments and anecdotes about the event:
🌌 Summary: Powder Valley Stargazing Report by Bill Breeden (August 8, 2025) Bill Breeden, Star Party Coordinator for the St. Louis Astronomical Society, led a stargazing event at Camp Hellbender—an adult summer camp hosted by the Missouri Department of Conservation at Powder Valley Nature Center in Kirkwood, MO. 🏕️ Camp Hellbender Highlights Designed for adults to relive childhood summer camp experiences. Activities include archery, kayaking, tree climbing, and stream exploration. Campers earn badges and engage with nature in fun, hands-on ways. 🌠 Stargazing Event Overview Breeden was invited by MDC Naturalist Lauren Baker to present astronomy to ~50 adult campers. Despite a full moon, the tree cover allowed for quality stargazing until 10:00pm. The event focused on double stars rather than planets, which weren’t visible early in the evening. 🔭 Celestial Observations Stars observed: Vega, Arcturus, Mizar & Alcor, Albireo, and 31 Cygni. Telescope used: LX90 Schmidt-Cassegrain with a 32mm Meade Plossl eyepiece. Special requests included the Ring Nebula (M57), which was faint but appreciated. The full Moon was viewed through a moon filter, captivating attendees. 💬 Engagement & Education Breeden gave a talk on astronomy, light pollution, and its effects on wildlife and humans. He answered questions on topics like meteor showers and star clusters. He also shared personal stories, including his wife’s caregiving journey with Alzheimer’s. 🌟 Final Thoughts Breeden called it one of the best star parties he’s ever led, praising the enthusiasm of the campers and the support from MDC staff. He looks forward to future collaborations with the Missouri Department of Conservation.