Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center began as a summer day camp in 1950 where generations of children from all city neighborhoods have attended over the last 70-plus years.  In 2021, the 42-acre property was placed in a conservation easement and the camp became the only nature center in the city expanding its mission to provide year-round natural space and environmental education for the entire community. 

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Since 2022, Hillside Garden Club has awarded over $12,000 to Camp KBY Nature Center to build a pollinator garden, a yurt for children's programming, and a map and signage for the Cosby Trail.

 

In 2025, Hillside Garden Club won the Bessie Bocock Carter Conservation Award, and an additional $12,000 in funds from the award went to Camp KBY Nature Center for interpretative signs identifying trees, plants, and habitat to promote familiarity and appreciation for wooded, natural areas and conservation in a city with limited and dwindling outdoor space.