Noel Henry peeked through a magnifying glass at a dirt-covered worm in a Styrofoam container on a table. He held a flashlight to the slimy creature, and picked it up for his fellow campers to see.

“That’s one,” said Noel, who turns 4 on Monday. “See it?”

Noel was among 15 pre-schoolers taking part in a weeklong nature camp called “Explore Pond Life and Bugs” at the Marshfield Recreation Center.

Campers, all of them 3 to 5 years old, learned about the life cycle of frogs, made pond creatures, went on bug hunts and enjoyed bug and reptile-related songs, stories and baking.

It was the first of several weeklong programs this summer taking advantage of the recreation department’s new headquarters on Coast Guard Hill. Next up, campers will explore birds and ocean creatures.

The department moved last year from cramped quarters in the school administration building to the former Coast Guard station on 38 acres of marsh, woodlands and fields.

This past week, children learned what a marsh is, said Kay Bilas, the program’s teacher, who is also lead teacher for Pudding Hill School and the recreation department site coordinator at Martinson Elementary School.

“They’re becoming aware of their own environment around them,” she said. “I think they learn by touching and squeezing and feeling.”

Sydney Schwartz is at sschwartz@ledger.com.