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Lunch Time!

...not just for children!

Education as Exploration

At Apple Ridge Farm, young people search under rocks and logs for salamanders, creep through the leaves on the forest floor emulating the camouflaging abilities of rabbits and deer, and gasp at the size of dragonfly nymphs netted in the stream and pond. The Environmental Education Center at Apple Ridge Farm transforms learning into exploration and the beautiful habitats at Apple Ridge into places where exciting discoveries are made on a daily basis.

Apple Ridge Farm Environmental Education Center offers exciting hands-on natural science studies to school age children kindergarten through seventh grade. Apple Ridge uses an exploratory approach to developing an appreciation and understanding of the natural world and the systems within it. We choose interactive activities that utilize skills of observation, discovery and investigation.

Standards of (Really Fun) Learning

All of the Environmental Education Center's programs focus on developing a direct appreciation and understanding of our natural world while teaching and reinforcing Virginia's Standards of Learning as they relate to the natural sciences and the environment. We work closely with each school to provide an experience which will reinforce those concepts being taught in the classroom. Equally importantly, natural science activities are integrated with opportunities for team-building and cooperation. Using compasses to follow the trail design, campers even helped to build five miles of nature trails, including a 900-foot universal access trail, that offer opportunities for every age and ability level. Using the natural environment as a lens for viewing interdependence, the curriculum seeks to create an awareness of human impact on the environment and the importance of individual responsibility in conservation efforts.

Apple Ridge consists of 96 acres of woodland and aquatic ecosystems. We have a beautiful stream site and pond where we collect and study over forty species of aquatic organisms. Teacher choose from our field study activity choices which are Forest Ecology, Aquatic Ecology, Audacious Adaptations, Habitats and Communities, Incredible Insects, Power Plants and Conservation of Natural Resources.

Putting the Field in Field Trip

In addition to serving Apple Ridge campers, The Environmental Education Center offers Science and Nature field trips to over 40 paying schools throughout the SW Virginia region. Field studies cover topics that investigate the ecology of our biological communities and the wildlife habitats found at Apple Ridge Farm. Since its inception in November of 1995, over 30,000 students from 51 schools have attended the center located on the Copper Hill camp location. One of our most dedicated schools is Forest Park Elementary. We recently received news from Ann Brogan, the third grade science coordinator at Forest Park, that the Science SOL scores for the third grade increased from a 55% pass rate to an 80% pass rate. She credits Apple Ridge Farm and or hands-on programs for this success!