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Environmental Education Program
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Habitat Hikes |
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Geology |
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Wildflower Studies |
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Tree Identification |
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Stream Studies |
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Pond Life |
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Animal Adaptations |
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Animal Tracking |
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Weather |
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Air/Water Quality |
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Life Cycles |
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Cooperation |
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Environmental Classroom Visits |
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Apple Ridge Farm is proud to offer exceptional hands-on outdoor educational experiences to the Southwest Virginia region.
The Apple Ridge Farm Environmental Education Program is available to all interested schools. The program's main goals are to develop an appreciation and understanding of the natural world, provide social growth, and encourage hands-on participation and learning. These activities are designed to help fulfill the Virginia State Standards of Learning for Science as they relate to the natural environment.
The Environmental Education Center is directed toward providing firsthand experiences in natural sciences while exposing children to social situations which require cooperation and individual responsibility. Activities at Apple Ridge Farm and in the Classroom will be appropriate to the season, ages, and abilities of the students.
An attractive renovated dairy barn serves as the center of activity for the outdoor educational programs. The lower floor contains a kitchen, a spacious recreation – classroom area, a bathroom, as well as storage space for educational equipment. The upper floor holds administrative offices, a large multipurpose meeting room, a private classroom with a library, and bathroom facilities.
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The 83.5 acres that comprise our center include a variety of natural habitats which provide immeasurable opportunities for teachable moments on plant and animal life. Ecological investigations of the forests, fields, plots of grass, creeks, and pond are essential components of the program. See the Apple Ridge Farm Field Study Activities for more information on specific programs available. Students are encouraged to utilize their skills of observation, discovery, and investigation to learn about the natural world and its processes.
We work closely with each school to provide an experience which will reinforce those concepts being taught in the classroom. An educational program can be designed to meet the needs of the teachers and their students. This program, exploring the interrelationships of animals, plants, air, soil and water in specific habitats, is available throughout the entire school year. We recommend two site visits to Apple Ridge Farm and one corresponding classroom experience.
For more information on our environmental programs or to schedule available dates, contact the Environmental Education Coordinator, 540 982-1322.
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| Field Study Activities |
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Water habitats illustrate a great deal of the basic principles behind life science. Students are introduced to the aquatic habitats using dip nets and organism identification keys. A biotic index can be used to correlate the water quality with the aquatic life found. Students explore, collect, observe, and identify from Apple Ridge's pond and woodland creeks. Concepts include food chain, community, adaptations, water quality and life cycles.
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Aquatic Ecology
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The sun, water, atmosphere, and even human activity all affect the weather. Students can visit our weather station and explore temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, precipitation, and cloud types. During this course a forecast can be formulated and presented.
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Meteorology
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Physical characteristics and behavioral mechanisms which exist in animals that allow them to protect, defend, maneuver, and acquire food are explored. Animal skulls, skins, tracks, signs, and habitats are investigated. Interrelationships between producers, consumers, and decomposers are demonstrated. Activities which involve predator - prey simulation games can be included. A wide variety of concepts will be covered: adaptations, carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, vertebrates, invertebrates, warm blooded and cold blooded.
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Animal Adaptations
and Food Chains
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Forest communities, plots of grass and open fields provide a wealth of opportunities for the investigation of ecological concepts. All elements of the field and forest are open for exploration by the students. Rock and soil types, erosion, plant identification, plant-animal relationships, interdependence, decomposition, diversity, succession, adaptations, and human impact can be included in the study.
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Terrestrial Habitats
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If you have attended Apple Ridge Farm before and choose to do the same field of study, we can provide new activities and lessons, or follow-up activities under the same topic.
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Return Visits |
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Environmental Education Coordinator
Apple Ridge Farm
541 Luck Avenue, Suite 228, Roanoke, Virginia 24016
Phone: (540) 982-1322; Fax: (540) 982-1670;
Email: info@appleridge.org
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