Trees & Plants

Compare and contrast leaf shapes and arrangements and discover one of nature’s most amazing phenomena – photosynthesis! Each participant will make and take a gorgeous pressed leaf coaster of their very own!

Tree-Mendous

Identify and explore a variety of different tree types in our area. Then, read the rings on a tree cookie to discover the life history of the tree branch! Take your tree cookie home as a memento of the day!

Flowers, Flowers Everywhere!

We can’t think of a better way to learn about various families of flowers than to have kids use one of each to create their own bookmark. This creative activity offers a visual representation of different flowers, fun facts and more!

Forests Forever

The earth’s forests are being depleted fast than they are being replenished. Deforestation is a major environmental issue as cities and roads have been built in areas that were once home to thriving forest ecosystems. This impacts not only the trees and plants, but also all of the wildlife that depend on the forest for their food. Our Forests Forever program teaches about the importance of forests. Students learn about germination as they compare and contrast a variety of beautiful and unique seedpods and pine cones (they smell great too!). They will then play a role in helping to replenish the forests by planting a pine tree seed of their own! Students will care for their pine at home until it becomes a sapling, and hopefully one day will replant it outside.

Seeds, Seeds Everywhere

Seeds are amazing! A 100-foot tall tree grows from a tiny seed. Learn about seeds in this hands-on exploration. Dissect seeds and flowers to see what's happening on the inside!

Banking on Seeds

The critical role that seeds play in the world is explored through creating a seed bank and comparing uses of seeds.  Take your seed bank back to the classroom for future lessons!  A great way to start a school garden project! 

Till We or Won't We?

Students construct and perform experiments simulating rain on a field, investigating how soil preparation, tillage techniques, and mulches affect soil erosion and water runoff.  Then they take an up-close and personal look at our no-till organic farm to learn first hand what healthy soil looks like and why it is important.

Soils

In this program students will study different kinds of soil, and discover the importance of soil to our environment and everyday life. We'll take an up close and personal look at the process of composting and how new soil is created.

Vermiposting (new for '08!)

Worms eat our trash at Chestnut Ridge! Really! Join us at the vermiposting bin to participate with our growing population of red wigglers in the process of taking food and animal waste and making rich, wonderful soil for the garden! This is a hands-on workshop for the brave at heart!

Eco-Solutions

We’re using resource faster than we’re replacing them! That’s why this program teaches how recycling can be fun, useful and helpful to the environment. Imagine the experience of making paper out of leaves, flowers, and newspaper and other “throw-aways” without a blender. Mix that with fun games and this program delivers ecology in a way that sticks!

Amazing Animals

Ever notice the expression on a student’s face when an animal’s footprint is pointed out in the dirt? We do! That look of wonderment inspired our Amazing Animals program where we teach students how to identify various animal visitors. After making our own tracks in the sand with master tracks, each student will get to mold their own track impression and take it home!

Fossil Find

In order to study the history of life on earth, paleontologists study fossil remains of the organisms that once lived here. Our Fossil Find program invites students to become paleontologists by finding and gently removing the sediment to expose replica trilobites (small, ocean dwelling creatures that lived over 250 million years ago). The young paleontologists even get to take their finds home!

Prehistoric Amber

Prehistoric amber is tree sap that has fossilised over millions of years! Leaves, flowers and insects have been found trapped inside and scientists have leaned a great deal about prehistoric times by analyzing the DNA of these little extinct creatures that have been perfectly preserved by the hardened resin that surrounds them. (Just like in the movie Jurassic Park!). In Prehistoric amber, each student receives their own piece of REAL Columbian amber to polish and take home. (It’s really millions of years old!!!) The amber comes in its natural state (dull and “crusted”) and we provide the simple tools (sand paper, toothpaste, etc.) to remove the crusty shell and polish the piece into a smooth, lightweight golden gem. This is a unique way to present prehistoric times to students!

Honeycomb Candle

Make your own honeycomb candle! Taste real honey made by bees! This is a program that appeals to all 5 senses! If it’s one insect that kids know a little bit about…it’s bees. But most kids only know about the part that hurts. Honey bees are fascinating creatures to study and they play a critical role in our food chain.

Magnificent Metamorphosis

Complete metamorphosis is one of nature’s mysterious wonders; you have to see it to believe it…and now your students can! Our Magnificent Metamorphosis program covers each stage of the butterfly/moth cycle. From a small egg on a leaf to a caterpillar; and then from a cocoon (which is REAL!) to a beautiful butterfly or moth, young entomologists will be excited to make a metamorphosis card of their own!

Rainbow Scope

Everyone likes rainbows! In this program, students will see the array of color and learn the order of the color spectrum. Older students will learn more about the physics of light and color. Each student will get to make a spectroscope of their very own!

Owl Pellets

How can you tell what an owl ate for dinner? By studying the bones that are left over! Just as you throw away your chicken bones, owls “throw away” the remains of their meals by coughing up a pellet containing the bones and fur of their prey. In this hands-on science experiment, students dissect an own pellet and identify their findings!

Garden Science

The garden at Chestnut Ridge is planted and cared for by summer campers, students in our afterschool program, as well as other school groups.  This hands on program gets students into the garden where they can learn about organic and sustainable gardening practices, including composting.  Students also learn the science behind plant growth and care, how compost works, and why are worms important?  This is a great program to help students make the connection between the land and the food we eat.

What Will the Land Support?

Students play a game to simulate changes in land use.  They discover the effects of change on the carrying capacity of the land and the importance of preserving farm land.

Rock-O-Rama

There are fish fossils embedded in the rocks on top of Mt. Everest. That single fact communicates the amazement and fascination with the study of Earth Science. Kids become geologists in our camp setting as they collect rocks and mineral to identify and classify. Each student will begin their own rock collection and take home a sample of 4 different kinds of rocks.

Gold Diggin’

"Thar’s Gold in them thar hills!” Relive the excitement of the California Gold Rush. Kids become prospectors in the gold field or streams as they stake their claims and carefully search for all those tiny bits of shiny gold in their territory. Best of all, they get to take their find home (it’s top quality Iron Pyrite, not gold painted rocks!) in a miner’s pouch after weighing it to determine its value.

From Apple Cores to Healthy Soils

A composting experiment reveals to students how soil organisms, temperature, air, and water are able to decompose organic waste and enrich soil.  Take the experiment back to your classroom for further observation and learning opportunities!  This lesson can be combined with the Vermiposting lesson very effectively for a thorough look at soil health and organic waste disposal.

Ancient Artists

Communication comes in many forms. The most effective form in past civilizations occurred through pictures. In our Ancient Artists program, kids are introduced to early Native American cultures and taught to decipher the communications of long gone civilizations. Students get hands on by making paint from paint rocks actually used by Native Americans and create a “sand painted” chipboard medallion to keep.

Native American Games

Some of the most imaginative games ever devised were created thousands of years ago by various Native American cultures. Teach kids these clever games of skill and chance with our Native American Games program and you’ll be linking them to civilizations of the past! As a bonus, students will make and take home their own stick and ring game as well as a stick dice set.

Land Forms

The world is full of fascinating land forms.  In this program, students will learn specifically about local landforms,  and investigate the role of the water cycle and how movement of water over and through the landscape helps shape land forms.  As students explore our 362 acres, they will see first hand how wind, water, animals, and humans have changed the form of the land over time at Chestnut Ridge.

Trailblazers

Hiking is fun and safe as long as you remain “found.” Our Trailblazers program teaches students how to follow a trail, use a compass, read a map and learn the skills shared by all well-trained wilderness lovers.

Pioneer Pastimes

Kids were playing imaginative games long before anyone ever heard of Mattel, Hasbro or video games. Our Pioneer Pastimes program revisits the days of yore when imaginations, a few sticks, marbles and other basic items fueled kids’ free time entertainment.

Weather Cycles

Why has it not rained in a month?  Why do hurricanes form?  What does it take to turn rain into snow?  How do varying weather cycles affect the plants and animals that live in those environments?  Weather Cycles will help students begin to explore the importance of the weather on our land.

Buccaneers

The first half of the 1800’s saw the height of maritime activities. Sailors aboard these mighty vessels had to sustain long hours and rigorous manual labor. The most vital task was the knowledge of how to secure various types of knots. A poorly tied knot could threaten the safety of everyone aboard the ship. In this program, students learn to tie the most popular knots, listen to and sing the most popular Buccaneer songs, and receive a metallic pirate coin replicate to commemorate their time!

Predator vs. Prey

The predator and prey relationship encompasses concepts such as survival of the fittest, adaptations and the fundamental differences between animals. Through discussion and games, we'll learn first-hand about the different reactions of prey as they are being hunted, the variables that can change the outcome of a hunt, and the challenges of survival.

Aquatic Plant and Animal Life

Ever wonder what kinds of plant and animals live in the murky waters of our ponds and lakes? Because of their aquatic habitat, those little creatures have a unique way of life and survival. Students who participate in this program will learn basic ecology skills by exploring the boundaries of our lake and studying lake animals such as macro invertebrates, fish and amphibians with nets and viewing containers. Older students may elect to do part of this study from canoes.

Changes in Properties

Solid, liquid or gas? Water can exist as all three as we will see in this class. Students will experiment with changes in matter by making their own candle to take home and then ice cream to eat. Some matter changes are oh, so sweet.

Adaptations

Adaptations are physical features or behaviors that improve a plant or animal's chance of survival. Some adaptations aid in securing food, avoiding predators or finding shelter. Highlights of this class include the opportunity to touch live mammals and/or reptiles to discover first-hand how these creatures use their adaptations in order to survive.

Herpetology

Herps include amphibians, such as frogs, toads and salamanders, and reptiles, such as snakes, lizards and turtles. This class is a hands-on field ecology experience developed in partnership with the University of NC at Greensboro. In this session, students identify herps captured in both passive and active traps, collect valuable scientific data on the herp populations in the Piedmont, and experience first-hand the kind of field work needed in order for scientists and environmental groups to protect these fascinating creatures. This class is available August through November and March through May.

Fun with Food

In this program, students will study the food chain from garden to plate.  Students will have the opportunity to make and eat some of their very own food creations.  They will learn that food involves math and science as well, as they measure out ingredients and learn about physical and chemical changes in properties.

Fruits and Veggies (seasonal - call to check availability)

Students identify and compare fruits and other edible plant parts straight from our garden in a fast-paced game!

We're Into Pumpkins! (seasonal - call to check availability)

Through hands-on activities, students lean about pumpkins fresh from our garden as fruits and as food sources.

Challenge Course and Initiative Games

Need a team-building challenge? Let our certified and experienced facilitators tailor your challenge course experience to highlight team growth in areas such as leadership, servant hood, trust, honesty and encouragement. Students participating in this course will test themselves physically and emotionally in order to learn more about themselves and working with others. See more information on our low and high Challenge Course. 

CLAWS

Chestnut Ridge is proud to partner with CLAWS (Creative Learning About Wildlife Species) a local federally and state licensed 501(c)3 non-profit corporation that is dedicated to helping both native wildlife and exotic species through education, rescue and rehabilitation.  CLAWS is under the direction of Kindra Mammone, who has been educating people about exotic species and native wildlife for over two decades. Through this partnership, CLAWS educators bring their experience and animals to Chestnut Ridge to lead various outdoor education programs such as adaptations, owl pellets, predator/prey, and amazing animals.  Live animals are used to instruct and educate people of all ages.  This opportunity to interact with the animals, and to hear their individual stories, leads to further understanding and compassion towards our native wildlife species.

Additional Activities

Arts & Crafts, Canoeing, Kayaking, Swimming, Archery, Hayrides, Beach Volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee, Trail Riding, Campfires, and more!