Watershed Studies Trip: backpacking, swimming, beachcombing, and more!

Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School students spent a week-long adventure in and around Virginia Beach.  It was the culmination of the students' watershed study.  Having studied our individual water use and tested the water in the Farm School pond and local rivers, we traveled to the end of our watershed where the rivers meet the ocean.

Backpacking False Cape State Park - Day 1 (sun!)

Camping on the ocean

Reading original writing on Back Bay

Finding our watershed address: which way is North?

Backpacking False Cape State Park - Day 2 (pelting rain!)

Wet but doing ok

Watershed studies at the Virginia Aquarium

The marsh walk at the Virginia Aquarium

Watershed studies: identifying marsh grasses

the students found a live horseshoe crab

beach drawing

Ft. Monroe

Old Rag - Traditional First Day of School

Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School Students begin the 2010-2011 school year with our traditional hike up Old Rag.  It was a beautiful day and we were rewarded with spectacular views.

Backpacking the Massanutten

Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School students backpacked 22 miles in the Signal Knob area of the Massanutten Range in VA.

In addition to helping each other to accomplish a physical challenge, the students learned many other skills.

Here, they learn how to light a one match fire: 

Brandon McCrary of Weasel Creek Outfitters taught us about the geology and the Civil War history of the area:

Students also enjoyed the plants and animals of the mountains:

On Sports

Amanda: "I was in the best shape of my life at the Farm School…I appreciated gaining confidence in myself playing speedball, or canoeing, or hiking Old Rag – doing things I didn't think I could do."

Jimi: "At the Farm School we had more activity – not sitting at a desk for an hour and half at a time."

Alex: "Now [at a traditional high school], by the end of the day you have to hold my legs down because I am so fidgety."

Clayton: "I thought about going to public high school in 9th grade because I am a sports fan and wanted to play sports. But then I realized that at the Farm School we get to play speedball, or soccer, or softball for about an hour every day all year, in the rain, snow, whatever. We play hard in these games. They are intense. In public school I would have to sit most of the day, then if I did play a sport it would only be for a few months, for a little bit of time after school."

(Quotes from Farm School Graduates)