WILD! 2011

Summer Fun for Families and Children

Enjoy summer fun in the great outdoors with The Wintergreen Nature Foundation.

To register download a brochure and mail it in or register online.

Family Fun

Journey on the James
Date: Thursday, June 30
Time: 9am-5pm
Cost: $70 member pairs, $80 nonmember pairs

Enjoy a day on Virginia 's own scenic James River . Parent-child teams will learn basic canoeing skills by boating down this gentle stretch of water. Along the way, we'll break for a shoreline picnic and explore some of the plants and animals that call the river home. Bring a bagged lunch, plenty of water, and a change of clothes.

Summer Jubilee
Date: Saturday, July 2
Time: 10am-noon
Cost: $20 per parent-child team, or $40 per family

Join us for a WILD summer celebration with fun for the whole family. Try your hand at geocaching with a special one-day-only treasure box, and build a bluebird box to enjoy in your own backyard all summer. Win prizes on a nature bingo hike, and help create a favorite summer treat at the ice cream social. Four activities run in 30-minute intervals.

Night Hike
Date: Saturday, August 6 (postponed from July 23 due to bad weather)
Time: 8pm-10pm
Cost: $10 members, $15 nonmembers

Explore the world of the woods after dark with this non-scary walk for parents and children. Simple activities will help us better understand the creatures that are active at night as well as our own responses to the dark. Bring a flashlight or share one of ours.

Inspector WILD!

4-6 years old
Time: 9am-11am
Cost: $15 members, $20 nonmembers (per event)

Animal Detective
Date: Saturday, June 18

Sometimes we’re lucky to see actual animals in the woods, but usually we have to use other clues to tell who has used the same trail. See if you can put together clues of animal signs to solve the puzzle of who’s been on this trail before us.Dress for the outdoors.

Splish Splash
Date: Saturday, July 16

Beat the summer heat with a splash in a Wintergreen stream. While we're there, we'll meet some of the animals that spend their lives in the water. Wear shoes that can get wet.

A Tree and Me
Date: Saturday, August 13

Take a walk in the woods to see what makes the forest giants so special. Then get up-close and personal with the trees and earn your tree adoption certificate to show off to all your friends and family.Dress for the outdoors.

Camping Can-Do
Date: Saturday, September 3

Be a big helper on your family's next camping trip. Learn how to set up and take down the tent, how to be safe around the campfire, and how to keep your dinner from ending up as a bear's dinner..

WILD! Adventurers

7-12 years old
Time: 1 pm – 4 pm
Cost: $20 members, $25 nonmembers (per event)

The Scoop on Poop
Date: Saturday, June 18

Can you tell what animals have walked this way? Dust off your detective hat and learn to use the clues animals leave behind for us. Learn the difference in animal tracks, scat, and other signs as we go on the trail of secretive Wintergreen animals and lots of fun along the way.

Wet and WILD
Date: Saturday, July 16
Time: 1pm – 4pm
Cost: $20 members, $25 nonmembers

They both have water, but what makes streams and ponds so different? Join us for an upclose look at both a Wintergreen pond and stream to capture and compare some of the animals that live in each habitat. Wear shoes that can get wet.

Terrific Trees
Date: Saturday, August 13

Can't tell your pines from your poplars? Spend the afternoon with us and see the forest for the trees! Fun games along a trail adventure will help us get on a first-name basis with our Wintergreen trees.

Outdoor Skills
Date: Saturday, September 3

How handy are you in the great outdoors? Hone your outdoor and survival skills with a practice session. Learn fire-making, building an emergency shelter, and finding food and water in a pinch.

Other Youth Programs

School Programs

Click here for information on school trips and other school programs.

Girl Scout Programs

Click here for information on badge programs for Daisies, Brownies, and Junior Girl Scouts.

Contact the Nature Foundation by email or call 434-325-8169 to find out more on our education youth programs for school or other organized groups.

Click here for suggestions for your trip and directions to The Wintergreen Nature Foundation.