The Naturalists program at Free Union aims to create an environmentally conscious student body while allowing students to make deeper connections with nature through exploration, questioning, journaling, art, play, and discovery. Currently a special enjoyed for a 45 minute period, two days a week by Kindergarten and first grade classes, students participate in planting, harvesting, and caring for school gardens, along with permaculture projects that benefit our camps as a whole.
In our outdoor classroom we learn about biodiversity and permaculture. Our curriculum also includes leading schoolwide events such as our yearly seed and plant sale fundraisers, campus cleanup collaborations, and projects in collaboration with the RVA. As budding young naturalists, students develop useful problem solving skills and establish core routines that will help them live responsibly in the natural world.
