Programs By Request
Want to schedule a homeschool program for your group? We offer 2-hour programs by request for groups of 6 or more homeschoolers. Some programs can be held at our other Preserves upon request. You can choose one of the following programs:
| Skulls and Bones | Ages 5 & up | $12/child |
| Animal Signs | Ages 5 & up | $12/child |
| Decomposition Detectives | Ages 5 & up | $12/child |
| Birding Basics | Ages 5 & up | $12/child |
| Beaver Believers | Ages 5 & up | $12/child |
If you would like to schedule a program, e-mail Amy Thomas at amy@potomacaudubon.org.
Safety
Children and instructors are required to wear masks when social distancing cannot be maintained and when they enter a building to use the bathroom. Children will be notified when masks can be removed for activities such as hiking, working independently, eating etc.
To maximize safety we will:
- Limit sharing of materials and supplies
- Lend assigned supplies and equipment such as nets, magnifying glasses, binoculars to each participant for the entirety of the program
- Promote healthy hygiene practices
- Conduct health screening of staff and participants upon daily arrival
- Intensify cleaning, disinfection of shared supplies
- Promote physical distancing of at least 6 feet between staff and participants
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces multiple times daily.
- Disinfect bathroom after every use
- Only allow participants to enter inside facility space for restroom use and thorough handwashing only
- Require students to self-clean bathroom after each use
- Provide an experience that is entirely outdoors
Cancellations:
PVAS will cancel a program if:
- West Virginia Governor’s order restricts group sizes or issues a Stay at Home Order
- Hazardous weather is in the forecast that would create unsafe road conditions or unsafe conditions for being outside.
If PVAS cancels a program, you will receive a full refund.
Parents will be notified by email of any cancelations by 5:00 p.m. the evening before the scheduled program
You may cancel your registration and receive a full refund if:
- You do not want to send your child due to concerns about COVID-19
- Your child is feeling unwell
- Anyone in your house hold has COVID-19 or has been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in
- Anyone in your household has had a fever in the last 72 hours
*We understand that last minute cancellations might need to happen, but please try to let us know as soon as possible, so that depending on the circumstance, we can open the spot to someone else.
Examples of Homeschool Adventure Programs:
Capturing Spring (Nature Photography)
Age Range: 8-14
Hike with our naturalists through Cool Spring Preserve and photograph the surrounding wildlife during Spring! You’ll get to borrow one of PVAS’s Nikon 35mm digital SLR cameras and become an amateur nature photographer. Please bring a flash drive or laptop to use at the end of the program for downloading your pictures onto.
Brilliant Birds
Ages 5-10
Birds are fascinating! Come become a bird watcher and learn how to identity some common birds by call and sight. We’ll set out on the trails with binoculars to try to identify and record as many different bird species as possible. You will leave the program with the start of your own Bird List Journal that you can continue to use to track all the birds you have seen.
School of Fish
Ages 5-10
Ever wondered why there are so many kinds of fish that look so different? Come learn about how fish evolved over time and study fish anatomy. We’ll be exploring the creek to see just what kind of fish inhabit Bull Skin Run. If you like getting wet, this program is for you.
Trees are the Key
Age Range: 10- 14
Students will learn how to use a dichotomous key to ID local trees before hitting the trails and IDing trees that we find. We’ll then plant native trees on the preserve. Finally, each student will design an informative sign that will be displayed for visitors to learn about a specific tree on the preserve.