Outdoor Program

An integral part of Arbor’s Elementary curriculum, the Outdoor Program provides direct experience with the ecology of our bioregion, develops independence and self-confidence, fosters personal responsibility and cooperation, offers challenge and adventure, and encourages environmental awareness and responsibility.

Nature-Aligned Curriculum

Since its foundation shortly after Arbor's opening, the Outdoor Education Program has been a core piece of Arbor's elementary curriculum. We firmly believe that experiencing wild spaces, especially outside the family unit, builds accountability, responsibility, community, and respect for our natural world. Participation is a mandatory requirement of the Elementary program, like any other area of the classroom. An Arbor staff person accompanies children on all off campus trips, and the program is led by an experienced naturalist. The goals of Arbor's Outdoor Program:

To provide immersive experiences in nature and wild spaces.
To develop comfort in taking care of oneself and feeling safe outdoors.
For children to learn accountability for their part in community care.
To build and improve a child's self esteem, mental health, and wellbeing.
To provide scenarios for decision making, leadership, and independence.
To encourage responsible ecological behavior from an early age.
For children to learn new skills and develop resilience.
To build community and connection in a restorative environment.
To find wonder and awe in the living world.

“The student steps from being a spectator of nature to being a participant and that leads to intimacy. You become more engaged in that complicated web of life that we call ecology by becoming one of the players, instead of one of the observers.”

Mark Warren

Off Campus Camping Trips

Off campus camping trips, both day trips and overnight, are held annually at Medicine Bow: a 35 acre wilderness school. The natural forested land is near Dahlonega, adjacent to the Chattahoochee National Forest, and offers a variety of native plant and animal habitats for exploration and study. The naturalist’s house is located on the property and assures easy access to shelter and telephone in case of any emergency.

Lower Elementary
Upper Elementary

Lower Elementary

Lower Elementary students participate in forest days on campus several times throughout the school year. During these sessions, the naturalist leads small groups of second and third year students in lessons that extend their classroom biology work into practical applications in the naturally wooded areas of Arbor's Lavista Campus. Children gain an appreciation for the natural world around them and develop a relationship with the naturalist during these on campus sessions. In the spring, third grade students take day trips to Medicine Bow as preparation for camping trips they will embark on in Elementary.

Upper Elementary

In Upper Elementary, on campus forest days continue throughout the year. Upper Elementary students begin to learn outdoor knife and safety skills in addition to their extensions in botany, zoology, and ecology work. Small groups of Upper Elementary children spend three days in the spring camping at Medicine Bow. During the camping trips, students receive instruction in outdoor safety, botany, native animals and their habitats, archery, canoeing, and the uses of native plants for food, medicine, and crafts. They also learn individual and cooperative responsibility by packing their own gear, providing their own shelter, and preparing their own meals.

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