Prince William Forest

After completing the Educator Development Program in Yosemite National Park this summer, Dana Delos Santos moved back east to be an educator at our Prince William Forest campus where she enjoys connecting city youth to the outdoors for the first time.

The tattooed, skateboarding principal of Fred M. Lynn Middle School, perhaps best known for his countercultural approach, is a champion for the students he serves and believes strongly in the transformative power of outdoor educational experiences.

NatureBridge educator Caleb Savage has taught at both our Prince William and Olympic campuses. He believes in the power of disconnecting from technology and making connections in the outdoors.

Since its establishment nearly a century ago, Prince William Forest has served as a place for Washington, D.C. youth to discover the natural world. The history of the park dates back to a legacy of access and, eventually, inclusion—a legacy that continues to be upheld by NatureBridge today.

Prince William Forest Park (PRWI) has so much to offer the students who visit it, particularly in terms of natural features for exploring and the park’s close connection to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. During the trail days with students, it is not unusual for us to spend a good part of the day hiking.

Last November, NatureBridge educator Kathryn Braddock captured in words the beauty of the change of seasons at our Prince William Forest Park campus. In the following blog post, she explores the connection between art and nature - through the eyes of her students.