Join Club

Arlington Outdoor Lab Celebrates 50th Anniversary

For 50 years, Arlington County students have been able to experience the outdoors thanks to Arlington Outdoor Education Association’s Outdoor Lab.

The Outdoor Lab is a 225-acre facility in Fauquier County, about 40 miles from Arlington, that serves as an outdoors classroom for students to learn about science and outdoor skills in a natural setting. Four classes a week visit the facility, including one overnight class. There are also three week-long summer camps.

In all, the facility serves over 9,000 students from elementary through high school.

The Outdoor Lab features a spring-fed stream, a pond, nature hiking trails, plant and animal identification areas. It also houses an observatory with a 10-inch reflecting telescope for astronomy studies.

The experiences differ depending on grade level, ranging from third-graders learning about simple machines and animals to high schoolers studying biology and earth science.

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Arlington Outdoor Education Association’s Outdoor Lab is holding an fundraising gala this weekend

The gala will take place Saturday from 7-10 p.m at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in Ballston. Tickets are $50 and the proceeds will go to ensuring the lab’s continued operation. The lab’s goal is to raise $50,000 for its 50th anniversary — as of Friday it had raised $28,145.

“[We] will use this milestone to raise funds for our capital needs, such as replacing one of our buildings and land acquisition to buffer the property from encroaching development,” said Mike Nardolilli, president of the AOEA board. “Generations of Arlingtonians have contributed to making the Arlington Outdoor Lab a very special place and all of us have a duty to continue this tradition so that future generations of Arlington students continue to enjoy this unique, wonderful resource.”

Photos courtesy Karen Bate

Recent Stories

Good Monday evening, Arlington. Today we published articles that were read a total of 16319 times… so far. 📈 Top stories The following are the most-read articles for today —…

Arlington County police are investigating a pair of early morning incidents involving guns over the weekend. The first happened shortly after midnight on Saturday, when a pickup truck driver allegedly…

With Arlington getting some warmer weather, George Mason University is opening up the plaza of its Arlington campus to a series of free activities and events. The weekly programs are…

A new vision for replacing the Pentagon Centre shopping center, including the Costco, is coming into focus. Kimco Realty Corporation revised its plans envisioning the long-term redevelopment of the 16.8-acre…

Art House 7‘s spring session will begin on April 10th! We’re offering classes, workshops, and open studios in a wide range of art mediums for all ages, from 4 year olds to adults. We cater to different skill levels in ceramics, embroidery, drawing, and of course, painting – including watercolor, oil, and acrylics. Our Spring 2023 offerings include a Portfolio Development class for high schoolers who are considering a career in the fine arts. This class provides an opportunity to create and develop a strong portfolio for college applications.

We also have some excellent classes for younger students. The “Art and the Pre-K Reader” class is designed for 4-5 year olds, and we offer “Arts and Crafts” classes taught by teens for 2nd-4th and 3rd-5th grade students.

To view our complete class schedule, Spring workshops, open studios, and 3-week classes, please visit our website. Join us this spring to learn, create, and explore with us!

Submit your own Announcement here.

The March NAACP Arlington Branch General Membership Meeting

The March NAACP Arlington Branch General Membership Meeting is focused on Public Safety & Justice. We will hear from Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Chief Public Defender Brad Haywood, Chief of Police Andy Penn, and Deputy Chief Wayne Vincent. We encourage you to come to this community conversation prepared with questions for our speakers. Registration Required www.arlingtonnaacp.com

Guest Speakers

Read More

Submit your own Announcement here.

Singin’ in the Rain

The “Greatest Movie Musical of All Time” is faithfully and lovingly adapted for the stage by Broadway legends, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, from their original award-winning screenplay. Each unforgettable scene, song and dance is accounted for, including the show-stopping

5 Tips for Buying Your Dream Home – A Free…

Are you planning to move in the next 12 months but feeling overwhelmed by the current real estate market’s low inventory and high mortgage rates? Join us for a short seminar where we’ll provide 5 tips to help you find

×

Subscribe to our mailing list