The A.T. is Your Virtual Classroom
A.T. Ed-Venture Series
Join the ATC on an amazing virtual A.T. Ed-Venture Series, created for young people but engaging for all ages.
Check out all the A.T. Ed-Venture sessions you may have missed on our YouTube channel.
July Ed-Venture Session: Nature Journaling
Join Jenny “Dolly” Siegfried and Delia “Heartrock” Clark as we explore the world of nature journaling, from learning about famous nature journalists of the past to creating our own nature journals in the present. This Ed-Venture will deepen your understanding and appreciation of the natural world and sharpen your observation skills as we work together on creating our own sketches and journal entries.
June Ed-Venture Session: On the Trail with Black Bears
Want to find out about black bears and how to hike safe in bear country? Ever wonder how humans and black bears are alike? Curious how these woodland giants spend their days? Then join E. Kim Delozier, Program Manager for BearWild and Susie Spikol, from The Harris Center for Conservation Education for this program on the bare facts about New England’s black bears.
Curriculum level: K-5 +
Long Trails and Pilgrimage Traditions: Exploring Japan’s Shinetsu Trail and India’s Braj Yatra (12 Forests of Krishna)
Long trails and pilgrimages have long been part of many cultures around the world. In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander month, join researcher Sarah Adams and Professor Katherine Zubko of UNC Asheville for an interactive discussion on two trails in Asia—the Shinetsu Trail of Japan (a 75-mile long trail in eastern Japan modeled after the Appalachian Trail) and the Braj Yatra (a 168-mile Hindu devotional pilgrimage connected to the god Krishna) —to explore the ways in which long trails and pilgrimage traditions engage with history, culture, religion, and evolving relationships to the environment.
Your Story Matters: Creative Writing for Conservation
In celebration of National Poetry Month, join educator Stefan Moss and Greening Youth Foundation Director of Operations, Eboni Preston, as they share how connections in nature and legacies on the land can be expressed and preserved through written and spoken word.
Click on a tile to view past classes
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Maine: Hang Out With Me! I'm a Fungi.
Explore the world of mushrooms though this lesson on the fungi of the Northeast. Learn to better understand a mushroom's role in the natural world and your world, when you are most likely to see one, and how most have a symbiotic relationship with other plants.
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New Hampshire: Climate Change in NH’s White Mountains
Delve into research from New England’s highest summits to understand how climate change is impacting everything from the fragile alpine flowers to the snowpack in the legendary Tuckerman Ravine. You’ll also learn how to better understand and mitigate the impacts of climate change in your own backyard.
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Vermont: Wandering the Appalachian Trail Through Time and Space
Join Nika (Early Bird), John (Megapod), and Rob (Gazer) for a wild and varied adventure on the A.T. through the lenses of cosmic place, history, art, and physical and perceived time. Through storytelling and engaging visual content we hope to transport viewers to places and moments that are full of impermanence, wonder, and vastness.
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Massachusetts: Systems and Relationships in Nature
Cait Ward and Patrick Donovan both teach Environmental Science at Berkshire School in Sheffield, Massachusetts. Cait will first provide a review and two case studies that exhibit ecological systems and relationships in nature. Patrick will then provide local examples of interconnectedness in nature and introduce some practices for learners to consider, which will both be inspired by and draw connections to Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.
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Connecticut: Birds of Prey Along the A.T.
An encounter with a bird of prey is often a magical moment that sparks a lifelong fascination with these apex predators. Please join Jim Hunter and Matt Hoyt, as they walk you through an engaging journey exploring the raptors along the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.
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New York: Where Art Meets Math in Nature
Explore symmetry and patterns on the A.T. in New York in this hands-on and engaging program for students ages K-2. Appropriate for all learners, including those with special needs.
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New Jersey: Turtle Talk and Tracking
Join Stephanie Sherman and Jennifer Correa-Kruegel as they talk about turtles that can be found along the Appalachian Trail.
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Pennsylvania: What Makes a Place Unique?
Explore the physical and cultural characteristics of places along the Appalachian Trail in south-central Pennsylvania and identify the characteristics that make places all along the Trail unique. Learners will have the opportunity to create an interactive map that examines the physical and cultural of their region of the Trail.
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Maryland: The Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman
Join Educator Brittany Leavitt and Bill Jarmon from the Harriet Tubman Organization for a hike through Maryland in tribute to the legacy and life of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.
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West Virginia: The Confluence of History and Hiking
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, is many things: the confluence of two major rivers, the scene of dramatic events in U.S. history, and the psychological halfway point of the Appalachian Trail. There are only a few miles of the Trail in West Virginia, but those miles are chock-full of historical significance. Come along with local experts as we explore the history of our nation, and the history of the A.T., by following the white blazes from the Shenandoah River to the Potomac.
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Virginia: A salamander's journey along the A.T. in Virginia
Explore habitats along the A.T. in Virginia through the eyes of a salamander. The southern Appalachian Mountains are often referred to as the Salamander Capital of the World, with more species of salamander than anywhere else.
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Virginia: The Nature of Well-being: the Social and Emotional Benefits of Nature
The overwhelming amount of health benefits that come from spending time outside in nature and green spaces is well documented. This series will explore the social and emotional aspects of forest bathing and other exercises in nature.
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Tennessee: Botany and Blossom in Tennessee
Noah (Botany) and Kayla (Blossom) will share with students their favorite hobby from their thru hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2014 -- plant identification. Botany will introduce students to some of the flora that can be found along the Tennessee section of the Appalachian Trail as well as how to use a dichotomous key. Blossom will focus on the importance of giving back to public lands for future generations as well as teach students how to remember all 7 Leave No Trace Principles.
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North Carolinia: Legends and Language of Cherokee around the Great Smoky Mountains
Join Gil Jackson and Natrieifia Miller on a journey into the legends of place names, origins of disease, plants, and animals from the Eastern Band of Cherokee lands. Gil provides pronunciations and instruction of the Cherokee language, and stories of animals and bugs in and around what is now the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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Georgia: Rattlesnake Biology, Snake Safety, and the Chemistry of Snake Bites.
Dr. Chris Jenkins and high school chemistry teacher Nicole Ager, will introduce you to the types of rattlesnakes along the A.T. and the interesting chemistry behind their venomous bites. Students will get to learn from a leading researcher and educator about rattlesnakes and how to protect yourself and them on the trail.