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Outdoor Education Program

Our excellent facilities, unique natural features and highly qualified instructors and staff provide the setting for quality outdoor education and environmental education programs for school groups.

White Pines Ranch provides outstanding outdoor education on our 200 acre natural expanse. Features of our Outdoor Education Center especially suited for activities that complement the school curriculum are:

  • Limestone quarry with plenty of Ordovicial fossils
  • Sandstone canyon complete with White Pine trees, primitive plants and natural springs
  • A variety of streams, ponds and springs
  • Fields of natural vegetation and crops
  • Prairie plants & deciduous and evergreen forests
  • Abundant wildlife
  • Domestic animals
  • Trails for hiking, horseback riding and sensory awareness hikes
Outdoor Study Areas are suitable for the studies of:

Geology:  A varied terrain includes a canyon, sedimentary deposits of limestone and sandstone rock, ox-bows, stream erosion and deposition, natural springs and various land formations.

Rocks and Minerals

Aquatic Study:  Physical and biological properties of the ponds and streams are discovered.

Mathematics:  Interdisciplinary activities include measuring and problem solving.

Botany and Zoology: Terrestrial and aquatic plants and animals are abundant.

Forest and Field Ecology: Deciduous and evergreen forests surround the ranch.

Social Studies: A nearby cemetery allows for study of the history and people of the area.

Compass Activities Primary and Secondary Succession: Lichens, moss, liverworts and ferns are abundant in the canyon.

Agriculture: The ranch has a working farm. Arts & Crafts: Natural materials are plentiful.

Language Arts: The rural setting is inspiring.

School Staff -- Teachers and/or administrators -- may plan one, two, three or four night programs during the Fall, Winter or Spring months. The cost includes three meals and an evening snack per 24 hour period, horseback riding, use of facilities and equipment and in-service training for participating teachers. Several program options are available to meet the various needs and interests of the schools.