We frequently hear from high school students who fondly remember their 5th grade overnights or other field trips to the Outdoor Lab and are interested in returning to this beloved place. We have several opportunities to welcome high school students (and their families) back to the Lab!
Student Board Members: Each spring we elect a rising junior or senior as a student Board Member for a one-year term to represent APS students on the Board of Directors of the AOEA, the non-profit that owns and supports the Outdoor Lab; applications for the upcoming school year are due March 31.
Summer Camp Counselors-in-Training/Junior Staff: APS conducts three weeks of overnight summer camp, June 23-27, July 7-11 and July 14-18. Current students in grades 9 through 11 are invited to apply for a volunteer CIT/junior staff position; applications are due Fri., March 28.
Volunteer: Students can earn volunteer hours at our Spring (May 4) and Fall (tbd) Open Houses or at other volunteer work days throughout the year; please sign up here to hear about upcoming volunteer needs.
We are also happy to speak with any students interested in creating a senior experience working with the AOEA — and welcome parents to join the Board of Directors as well. Visit our Board page for more info or reach out to [email protected].
Parents ask what is it like chaperoning an overnight field trip at the Outdoor Lab. Generally, it’s like being a counselor at summer camp. You’ll guide the students through all activities, help with the family style meals in the dining area, and sleep with the students in big tents overnight. You’ll need to dress for the weather and be ready to experience nature first-hand. (In case of inclement weather, all students and chaperones sleep in our Nature Center!)
Many parents remember their chaperoning experiences fondly (even current school board members!). Students regularly remember it as one of the best experiences in their entire APS career.
Per APS policies, there will be one ODL administrator and one ODL staffer at every Outdoor Lab Overnight. They provide guidance to students and parents to pull-off a magical group experience! Meet the ODL Staff Here. APS developed a video to help Chaperones learn about Overnights, you can viewthe video here.
How do I become a Chaperone for my school’s trip? (for schools, parents & PTAs):
Each school has a staff member that coordinates the overnight trip (often the 5th grade Science Teacher); each school also has an APS Volunteer Liaison that manages the volunteer approval process (Liaison List by School Here). Find these school staffers and let them know you want to be a chaperone!
when a parent registers online to be a volunteer, they get a thank you email (from Raptor System[email protected], check your SPAM folder)
their request waits in a queue of the Volunteer Liaison at “their” school
when that liaison advances the request, then the email with the sexual misconduct video is sent to parent (from Raptor System)
parent completes the online training, passes the end of class test (80% correct) DO NOT LEAVE online training system yet
parent must DOWNLOAD certificate of completion from online training and EMAIL to their school’s Volunteer Liaison
once Liaison receives that completion email, they can approve Volunteer
START EARLY! There are a few points in the above process that can cause a delay. Please work directly with your school’s Volunteer Liaison if you are waiting at one of the above steps. All APS volunteer liaisons will be sent the Outdoor Lab Field Trip Schedule for their school. If there is a problem that the school Volunteer Liaison cannot deal with, parents or schools can contact Dawn Smith, Volunteers, Partnership and Events Manager, at [email protected] or 703-228-2581.
The AOEA, the non-profit that partners with APS to manage the Outdoor Lab, wants all APS students to experience all programs at the ODL. As you go through the volunteer process, if you have other lessons learned, questions or suggestions, please reach out to Mike Maleski, President of the AOEA, at [email protected].
**The Proposed FY2025 budget cuts each School’s Volunteer Liaison, learn more here!
Overnight APS Policy Change History
In Spring of 2023, APS paused 5th grade Overnights to review safety and staffing procedures.
APS added an additional administrator to ODL staff and requires 2 ODL personnel at every Outdoor Lab Overnight (1 ODL administrator & 1 ODL staffer). Meet the ODL Staff Here.
Over the summer of 2023, new safety policies and procedures were developed for overnights:
Large 12-person cabin tents were purchased (to replace multiple 3-4 person tents)
8-10 students are assigned to sleep in a cabin tent (previously 3-4 students/tent)
2 adult chaperones are required to sleep in each cabin tent with students (previously adults slept in their own small tents)
Ratio of adult chaperones to students must be 5:1 (previously 10:1 for overnights; remains 10:1 for 3rd & 7th grade trips)
Adult chaperones must be of corresponding male/female ratios to students
Adult chaperones consist of both School Staff and Parent Volunteers (minimum # school staff also required)
All Parent Chaperones must pass online APS Volunteer background check & training 3 weeks prior to ODL Overnight Trip.
In August 2023, All elementary school principals were notified of the new Overnight policies and procedures. Likewise, all school science leads were given the Outdoor Lab field trip schedule and notified of the new Overnight policies and procedures. The AOEA, as the APS partner in the Outdoor Lab, has asked APS to notify the APS community more broadly of the changes.
Unfortunately, some of the first schools on the schedule were caught with tight deadlines and a confusing process. Schools, PTAs, and Parents have all learned how to navigate the process better.
The Outdoor Lab is a partnership between the non-profit Arlington Outdoor Education Association (AOEA) and the Arlington Public Schools (APS)
APS provides the teachers, educational program and buses.
AOEA owns and manages the land and buildings as well as advocates for outdoor education, STEAM curriculum, and hands-on, experiential leaning.
The AOEA is an all-volunteer, hands-on organization that keeps this beloved Arlington institution available for Arlington students and families.
We need members of the Arlington community to step-up and help us in this critical time for educating our students.
We need Board Members for the AOEA!
Current and past Board Members have a variety of experience and skills. Many are parents, teachers or staff of Arlington schools. Others are scientists, marketing professionals, real estate agents/builders or consultants. We need a variety of experiences to challenge our organization to improve and grow.
If you are willing to help Arlington children and the Outdoor Lab (or know someone who might) please contact us to learn more about our Board of Directors at [email protected]. We elect a slate of Directors at our annual meeting in April/May, but have openings year-round.
If you’d like to volunteer to help the Outdoor Lab in other ways learn more HERE.
APS Students: Join the AOEA Board
In 2021, the AOEA began a student Board Member program offering an opportunity for select APS students who have benefitted from the Outdoor Lab and want to give back.
The student Board Member participates in monthly AOEA board meetings mostly via Zoom, offering advice and voting on AOEA business. They participate in AOEA events at the Outdoor Lab and in Arlington and act as a liaison to their schools and student groups in APS.
If you are a rising Junior or Senior at an APS high school and are interested in learning more please fill out our brief application (2025-26 school year applications due March 31) or contact AOEA at [email protected] with any questions.
The Outdoor Lab Open House is REscheduled for Saturday May 21st10a-1p OR 1p-4p.
The Outdoor Lab welcomes all Arlington Families to the Open House. Grab your “pod” and explore our 226 acres of mountain trails, meadows, streams and pond. While at the Lab, your family can:
fish in the pond (cane poles & worms provided!)
paddle the boats
hike our trails (over 5 miles, various hiking abilities)
observe critters in our Nature Center (maybe pet a snake?)
find a perfect spot for a family picnic! (bring your lunch!
Get your Tickets!
Due to COVID, we need families to pre-register through Eventbrite here.
Please choose EITHER10a-1p ticketOR1p-4p ticket (NOT BOTH) This will allow us to meet COVID limits and allow as many families as we can.
Each ticket is for one Carload. Please do NOT register for a ticket for each person in your car.
Tickets are “donate what you can.” The Outdoor Lab is owned by the non-profit Arlington Outdoor Education Association (a 501c3, tax exempt organization)
We will create a waitlist if needed, if your plans change and you don’t plan to come, please let us know
For the Safety of Visitors:
all visitors must sign in
masks must be worn while inside and when social distancing is not possible
NO Dogs allowed
please leave only footsteps and take only pictures
Other Info
While at the lab, talk to AOEA board members about the upcoming capital projects or how you could volunteer. We’re looking for additional board members and have lots of great projects on our plate!
You can find Directions here, look for signs and volunteers on where to park.
Bad weather, check back here for cancellations or updates.
Looking for somewhere to go on a weekend? The Outdoor Lab invites members of the Arlington Community to hike our Biscuit Mountain trail every Saturday in March. The trail takes approximately 1.2 hours to hike. Sound like a good time? Here are the details:
Sign up slots for morningOR afternoon. Check the date and time carefully! (show up at any time during your morning or afternoon window.)
No pets! Sorry!
Masks are required when in the bathrooms and when social distancing is difficult to maintain.
Follow the arrows to keep traffic flowing in one direction on the trails. This keeps everyone safe!
Protect the land by following the “leave no trace” philosophy. Dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, be considerate of other visitors, stay on trails, and respect wildlife
Release Form must be signed by all participants. Find Release Forms HERE. (Save time and fill out before you arrive. We’ll have some on hand as well )
Check in with an AOEA board member before you get started.
Gates close at 4 pm sharp, don’t get locked in!
Every little bit helps! To support the Outdoor Lab’s educational programs and help reach more Arlington students, a suggested donation of $20 per car is welcomed but not mandatory. We can always use help collecting kindling, just leave neatly stacked by wood piles. (Thanks!)
So put on your hiking shoes, dress for the weather, and come and enjoy the beauty of The Outdoor Lab on a beautiful weekend in March!
Help scientists from home by participating in The Great Backyard Bird Count
Outdoor Lab staff have participated in such events at the Outdoor Lab and have documented a large variety of bird species. When students are at the ODL, staff helps them identify birds by sight and sound. Now you can help scientists from your own backyard! Show us your favorite backyard birds. #GBBC #LovetheODL
The 24th annual The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) will be held Friday, February 12, through Monday, February 15, 2021. Please visit the official website at birdcount.org for more information and be sure to check out the latest educational and promotional resources.
The GBBC is a free, fun, and easy event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the four-day event and report their sightings online at birdcount.org. Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from beginning bird watchers to experts, and you can participate from your backyard, or anywhere in the world.
Each checklist submitted during the GBBC helps researchers at the National Audubon Society, Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada learn more about how birds are doing, and how to protect them and the environment we share. Recently, more than 160,000 participants submitted their bird observations online, creating the largest instantaneous snapshot of global bird populations ever recorded.
As part of the Outdoor Lab’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, we’re launching a Cultural History Project during Black History Month.
The goal of this project is to research, document, and share the stories of ALL the families who called the mountain gap home..
On a visit with the Afro-American History Association of Fauquier County, Outdoor Lab staff learned that part of the Underground Railroad went through our property. The oral history was that enslaved people escaping through Fauquier were told “Follow the Pine Mountains” to freedom.
Recent research into our Land Records revealed the names of property owners of our parcels back to the founding of the Colony of Virginia. These names are a key fact that kick started the research project. By finding the families, we can reconstruct who lived on and worked the land through time. We can then build the stories of these families through the artifacts they left on the property and ways they shaped the land.
We will partner with other researchers, families and organizations as we progress with the Cultural History Project. Please check back to see our progress. If you have an interest in helping please contact [email protected].
