The Arlington Outdoor Lab has been designated a “Virginia Treasure” by Governor Terry McAuliffe. The announcement was made last week at the Annual Retreat of the Board of Directors of the Arlington Outdoor Education Association (AOEA), owners of the environmental education facility in Broad Run, Virginia.
The Outdoor Lab property is part of the Broad Run/Little Georgetown Rural Historic District in Fauquier County which is now officially listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. The Treasure Award was created to recognize outstanding conservation, cultural heritage and recreation projects in Virginia.
“We are delighted that the Outdoor Lab has received this important recognition as a Virginia Treasure,” AOEA President Mike Nardolilli said at the announcement. “The fact that this designation comes just as we have kicked off a year-long celebration of our 50th anniversary is the icing on the cake,” he added. Last month, the Outdoor Lab held an event to start the year-long commemoration of the founding of the AOEA on July 6, 1967. At the Board Retreat, Nardolilli reported that the June 4th fundraiser netted $100,000 for the capital needs at the Outdoor Lab, almost double the goal of the all-volunteer organization.
The Arlington Outdoor Education Association is the 501c3 entity that owns and maintains the Arlington Outdoor Lab, a 225-acre facility in Broad Run, Virginia. Each year, 9000 Arlington County public school children are brought to the Outdoor Lab to learn about the environmental sciences and to have fun while doing so. For more information, visit https://outdoorlab.org/about.
