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Outdoor Ed Header
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Outdoor Eduction at Merle-Smith
Exploring the world around us
The Outdoor Education Program at the Merle-Smith Campus offers students a way to experience the wonders and the challenges of the outdoors and outdoor activities. The program focuses on two main activities: hiking and whitewater boating. The hiking component involves afternoon outings twice a week and day hikes/backpacking on the weekends. The whitewater boating component includes paddling Class II-III rivers in various watercraft (rafts, inflatable kayaks, whitewater canoes). Depending on interest, weekend trips might involve bike riding or rock climbing. These activities are designed to challenge the students both physically and mentally, as well as to let the students experience the natural world.
Throughout the year, students and parents enjoy beautiful hikes along the Appalachian Trail and weekday sessions exploring the Upper School's Merle-Smith Campus. On-campus, students learned:
- Tree Identification
- Campus history provided by the school archivist
- Tree to observe throughout the fall for changes
- Beekeeping at the school hives
- Gardening at the community garden
