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What is Environmental Education? |
Environmental Education refers to the branch of Experiential Education that is focused on teaching students about the natural world and their relationship with it. It typically focuses on ecosystems and the role humans play in those ecosystems. Particularly, Environmental Education focuses on the ways human systems impact the environment and the way the environment in turn impacts human society. Some Environmental Education programs aim to change people's behaviour. Others aim to give students a balanced perspective, allowing them to make thier own decisions as to the best way for humans to live sustainably.
Common Environmental Education activities include Forest Ecology, Pond Ecology, Animal Ecology, Predator/Prey, Animal Tracking, Outdoor Living Skills, Garbage Dissection, and Leave No Trace. Increasingly, Service Learning projects have Environmental Education components to them. These activities commonly include trail maintenance, habitat restoration, control of invasive/exotic species, energy conservation projects, composting projects and gardening. |
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What is the Purpose of Environmental Education? |
Primarily, the purpose of Environmental Education is to encourage students to be passionate about nature and the environment, and to understand their place in the natural world. Further, Environmental Education often teaches students to understand alternative minimum-impact practices and to raise awareness of environmental issues facing humans - ranging from a local level, such as air & water pollution, invasive species and minimum-impact living; through national issues, such as habitat destruction, urban sprawl and energy consumption; to global issues, such as climate change, agricultural practices and over-fishing.
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What is Special About the Environment at the Berkshire Outdoor Center? |
The Berkshire Outdoor Center is located in the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts. The Berkshires are dominated by Northern Broadleaf Forest - dominated by maple, birch and beech trees, and sporadic coverage from eastern white pines, eastern hemlocks and spruces. From mid-September to mid-October, fall foliage is at its peak - the forest alive with color. The Berkshire Outdoor Center's property includes more than 1,350 acres of conservation lands, primarily Northern Broadleaf Forest.
Berkshire Outdoor Center property also has three spectacular ponds, and we own all the land around each of them, so activities on the ponds are exclusively those of the Berkshire Outdoor Center. Furthermore, the property includes an extensive wetlands system and even a pristine peat bog - the perfect venues for Environmental Education programs.
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What sets Berkshire Outdoor Center apart from its Competitors? |
Tailorable Programs - The key difference between the Berkshire Outdoor Center and other outdoor centers is that we tailor our programs for every group that attends. Packages typically include aspects of Outdoor Education, Environmental Education, Leadership development and Adventure-based recreational activities. Any of our activities can be added to any of our packages. For example, a few schools that attend our fall programs prefer the Outdoor Education or the Leadership Development focus, but like to add beaver ecology (nature) and kayaking (adventure) to the activities for their students. Full Listing of Activities Offered by Berkshire Outdoor Center
World-Class Facilities - The Berkshire Outdoor Center operates world-class facilities in a gorgeous rustic setting in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts.
- Our ropes courses are state-of-the-art and are located on each of our two beautiful camps - Camp Becket and Chimney Corners.
- Our brand new $5.5 million Chimney Corners Dining Hall is the perfect venue for meals and meeting spaces. One of our three climbing towers is even located inside this magnificent building!
- Our rustic Camp Becket Dining Hall overlooks the beautiful Rudd Pond for simply gorgeous views.
- We have three spectacular ponds, and we own all the land around each of them, so activities on the ponds are exclusively those of the Berkshire Outdoor Center.
- Our camps are on 1,350 acres of forested conservation lands. The property includes an extensive wetlands system and even a pristine peat bog - the perfect venues for Environmental Education programs.
- Our accommodation includes more than 70 rustic cabins arranged into 7 villages - with over 700 beds and four winterized lodges with up to 165 beds.
Exceptional International Staff - Our instructors are the best asset to our programs. A diverse range of staff from a variety of countries return year after year to run our Outdoor Education programs. The extensive cultural diversity and interesting perspective each of them brings to our organization and to our user groups is truly an exceptional contribution to the programs. And our seasoned veterans are the best staff in their field, passionate about living and working here in the Berkshires.
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