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Program History
Founded in 1970, Hidden Villa's Environmental Education Program (HVEEP) has served thousands of children each year through our two core programs and other educational offerings that are developed in response to community needs. Beyond the wonderment and exhilaration of hiking alongside a creek, milking a cow or goat, or harvesting garden vegetables, guidance and instruction by our on-site naturalists and community educators provide focus on environmental education. Through age-specific activities, children learn about ecology, natural history, and energy systems and cycles. The unique teaching techniques of the Hidden Villa Environmental Education Program strike a balance between scientific investigation and feelings of wonder, awareness, and appreciation.
Check Availability For Your Field Trip
Our field trip registrations are managed by Thriva. To check if there is availability for your trip, please visit:
Pre-K - 1st Grade
2nd - 6th Grade
Farm Tours
Pre-K to 1st Grade
Awaken your senses with a hands-on exploration of our working farm! Students meet farm animals face to face and experience the colors, scents and tastes of the organic Education Garden. Whether sinking fingers into a sheep’s wool “sweater,” feeling the warmth of a freshly laid egg, or crunching into a root just pulled from the ground, students begin to appreciate the importance of the farm and garden in their daily lives. Please visit www.hiddenvilla.org for more details.
Duration
Times
- 9:15 am or 11 am, Tuesday - Friday
Farm & Wilderness Exploration
2nd to 6th Grade
Trek through the wilderness, interact with farm animals and explore our organic garden -- all in a single, action-packed day! Farm and Wilderness Exploration invites students to appreciate the connectedness of all life while discovering the unique characteristics and roles of plants and animals on the trail and farm. Students build confidence and develop new curiosities as they inspect an animal track in the trail, meet a banana slug along the creek, examine critters in the compost pile, or feed a chicken from their hand.
In the wilderness, we discover a variety of plant communities, learn about predator/prey relationships, animal or plant adaptations, and stewardship of the land. On the farm, we interact with and observe farm animals. Students leave better understanding their fellow creatures and the many ways they enrich our lives. In the garden, students taste fresh-picked vegetables, learn the six plant parts, and understand the role of manure! Please visit www.hiddenvilla.org for more details.
Duration
Times
- 9 am – 2:30 pm, Tuesday – Friday
Farm Focus
2nd to 6th Grade
Come connect with the animals and plants that enrich our daily lives! Students spend a full day interacting with farm animals (link to a page on this subject) and exploring the organic education garden (link to a page on this subject). They learn not only what animals provide, but discover unique breed characteristics and caretaking responsibilities. In the garden, students examine just what goes into raising the plants that feed us! They help complete an essential garden chore, such as seed-planting, mulching, compost sifting, or weeding. Then they reap the benefits of their work by tasting some of the delicious goodies ready for harvest! Please visit www.hiddenvilla.org for more details.
(Note: This day combines well with our Day In the Wild program, either as a separate visit or as two consecutive days with a night spent at our cozy hostel.)
Duration
Times
- 9 am – 2:30 pm, Tuesday – Friday
Day in the Wild
2nd to 6th Grade
Step into another world for a day! Come explore Hidden Villa’s wilderness and learn about the wonder of life on the trail and along the creek. Learn about plant communities, relationships between predators and prey, animal and plant adaptations, food webs, and land stewardship. Spend time re-tuning your senses to absorb the sights, smells, and sounds of the natural world around us. This wilderness immersion experience is one that sparks curiosity and deep appreciation for our natural environment! Please visit www.hiddenvilla.org for more details.
(Note: This program is greatly complemented by our Farm Focus program, either as a separate visit or as two consecutive days with a night spent at our cozy hostel.)
Duration
Times
- 9 am – 2:30 pm, Tuesday – Friday
Overnight and Farm Chore Program
2nd to 6th Grade
Extend your visit to include an evening program, night hike, and overnight stay! Discover the marvels of farm life and learn caretaking responsibility by helping with afternoon farm chores. These may include milking, feeding or egg-collecting among other essential tasks. During the evening, we’ll participate in songs and skits before trekking out for a night hike under the stars. The night hike is a great opportunity to experience the beauty of the night-sky and catch rare opportunities to observe creatures that only venture out at night. Participants stay in heated cabins at the Hidden Villa Hostel and cook their own meals in the Hostel kitchen. Stay with us for one or two nights!
All meals are arranged by parents and teachers. We ask that adult chaperones provided by the school provide supervision at all times during the overnight visits. Please visit www.hiddenvilla.org for more details.
*Availability is very limited and only conjunction with one of our day programs
Times
- Tuesday or Wednesday evenings
- Chores – 3:30 – 4:30 pm
- Evening Program – 7 – 9 pm
Special Programs
Have your students already attended a Hidden Villa program? Deepen their knowledge by returning for a Special Program!
You can choose one of several themed programs involving food, farming, and nature study. We would be happy to work with you to customize a Hidden Villa experience for your students. Contact us for more information! (Note: These options are not recommended for first-time visitors and can accommodate only one class per visit.)
Email us at
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to explore opportunities!
Teaching Opportunities
Our programs are led in part by HVEEP volunteer guides who are specially trained by our teacher-naturalists in creative environmental teaching strategies and natural history. Training is ongoing and open to anyone age 18 and up. Contact
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for more information. We also have six Environmental Education interns who reside at Hidden Villa and provide on-site instruction as well as the in-school field trip orientation.
Curriculum
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Field Trip Descriptions
