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When the Outdoors Becomes the Classroom
Spread across 1,200 wooded acres in central Virginia, Woodberry Forest’s campus offers students more than the typical education. Here, the outdoors is not just a backdrop—it’s an essential part of the curriculum.
In the school’s environmental science program, students don’t merely read about ecosystems; they immerse themselves in them. From spotlighting deer during nighttime surveys to conducting timber cruises in the forest and wading into the Rapidan River to study aquatic life, the program provides a hands-on approach to environmental education.
“I think it’s important for Woodberry students to learn more about the environment,” said Alex Tisch, one of the school’s environmental science teachers. “Both here on campus and in the world beyond, so that as they go forward in their lives, they can be better stewards of the environment.”
Turning Data into Stewardship
Turning Data into Stewardship
Woodberry Forest is using the data students collect in class to inform how the school manages its land. Whether tracking tree health through forestry studies or analyzing deer populations, the program blends academic inquiry with real-world application.
“We do lots of forestry work — looking at different tree species, tracking their growth, and assessing the health of the forest as a whole,” said Lewis Affronti, another environmental science teacher. “I use data from our timber cruises to see what species are thriving, what’s changing, and how our forests are evolving. We also apply that data to our deer surveys to understand habitat dynamics.”
For students, the hands-on approach deepens their connection to the environment.
“I cherish the opportunities my environmental class gives me to go out into the woods and really connect with nature,” said Carter Walker ’26. “Being hands-on with what I’m learning makes it so much easier to grasp complex concepts.”
The program’s location makes this immersive learning possible. “These concepts that we’re talking about in class are just a three- or four-minute walk out the door,” said Tisch. “We can point to a mineral in a rock, an insect in the leaf litter, or a plant species and immediately apply what we’re learning.”
A Leader in Land Conservation
A Leader in Land Conservation
Affronti believes Woodberry can set an example for land conservation in secondary education. “We have students actively engaging with our land — taking soil surveys, assessing biodiversity, and studying different forest types,” he said. “It’s not just theoretical learning. They’re applying these concepts directly to our campus, which is something that sets our program apart.”
One of the most anticipated field exercises is the nighttime deer survey.
“We’ve been doing this ever since I arrived at Woodberry,” said Affronti. “It’s a spotlight survey from the road, where students observe deer populations, track movement patterns, and analyze sex ratios. Over the years, we’ve compiled data that helps us understand herd behavior and population dynamics.”
Expanding the Classroom
Expanding the Classroom
As interest in environmental science grows, the science department is expanding its offerings. The school currently offers four environmental courses, including a forestry-focused science thesis seminar in the fall and a mineral-focused seminar in the spring.
Recently, Woodberry acquired a new plot of land across Route 15, further extending its outdoor classroom.
“On the new land, we have another area where we can study species composition and explore different land management strategies,” said Affronti. “Whether it’s monitoring songbirds, deer, or turkey, or simply using it as a place to study trees and wildlife, it adds another dimension to what we can offer.”
>> Reporting by Ry Cobbs ’26
Woodberry Forest School is an exceptional private school community for high school boys in grades nine through twelve. It is one of the top boarding schools in the United States and one of the only all-boys, all-boarding schools in the country.
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Woodberry Forest admits students of any race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religious belief, and national or ethnic origin to all of the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religious belief, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs. The school is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students.