ONE Forest School

ONE Forest School We’re an academically accredited, internationally recognized, 501c3 nonprofit forest school. What is forest school?

Organic Nature Experience .... To become interconnected with nature by spending as much time as possible outside. To immerse yourself in nature you experience a true and honest relationship with the natural world. You begin to better understand what it means to become one with nature and with that comes a deep love and sense of stewardship towards the natural world. It's a holistic style of educat

ion that takes place in the forest and is quickly catching on in the U.S. An educational practice that offers children opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in the forest. It's also an all weather, all climate program allowing children the experience of different seasonal sensations! We are an educational development center dedicated towards offering unique opportunities for learning and to encourage and inspire children through positive and authentic outdoor experiences. We have created this amazing learning environment, on about 8 acres of forested woods, to connect children to their natural world so they can play, investigate and observe some of what nature has to offer. We're offering STREAM based woodland/creek learning opportunities, bushcraft skills and forest based arts & crafts projects for our summer camp participants. Our focus is on creating a learning space that encourages personal challenge, community cohesion, nature connection and risk taking using a learner-led approach. The role of ONE Forest School will play an integral part of every child who comes, regardless of his or her ability, background, religion or ethnicity. By developing in children a solid foundation of character, compassion and respect, they will be better equipped to handle obstacles in later school years and life. Forest schools have become the holistic building blocks for creating happy, healthy, well rounded people. They instill a yearning for learning and creativity in children while providing a safe, outdoor environment in the woods where children can spend the day, year round, in all weather. By enabling the children the freedom to explore and play, ONE Forest School will create a growth mindset in your child where they will be fully open to learning with no pressure.

Tree Week SurpriseAs part of our annual Tree Week tradition, campers are asked to choose a favorite tree and paint a fac...
06/11/2026

Tree Week Surprise

As part of our annual Tree Week tradition, campers are asked to choose a favorite tree and paint a facial expression showing how they think that tree is feeling.

Many of our newest campers painted sad, angry, or frightened expressions.

When I asked why, they pointed to the ropes securing our parachute and said:
"Because they don't like being tied up."

These were 6- and 7-year-olds.

The ropes weren't hurting the trees. The children knew that.

But they had done something more important than analyze the situation.

They had imagined themselves in the tree's place.

As educators, we spend a lot of time teaching children about nature.

Last week, they reminded us of something.

Sometimes the first step toward protecting the natural world isn't understanding it.
It's caring about it.

Be sure to come out for a day of educational fun!  ONE Forest School will be there, as well!  Lots of child-centered act...
06/10/2026

Be sure to come out for a day of educational fun! ONE Forest School will be there, as well! Lots of child-centered activities and fun for the whole family!!!

The forest has never just been our classroom.It has been our foundation.In just 4 days, summer camp begins again beneath...
05/28/2026

The forest has never just been our classroom.

It has been our foundation.

In just 4 days, summer camp begins again beneath the trees at Deerhead Nature Preserve—where children cook over campfires, discover millipedes beneath fallen logs, plant gardens, perform forest theater, build confidence, solve problems, and create memories that last a lifetime.

At the same time, fall enrollment is now underway for our academically accredited forest school program, where environmental literacy, emotional intelligence, science, stewardship, and place-based education are woven into everyday learning.

And next spring, we take another exciting step forward with the launch of our Forest School Practitioner Training Program—helping prepare future educators to bring meaningful nature-based learning experiences to children and communities far beyond our own forest.

What began as a small dream beneath the trees has grown into something far bigger than ourselves.

And we're still growing.

Summer Camp Begins in 4 Days
Fall Enrollment Now Open
Forest School Practitioner Training Launching Spring 2027

Where curiosity, connection, and adventure still matter.

🌱 Rooted at ONE

05/23/2026
For nearly a decade, we've had the privilege of watching these transformations unfold beneath the trees at Deerhead Natu...
05/23/2026

For nearly a decade, we've had the privilege of watching these transformations unfold beneath the trees at Deerhead Nature Preserve.

We've watched children become leaders.

We've watched families reconnect with nature.

We've watched communities come together around a shared love of learning and the outdoors.

These photographs follow the journey of one child who has grown up beneath the trees at ONE Forest School.

Call it environmental stewardship.

Call it place-based learning.

Call it regenerative education.

Call it whatever you want.

We've been watching this happen for years.

🌱 Rooted at ONE

05/21/2026

Volunteers, calling themselves the Bright Hope Butterfly Garden Crew, have been monitoring for the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project at the Bright Hope Butterfly Garden at Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield, Virginia, for 11 years!

The garden was created by several members of the Pocahontas Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalists, with two species of locally native milkweed, including over 400 plants of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa). Over the years, this group of dedicated MLMP volunteers has developed lots of knowledge of the monarch butterfly life cycle and the resources monarchs need to thrive, and they even wrote a book about their experiences.

Click the link in the comments to read our latest volunteer spotlight, or if you have an MLMP volunteer you think we should highlight, let us know!

Be Sure to Join Us Again this Summer for 10 original Forest Theater Productions performed by our campers!  All are Welco...
05/21/2026

Be Sure to Join Us Again this Summer for 10 original Forest Theater Productions performed by our campers! All are Welcome! First Play starts Friday June 5th!

ONE Forest School Presents: Forest Theater Fridays!

Every Friday at 3:30 PM sharp
FREE & Open to the Public
Bonfire & S’mores Immediately Following Each Performance

Our Forest Theater productions use comedy, storytelling, music, and the voices of animals to help children safely explore real-life social and emotional challenges in a fun and meaningful way. Through laughter and creativity, students learn that no problem is too big to share, face, or solve together.

🎬 2026 Forest Theater Line-Up:

Week 1 — Evergreen: A Lesson in Kindness
Week 2 — Fungi are Fun Guys: A Lesson in Self Control
Week 3 — Goldilocks and the Bears: A Lesson in Equality
Week 4 — Bird Brain: A Lesson in Bullying
Week 5 — Bee Positive: A Lesson in Listening
Week 6 — Going Batty: A Lesson in Boundaries
Week 7 — The Great Frass Fiasco: A Lesson in Finding Your Place
Week 8 — The Divergent Dragonfly: A Lesson in Patience
Week 9 — The Tortoise & the Hare: A Lesson in Cheating
Week 10 — Camp Granada & What Happened on the Lake: A Musical Comedy

Bring a chair, bring the family, and come experience the magic, laughter, and life lessons of Forest Theater with us this summer. 🌱

Rooted at ONE 🌱

We are raising the first generation in human history to spend more time swiping screens than climbing trees, building fo...
05/20/2026

We are raising the first generation in human history to spend more time swiping screens than climbing trees, building forts, writing by hand, or exploring the natural world.

And science is beginning to show the cost.

A recent neuroscience study found that handwriting activates widespread brain connectivity tied to memory, learning, and information processing in ways typing simply does not. Researchers discovered that carefully forming letters by hand stimulates areas of the brain linked to deeper learning and long-term retention.

But this conversation goes far beyond handwriting.

When children spend excessive time on iPads and cell phones, they often lose opportunities to develop:
• attention span
• patience
• creativity
• emotional regulation
• fine motor skills
• problem-solving
• real-world social interaction
• connection to nature

At ONE Forest School, we believe childhood should still include muddy boots, scraped knees, handwritten journals, sticks that become swords, forts, fishing poles, fairy houses, and long conversations around campfires.

Technology has its place.
But childhood cannot happen through a screen.

The developing brain needs movement.
It needs wonder.
It needs boredom.
It needs real experiences that engage all the senses.

Sometimes the healthiest thing we can give our children… is less technology and more childhood.

🌱 Rooted at ONE

Address

Deerhead Nature Preserve 4808 Smith Mountain Lake Pkwy
Huddleston, VA
24104

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6pm
Tuesday 8am - 6pm
Wednesday 8am - 6pm
Thursday 8am - 6pm
Friday 8am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

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