Support the Potomac Valley Audubon Society’s 4th Grade Watershed Program as a field trip volunteer! Join us for an afternoon of learning at Case Nature Center to develop the skills to help facilitate meaningful educational experiences for elementary school students!

PVAS Host: Laurel Schwartz, Watershed Program Coordinator

Free and open to the public. Registration is required.

PVMN Continuing Education Credit Eligible

Support the Potomac Valley Audubon Society’s 4th Grade Watershed Program as a field trip volunteer! PVAS’s Watershed Program serves every 4th grade public school class in Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan counties with five engaging classroom lessons and a field trip. All of these experiences include hands-on learning and we are looking for extra support during our field trips from our community!

The purpose of this training is to train potential volunteers on field trip stations, group management strategies, and interpretation techniques. Existing field trip volunteers are welcome to attend to brush up on content knowledge, share engagement strategies, and meet like-minded folks. Prospective volunteers are highly encouraged to attend, though nonattendance does not prohibit you from volunteering this season!

Register Here!

About our Host: Laurel Schwartz is our Watershed Program Coordinator and has been working in this role with PVAS since September 2021. Laurel is a lifelong Jefferson County resident and Shepherd University graduate.  She graduated from Shepherd University with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and a concentration in Sustainable Resource Management. During the summers between the school year, she worked as a seasonal Park Ranger for both the National Park Service, at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, and the Army Corps of Engineers, at Loyalhanna Lake Recreation Area. After graduation, Laurel served an AmeriCorps year (2019-2020) with us as an Environmental Educator.  Through this role, she fell in love with youth education and nature interpretation. After her AmeriCorps year, Laurel worked for Virginia Tech as a Soil Science Research Associate and a Jefferson County Substitute Teacher. She also was excited to be asked to serve as Site Director for Yankauer Summer Camps for the 2021 camp season.  She will serve in this position for the 2024 camp season as well.

In her free time, Laurel can be found hiking, spending time with her dogs, relaxing in a hammock, or in the kitchen trying out new recipes.