Students from Galax Middle School take a break from the classroom and have the opportunity to get outdoors and discover the natural world! Blue Ridge Discovery Center is offering several sessions this week: Explorations and Discovery, Pioneering, and Crafting with Nature.

On Monday, students got a taste of aquatic entomology (the study of insects) as they explored Clear Fork Creek in Matthews State Forest. They searched the creek for macro-invertebrates such as stonefly and mayfly larva, but also found a gilled snail and various species of non-game fish. For the remainder of the week, students will investigate animal tracks and signs, dendrology (trees), geology (rocks) and ornithology (birds).

Pioneering begins with the sanding of parts in preparation for building a trebuchet. This desktop model will be used to demonstrate the physics behind weight and trajectory. Manipulation and redesign of the prototype throughout the week will result in a fine-tuned machine!

Crafting with nature is incorporating hikes and natural elements into works of art. Students will experiment with pencils and paint, printmaking, rubbings, collages, weaving with invasive species and much more!