Worcester Prep eighth-graders experience outdoor education at Echo Hill

Worcester Preparatory School eighth-graders bonded with nature and each other on a three-day, rustic adventure at Echo Hill Outdoor School Oct. 12-14. Echo Hill in Worton, Md., on the Eastern Shore has served as a platform for educating children about nature and the environment for more than 40 years.

While team building with their peers, students experienced hands-on education which will enrich their classroom learning. The school’s 300 acres of forests, meadows, freshwater shrub swamp and mile-long beach on the Chesapeake Bay make the perfect playground for a variety of environmental studies.

The students lived in tents, hiked through woods, climbed trees, built fires, learned hunting skills, and studied marine life and maps. The daily activities, which included an adventure course and a 40-foot lab boat to investigate the bay’s ecosystem, are aimed at building and enhancing teamwork, confidence and self-esteem.

Shown (l-r) with Echo Hill teacher and naturalist Aaron Thal are Worcester Prep eighth-graders Stephen Perrotta, Salisbury, Md.; Max Huber., Berlin, Md., Karim Dahr, Lewes;  Max Taylor, Ocean City, Md.;  Ayrton Pryor, Selbyville; Maddy Shanahan, Ocean City; Carly Hoffman, Ocean City; Ellie Todorov, Salisbury; Quinn McColgan, Millsboro; and Mesa Cammack, Rehoboth Beach.