an avian education center in cheat lake
Our Outdoor Classroom includes a covered pavilion, a stage, restrooms, lighting, and fourteen enclosures for the non-releasable, special-needs birds in our care. (Read more about these permanent residents on our Meet the Birds page.) The facility is located on Ridge Way Farm, a 30-acre property donated to our partner nonprofit, the Human-Animal Bond, by the late Patricia Keith; Pat wanted her farm to be used for outdoor and agricultural education, as well as green space and a gathering place for the community, in perpetuity. Several of our team members knew Pat during her life, and we greatly appreciate her generosity and foresight for safeguarding what remains of this beautiful farm.
Our Outdoor Classroom is private property and is open for visitors by appointment only or during one of our Public Tour Days, which are scheduled for the first Saturday of every month from 12-3pm. Please note that several security cameras are in operation 24/7 at the Outdoor Classroom.
We can accommodate groups, including field trips, picnics, and family outings, but please contact us by email to schedule. Ridge Way Farm is private property in a residential area; the best way to see the birds who live at the Outdoor Classroom is with a member of our team during a scheduled visit. The birds are nervous around dogs, cats, balloons, drones, and umbrellas, so please keep them away from the enclosures.
In addition to the non-releasable birds in the ACCA's care, visitors to the Outdoor Classroom can enjoy the native plant garden that surrounds the enclosures. With the help of a generous grant from the WVU Extension Master Gardeners as well as support from the Monongahela Master Naturalists, volunteers manage the designing, planting, and upkeep of our garden. Native plants are important to bird conservation; they coevolved with insects that are important food for native songbirds, especially during nesting season. Read more about the plants in our Garden.
The Outdoor Classroom (affectionately known as "the OC" by our team) has been a work-in-progress for more than a decade. It began with the creation of a gravel parking area, and has evolved with the help of dedicated architects, contractors, biologists, educators, veterinarians, naturalists, and hundreds of volunteers--and of course generous donors, without whom none of this would exist. THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this dream take physical form!
Our Outdoor Classroom is private property and is open for visitors by appointment only or during one of our Public Tour Days, which are scheduled for the first Saturday of every month from 12-3pm. Please note that several security cameras are in operation 24/7 at the Outdoor Classroom.
We can accommodate groups, including field trips, picnics, and family outings, but please contact us by email to schedule. Ridge Way Farm is private property in a residential area; the best way to see the birds who live at the Outdoor Classroom is with a member of our team during a scheduled visit. The birds are nervous around dogs, cats, balloons, drones, and umbrellas, so please keep them away from the enclosures.
In addition to the non-releasable birds in the ACCA's care, visitors to the Outdoor Classroom can enjoy the native plant garden that surrounds the enclosures. With the help of a generous grant from the WVU Extension Master Gardeners as well as support from the Monongahela Master Naturalists, volunteers manage the designing, planting, and upkeep of our garden. Native plants are important to bird conservation; they coevolved with insects that are important food for native songbirds, especially during nesting season. Read more about the plants in our Garden.
The Outdoor Classroom (affectionately known as "the OC" by our team) has been a work-in-progress for more than a decade. It began with the creation of a gravel parking area, and has evolved with the help of dedicated architects, contractors, biologists, educators, veterinarians, naturalists, and hundreds of volunteers--and of course generous donors, without whom none of this would exist. THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this dream take physical form!
To find the Outdoor Classroom: use the address 217 Morgan Hill Road, Morgantown, WV, and look for a parking sign near our gravel lot. OR type "ACCA Outdoor Classroom" into Google Maps and follow the directions--Google Maps has placed a pin on our parking lot.
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