Fall field trips

Field Trip registration for the fall is now closed. If you have questions about your registration or suggestions for spring field trips, you can contact fieldtrips@cvillechec.org. For those who signed up, thanks for participating. Please pay field trip balances promptly. You can pay by logging in to chec account and navigating to your account summary. You should receive a planning email from the field trip coordinator for you field trip a week prior to the event. If you are on a wait list, we will contact you if a spot becomes available to determine if you are still interested in participating.

FULL - Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Museum, Charlottesville – Tues., Sept. 14th, 10:45-12:00
The focal point of this field trip will be the outdoor sculpture trail exhibit "Breathe With Me." Kluge-Ruhe has collaborated with UVA’s Department of Art and Contemplative Sciences Center to create an outdoor art experience on its scenic hilltop location. Visitors to the sculpture trail will follow a meandering path mown through the museum’s back meadow, encountering “sculpture stops” along the way. Our visit will also include an optional indoor tour of the museum (masked, distancing hard to maintain) and an optional outdoor reflective activity.

Ages: All ages

Cost: $2/person

Camping at Bear Creek Lake State Park, Cumberland – Oct. 8th-10th
Join CHEC friends for camping at Bear Creek Lake. We have the group camp site booked for those who enjoy the group experience. You can also book your own site or cabin or just drive out for a day. Campers can also sign up for the migration, archery, and/or canoeing field trips described below that are scheduled for the same weekend. These mix and match fieldtrips--you can do just camping, just some of the day programs, or all.

Cost: $50/tent

The Great Migration Game, Bear Creek Lake State Park, Cumberland - Fri., Oct. 8, 1:00-2:00
Birds move, or migrate, from one area to another in search of resources they need to survive, but completing their journey can be very difficult. In this game, the participants are the playing pieces and the area is a game board. A roll of a dice sends participants to stations describing various conditions birds might encounter during migration, such as finding food, shelter, human impediments and weather. At the end we can come to appreciate the courage of migratory birds and also discover ways that we can help them sustain their species.

Ages: 5-10

Cost: $2/student

FULL - Archery at Bear Creek Lake State Park, Cumberland - Fri., Oct. 8, 3:00-4:30
Basic Archery: An introduction to archery using recurve and compound bows; the proper stance, and what makes an arrow fly. All equipment provided.

Ages: 8+

Cost: $7/person

FULL - Evening Canoe Tour, Bear Creek Lake State Park, Cumberland - Sat., Oct. 9, 5:00-6:30
Come enjoy an evening paddle out on the lake and learn about the plants and animals that call the lake home. This tour will journey to several points of interest to see the variety in this ever changing ecosystem. No canoe experience is necessary, and all equipment is provided. Maximum number of people per canoe is two adults and one child.

Cost: $7/person

Tell-Tale Heart, Edgar Allen Poe Museum, Richmond – Fri., Oct. 29th, 10:30
After a dramatic reading of “The Tell-Tale Heart”, students divide into groups of defense attorneys and prosecutors to argue for a verdict in a mock courtroom presided over by a student judge. The student jury decides whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty by reason of insanity, and often student courtroom artists record the trial. This event will be primarily indoors and masks will be required.

Ages: 11-18

Cost: $10/person ($7 for accompanying adult)

Pipsqueak Poet Tour, Edgar Allen Poe Museum, Richmond – Fri., Oct. 29th, 10:30
The Pipsqueak Poets Tour is a great introduction to poetry and rhyme. Our standard tour is condensed and adapted for a younger audience and culminates in an activity featuring Poe’s most famous poem, “The Raven.” Students will make a raven puppet to take home. The tour and activity combined last an hour. This event will be primarily indoors and masks will be required.

Ages: 6-11

Cost: $7/student ($7 accompanying adult)

Wildrock, Crozet – Nov. 5, 9:30-1:00
Imagine rolling down a hill, building a fort, splashing in a stream, and hiding in a hobbit house. When you discover Wildrock, you open yourself to the joy of free play in nature. Join us for innovative and engaging nature play at Wildrock.

Ages: 5-11

Cost: $10/person (including adults and siblings)

FULL - Anatomy Lab, Charlottesville – Tues., Nov. 16, 10:30-12:30
Come join us on a tour of the University of Virginia School of Medicine Anatomy Lab and Surgical Skills Center. Your visit will begin with a walk through tour of the anatomy lab, which is the facility used by medical students to learn on anatomical donors. In addition, you will have an opportunity to tour the Surgical Skills Training Center, which is a facility used by medical students, resident physicians, and attending physicians to practice and learn surgical procedures on anatomical donors. Following the tour, students will have an opportunity to learn about the basic anatomy of the heart and lungs using cadaveric human hearts and lungs. Prior to the visit, each student under the age of 18 will need to have a permission form signed by a parent or legal guardian acknowledging that their child is participating in viewing human cadaveric specimens. The plan is to only view and touch hearts and lungs removed from a body, but during the tour, participants will see from a distance opaque and closed body bags containing cadavers.

Ages: 13+

Cost: $5/person

FULL - Holidays in History, Frontier Culture Museum, Staunton - Monday, Dec. 6th 10:15-12:30
Learn how Christmas was celebrated in the Old World and Early America and how the celebration has changed over time. Students wassail in England, Knock in Germany, and Belsnickle in America. We will visit the English, American, and German exhibits as part of the tour. This tour has indoor and outdoor components.

Ages: All ages, will be divided into tour groups based on age

Cost: Students $7, Adults $9, Under 6 Free

Are field trips drop off?

No, not unless explicitly stated. Parents should plan to attend field trips with their student(s) or to send them with another parent/caregiver. CHEC will have a field trip coordinator attending the field trip to answer parent questions and coordinate with staff at the location, but the coordinator is not responsible for monitoring students.
Do my students need to take classes at CHEC to enroll in field trips?

You do not need to be enrolled in classes at CHEC to take field trips. They are open to everyone. You will need an account on the CHEC website and payment will be managed through that account.
Something has come up and I can no longer attend. Can I get a refund?

Sorry, no refunds. This creates a lot of work and we are all volunteers. Someone else can take your place though (and you can offer up your spots on the Cvillechec mobilize group). We would appreciate it if you notify us at fieldtrips@cvillechec.org if you can't make it or if someone else is taking your place.
Will people be masked/distanced?

We will require everyone to mask indoors. We will not require masks outdoors. Distancing is encouraged, but may not be possible in all locations. Refer to descriptions of individual field trips to determine special requirements.