The Blandy Experimental Farm in Clarke County has been hosting some youth programs, tailored toward environmental education.

Blandy Experimental Farm is part of the University of Virginia. It is used as a field research area for professors and students from the school.

The farm also doubles as the State Arboretum of Virginia, which features plants and wildlife that you may not see anywhere else in the Commonwealth.

For the past two weeks, youngsters in your community have been out and about at the site, getting an in-depth education about nature.

It's an adventure through nature and art - Blandy Farm's summer nature camps for elementary students give kids the chance to re-create art they see in nature, through projects like leaf and solar prints, as well as painting animal tracks.

"This week they're learning a lot more about colors - primary, secondary, tertiary, stuff like that. They're learning how the sun makes prints, more artistic stuff, and less of conservation," says Becky Lloyd, a Program Presenter at Blandy.

She says last week's program centered on wetland conservation. Students went on nature walks and studied local wildlife. The camps are so popular, that many kids come both weeks.

"They get out here, they get to run around, they get to get the education, but they also get three hours of pure, unbridled nature, which is kind of cool," says Lloyd.

So what are the kids learning?

"We had a scientist come in and taught us about bees," says Annalee Wisecarver.

Christopher Will says, "We've been doing nature hikes, and we've been making lots of cool crafts, and we've got to see some animals."

One of the most popular projects is home-made solar ovens. Kids and counselors put together a "nature fueled" appliance to cook some tasty treats.

"We're going to make smores, and we're gonna put chocolate and marshmallows inside, and we're going to put it out in the sun to see if it will bake," says Will.

The main goal is getting kids out into the natural environment, and showing them the importance of caring for the earth.

"Blandy, I think is, a little bit different, because the kids are exposed to why a place like Blandy is so important. So they learn at a young age that places like this do exist, and that it's important that we take care of our plants and animals, and they kind of grow up in that tradition and in that thought process," says Lloyd.

The programs have waiting lists because the are so popular.

Next week Blandy Experimental Farm will put on a camp for 15 kids in 5th through 8th grade. They will create their own research projects, and use Blandy as their field study area.