handswoods.org
The Official Site of the Hand's WOODS Foundation
The WOODS in "Hand's WOODS" stands for "Wild Outdoor Observatory Designed by Students" and refers to an under-utilized eight acre woodlot behind Hand Middle School and Washington Elementary in southeast Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
The goal of the Hand's WOODS Foundation (est. 2006) is to support the development of this woodlot as a safe and lasting educational resource for teachers and students of the School District of Lancaster.
News:
Last Fall, 13 Millersville University students in three separate teams of 4-5 persons conducted semester-long research and developed three independent "5-year Plans" or visions for the WOODS. This was done for credit as part of BIOL 472 (Service Learning in Environmental Science Education) and their ideas are currently being incorporated into the planning process for the WOODS by the Foundation. The semester's work of these students culminated in a night of presentations of these plans to the public and the WOODS Foundation at Hand Middle on 12 Dec 2007. Their presentations are below, along with a link to the course website.
Abreu et al. PowerPoint
Dower et al. PowerPoint
Brooks et al. PowerPoint
Link to Fall 2007 BIOL 472 course website.
Link to a photo gallery of Fall 2007 BIOL 472 activities in the WOODS.