10 Henrico schools recognized by Virginia DWR for environmental education efforts

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Ten Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) were recently honored by a recognition program with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources for their environmental education efforts.

According to a release on Monday, Oct. 27, the recent recognition brought HCPS's total schools honored to 34 — the second highest among Virginia school divisions — in the Virginia Naturally (VAN) School Recognition Program since its creation in 2000.

The program aims to "recognize the exemplary efforts undertaken by Virginia schools to increase the Environmental Literacy of its students," according to its website.

Schools are evaluated based on two criteria — authentic, hands-on, real-world learning and meaningful field experiences.

"Henrico's schools are leading the way in hands-on, meaningful environmental learning," said HCPS Superintendent Amy Cashwell. "This recognition is a reflection of the creativity and passion of our educators and the enthusiasm of our students for becoming responsible stewards of Virginia's natural resources."

Ten HCPS schools recognized for the first time in 2025 are:

• George Baker Elementary School
• Chamberlayne Elementary School
• Jackson Davis Elementary School
• Henrico Virtual Academy
• Elizabeth Holladay Elementary School
• R.C. Longan Elementary School
• Raymond Pinchbeck Elementary School
• Shady Grove Elementary School
• Skipwith Elementary School
• Tuckahoe Elementary School

Among HCPS's environmental education efforts is a "Living Building" environmental education center at Wilton Farm in eastern Henrico. The county said the 15,000-square-foot building is among the world's most sustainable K-12 public education construction projects.

According to the release, HCPS buildings are undergoing rooftop solar system installation, while the transportation department has recently added propane-powered buses to its lineup.

The VAN recognition program is not a one-time award, but rather an ongoing accomplishment meant to be built upon every year, according to its website.

In addition to a digital badge featuring Virginia's Species of Greatest Conservation Need for each year of recognition, honored schools will receive the following awards for specific benchmark years:

• Year 1: A wooden plaque to display the recognition certificate.
• Year 5: Congratulatory letter from the DWR director.
• Year 10: Metal Virginia Naturally Schools sign for the schoolyard.
• Year 15: A set of DWR's field guides — such as Virginia's guides to bats, turtles and snakes, among others.
• Year 20: Invitation for recognition at a DWR board meeting.