LA GRANDE — Children and teenagers will again have the chance to explore an outdoor classroom when the Wild School programs start this fall.

Wild School started as a homeschool co-op during the pandemic, said Meghan Ballard, board chair of the Blue Mountains Conservancy that offers the grant-funded classes. When school returned to normal, the outdoor classes continued and expanded with a current roster of five teachers.

Wild School sessions are held at the Heritage Pond Education Center, 913 S. Miller Drive in La Grande.

“That spot is so accessible,” Ballard said.

The pond has 130-year-old apple trees that date to the original homesteaders of Grande Ronde Valley. Ballard said the conservancy has identified several varieties by working with the Lost Apple Project at Washington State University, and youngsters have painted signs to identify the trees.

Wild School is supported by grants from the Gray Family Foundation and Wildhorse Foundation. The programs are free, although registration is required. Register at bluemountainsconservancy.org (click on Heritage Pond Classes).

Here’s a look at the upcoming programs.

Teen Wild School

This is a five-week afterschool program for ages 11-15. It begins Sept. 9 and meets Mondays from 3:15-5:30 p.m. Attendees will learn about nature, create art, and make food. Projects include using native plants to make ink, building giant mushrooms out of wood and concrete and making food with ingredients from the orchard.

Classes will be held in the historic apple orchard at Heritage Pond on Monday afternoons except for the last class, which will be on Saturday, Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to noon. The teachers are Rebecca Curry and Anne McNamee.

Wild School

Wild School, for ages 6-12, is set for Saturday, Sept. 14, 10 a.m. to noon at the pond. Students will create nature-based art using a variety of mediums, engage in hands-on science, and explore the outdoors at Heritage Pond Education Center. Parents or guardians are welcome but not required to stay with their child for the duration of the class.

Teachers for this session are Ballard and Amanda Welch. Another session is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to noon.

Wild Preschool

This class, designed for ages 0-6, is set for Friday, Sept. 20 from 10 a.m. to noon at the pond. Ballard leads this class.

Each class begins with songs and parachute time, followed by reading a picture book based on the theme of the day, playing an earth science-based game or experiment, creating nature-based art, and exploration. Themes vary and include shapes in nature, what lives in a tree and how seeds grow. A parent or guardian must stay with their child for the duration of the class.

Cider Pressing Party

The Blue Mountains Conservancy’s third-annual Cider Press Party is Saturday, Oct. 12, 3-5 p.m. at the Heritage Pond Education Center, 913 S. Miller Drive in La Grande.

The event is free to attend, and there will be a suggested donation bake sale and raffle tickets to purchase for a chance to win prizes while supporting the organization’s efforts to enhance wildlife habitat and provide nature-based education at Heritage Pond.

The party features an art station, apple taste test with Avella Orchard, water quality testing with the Grande Ronde Model Watershed, composting education with The Compost Chick (who will bring her goats), apple engineering with GO STEM, a pond tour and cider pressing.