ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, November 25, 1995                   TAG: 9511260007
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

7,000 SCHOOLCHILDREN EXPLORED EXPLORE PARK

Nearly 7,000 schoolchildren, some from as far away as Fairfax County, visited Virginia's Explore Park this year. Almost one out of every three visitors to Explore was on a school field trip.

Between April and October, 21,196 people came to the living-history and nature park in Roanoke and Bedford counties near the Blue Ridge Parkway. This included 6,992 on school trips.

The greatest number of children came from Roanoke, with the second largest number from Roanoke County.

Rupert Cutler, Explore's executive director, said schools bring students to the park to learn about the Virginia frontier. They can explore Western Virginia's natural history in the park's Blue Ridge Settlement and on its network of self-guiding nature trails.

Cutler said he envisions that Explore can become an attraction for schoolchildren in the western part of the state the way Williamsburg is in the eastern part.

"We hope that students from a wide area will come to Explore to learn about the early history of this region," he said.

Most of the field trips were made by classes in elementary schools, but several classes from middle and high schools visited the park. Special education classes at several schools also made trips.

Cutler said five private schools and several day-care centers brought children to Explore. Nearly a dozen Scout troops came to the park. And a Virginia Western Community College ecology class took a field trip there.

Although Roanoke sent the most children to Explore, it has not provided any funds for the park this year. However, city officials have said they expect to provide an appropriation for the park early next year, Cutler said.

Roanoke County has provided $150,000 for Explore this year, and Salem has appropriated $5,000.

Explore will reopen April 6. Schools can call Kristin Waters at (540) 427-1800 for information on reserving a day for a class field trip to the park. 


 by CNB