Activities
At Buffalo Cove the staff goes to great lengths to offer a wide variety of outdoor activities that encompass a range of skills. In addition to regular camp staff, special teachers often make visits to share unique lessons in earth skills and crafts. Following is a list of the activities offered at camp (it doesn't include everything-because we are always coming up with creative ways to learn)! There are 4 categories: Outdoor Adventure, Ancient Ways, Back to Basics and Nature Studies
Outdoor Adventure Activity
- Orienteering – learn to use a map and compass to navigate across the land.
-Low Ropes Course/ Group Initiatives – These challenges focus on transforming a group of individuals into a cooperative, team.
- Multi-day Trekking – These trips range from easy hiking with modern gear to a true “survival” experience with as little gear as the group chooses. We also can design a trek based on a specific time period or culture within these mountains to gain a “historical perspective.”
-River Canoeing – This can be a basic, one day excursion or several days of progressive learning in paddling techniques and riverine ecology.
-White Water Rafting – Great for reducing stress, producing comraderae, and just plain ol’ fun!
Paddling on the New River  Camping Out 
Sleeping Under a Tarp  Natural Waterslide 
Ancient Ways:
-Edible and Medicinal Plants – Learn basic botany and increase your observation skills through the lessons of the plant world.
-Fire –Learn to create it very proficiently using material from the land, in several different ways – starting with one match and possibly ending by rubbing two sticks together – it’s up to you. Experience its use as a tool, as a comfort and as a life saver.
-Tracking – gain the skills and techniques used to interpret signs left behind. This can include both print I.D. and following trails.
-Wilderness Survival – what does it take to survive in the woods? We can show you! We can cover both the mental side of survival and the many skills that make wilderness survival possible.
-Basketry –We teach several types of basket making depending on the materials available and the time of year.
- Stalking – We cover the movement, mind set, appearance and other “tricks of the trade” to move as a non-threatening part of the woods. Great for nature observation, relaxation and hunting.
-Fibers & Cordage – Learn to recognize useful natural fibers, harvest them and then shape them into elements necessary for survival.
-Flint Knapping – Shape stone into functional cutting tools.
- Open Fire Cooking – After learning to create and care for fire, cooking on it is one of the many skills made available to you.
-Tool Creation and Use – use stone, bone, shells, wood, antler, fiber, fire and many more resources from the woods to do what sets us apart from the rest of the Animal Kingdom: Create and use tools. This includes ancient weapons used for hunting and warfare. It’s up to you what we get in to.
-Leathercraft – Make things of function and beauty from leather.
-Prehistoric Living – We can do this on many different levels, depending on the goals of the group. To read about and study prehistoric cultures is not enough – we can help apply an experiential element to the study of all of our pasts.
Fire by Friction  One-Match Fire 
Flint Knapping  Arrow-making Class 
Back to the Basics:
-Archery – We use traditional bows, wooden arrows, and a vast array of lessons to teach the techniques needed to become a proficient and safe archer. We also can take the bow and arrow to the next level by building our own equipment.
-Organic Gardening – We have an organic garden on site in base camp as well as plots of herbs and wildflowers.
- Blacksmithing –We use traditional coal forges and good, old fashioned muscle to shape our projects.
-Traditional Woodworking – Learn how to care for, use, and move efficiently with hand tools. The possibilities of products are endless.
-Fishing – We can learn the basics around our pond at camp (creating our gear and learning the skills) or we can move into the wild waters of the surrounding mountains and “stalk” the mighty trout.
-Appalachian Frontier Living & History – These mountains are rich in cultural history. Learn about the different peoples that have moved through and still inhabit these mountains through their skills, crafts, stories and social culture.
- Story Telling – There’s nothing better than sitting around a warm campfire and sharing stories with friends. We have a bunch of old and new stories to share but can also work with you in your ability to share stories.
Archery Picking Veggies in the Garden 
Woodworking Class Feeding the Chickens
Nature Studies:
-Botany – Develop a vocabulary of common terms that will aid you in plant identification while increasing your observation skills. Then use this new knowledge in challenges, games, and learning new plants.
-Animal Studies – how do the animals live around here? Learn to figure this out while increasing your knowledge on local animal habits and lifestyles.
- Watershed studies – where does your water come from? How can you tell if a stream is healthy? Just how important is our duty to maintain clean water? Get into water – look at it from all angles, really know its ways and capabilities.
- Mountain Ecology – The Southern Appalachians hold one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems. Just how do all of the elements and variables fit together? We will take a hand’s on look at this ecosystem and learn about it from a very up close and personal perspective.
-Environmental Ethics – as a human, how do I fit in to the natural world? We need to evaluate this question over and over. We hope to have an impact on how you impact the world around you.
Day Lily  Northern Banded Water Snake 
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Girl's Creekside Shelter 
