About Buffalo Cove
-
To create a physically and emotionally safe learning environment where individuals can find harmony and empowerment through self-understanding, self-confidence, simple living, friendships, and fun.
-
Our philosophy is based on Confucius' observation: “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” Buffalo Cove's programs are experiential by design. We learn by doing, and we know others do too. We get dirty, we get wet, we get scratches, we get frustrated, we get excited, and we gain so much wisdom in the process.
-
At Buffalo Cove, participants become part of a community where respect is always emphasized. Respect is tied into every lesson and part of our daily life:
Respect ourselves.
Respect our community.
Respect the land.
Our Staff
-
Nathan has been learning from the Southern Appalachians since he was a boy and professionally teaching in these mountains for over twenty years. He has worked as a private outdoor educator, teaching at many types of scholastic facilities, public & private organizations, and educational workshops. He has been involved as a leader (from small groups to directing whole programs) in many outdoor education programs including Medicine Bow Wilderness School (Dahlonega, GA), Eagle’s Nest Foundation (Brevard, NC), Hampshire College Outdoor Programs (Amherst, MA), and Turtle Island Preserve (Boone, NC) before starting Buffalo Cove in 2001.He is a diligent student of the history of the Blue Ridge and has a degree in American Indian Studies, his specialty being the history and lessons of the Cherokee Nation. Nathan first began his training in Wilderness Medicine in 1993 and still maintains his certification as a Wilderness First Responder. He has been a dedicated student of Martial Arts for many years and is a Master Instructor at the Blue Ridge Kung Fu Arnis Academy.
Whether strolling on a nature hike, paddling a roaring white water river, or disappearing into the woods for a week with only a knife, you’ll find Nathan there both as a patient, veteran instructor, and avid student. It has become his life’s work to help others see the beauty and wisdom in the Southern Appalachian Mountains and the strength that we all possess within ourselves.
-
Emery was born and raised in Durham NC and has lived in Boone since 2011. Since graduating from Appalachian State University with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Outdoor Education, they have been continuing to live an active lifestyle running, climbing, and biking to keep them going to new places and finding fun adventures. They also spend time playing guitar, writing, and simply enjoying this beautiful world we live in!
Our Facilities
Buffalo Cove's facilities are a convergence of the four sacred, physical elements of survival: shelter, water, food, and fire. While our facilities are rustic, they are wonderfully adequate and refreshingly simple. We are regularly inspected by the North Carolina Department of Health and have maintained a sanitation rating in the upper ninetieth percentile over the years.
Buffalo Cove Outdoor Education Center is exactly that--outdoors! There are only a handful of buildings in the 200-acre valley that we call Base Camp. Very few of our buildings are completely walled in and shut off from the outside.
Most of our meals are cooked in the Kitchen and eaten in the Dining Hall, which together make up the Lodge. Our community helps with tasks like washing dishes + tending the garden and enjoys the delicious homemade meals made by our staff.
Our centrally located Bathhouse, home to sinks, showers, and toilets, has enclosed walls and a tin roof. It is divided into two private sections, one for girls and one for boys.
The Blacksmith Shop is an open-air, timber-frame structure made from native timber.
The Tool Barn is a traditional, Appalachian-style, log barn with no chinking between the logs.
Our Long House is a native timber, post-and-beam-constructed, community space where we can enjoy a nice fire, even if it’s pouring rain!
We have four Sleeping Shelters, sleeping 10 people each, that are essentially sturdy tree houses with screened-in walls and tin roofs. We provide thick, foam pads to sleep on. All shelters will keep you comfortable and dry, but will not separate you from the outdoors, just the way we like it! Of course, when the weather is fair or we’re out on the trail, we may make our beds under the starry, mountain sky.
