The WV School of Traditional Skills is a 501(c)(3) organization that works with other businesses and organizations to create educational experiences for individuals as well as groups. We have experiences that have been approved by the West Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine to be counted as CE Hours.
Our experiences are not only exceptional learning opportunities but three of them also count as CE hours for Veterinarians, Registered Veterinary Technicians, and Certified Animal Euthanasia Technicians. We provide opportunities for professionals to come to a retreat style setting and acquire CE hours with experiences that they can’t find anywhere else. Call for more information on packages that we offer that include your choice of West Virginia experiences.
Laurel River Club BnB provides accommodations for guests who want to come and experience West Virginia. We not only offer learning opportunities but you can pick from one of 4 rooms available in the BnB or stay in our Star Gazing Glamping Dome. We can help you make preparations for your next adventure, whether that be hiking the Allegheny Trail, finding the perfect mountain bike route, or just taking a nice scenic drive.
At Laurel River Club BnB, we believe that dining should also be an experience to remember. We serve farm-to-table cuisine made with fresh ingredients right off this farm that reflect our West Virginia culture. Breakfast is included with each reservation, but we also offer lunch and supper for an extra charge.
The Purpose:
The ultimate goal is to get the birds the treatment they need in order to be released back into the wild. The purpose of this experience is to bring awareness to the needs of birds of prey as well as teach safe handling skills and give knowledge that isn’t readily available. The positive impact would be more birds receive the care they need through education and cooperation.
What will be Presented:
Purpose:
Provide a basic understanding of the differences in therapy, service, and emotional support animals and how state and federal law protects the people who need them. How can we do our part to support the needs of people who’s lives can be greatly improved by an animal.
What Will Be Presented:
Purpose:
West Virginia is a permitless carry state. Open carry is legal with no requirement to have a license to carry a firearm, provided the person is at least 18 years old and is legally entitled to have a firearm under state and federal law. This being said, the chances of encountering a firearm in this state are very high. How we handle ourselves during an urgent, serious or unforeseen change in circumstances that necessitates immediate actions to avert imminent danger to the life or health of ourselves and/or our employees, can mean life or death. Even though you may not carry a firearm, how to be safe around one is an essential protection. How you take action during an emergency is as simple as having the knowledge you need to make the very best choices to shield yourself and the people you employ. Mama Bear Protection will show you the very best ways to react and help you put a defense plan together that will fit your needs. Knowledge is protection.
What Will Be Presented:
Experience West Virginia during your stay at Laurel River Club BnB. Although we do offer off site experiences, some experiences may be seasonal or available at the BnB by reservation only.
Your support will enable us to meet our goals and help provide experiential education to more people. Your generous donation will help us acquire the equipment we need to fulfill our mission to teach traditional skills .
Private Experience. Get an up close and personal experience as you shadow the Laurel Fork Falconer, master class falconer Collin Waybright, as he introduces you not only to his raptors but the art of falconry. You will learn the ecology of raptors in the wild and how they survive and also learn about what it takes to keep a captive bird healthy. Lots of photo opportunities available with multiple birds. 1 hour
Group setting, this presentation will allow you to learn and ask questions as you get first-hand experience with a magnificent bird of prey. Presented by The Laurel Fork Falconer, master class falconer Collin Waybright . Ask about scheduled presentations when you check in. 45 minute presentation
Home to one of the largest and darkest skysheds on the East Coast, West Virginia is the perfect spot to unwind and soak in the beauty of the star-studded skies. Just last year, Travel + Leisure dubbed the state as “the most under-the-radar stargazing destination in the U.S.”
Picture this: mountains beside you, grass below you, and a gleaming starry-night sky above. There’s a reason West Virginia is known as Almost Heaven. Here, you can get back to the basics and marvel at the natural beauty of a dark sky. West Virginia is home to showstopping stargazing spots with some of the clearest night skies east of the Mississippi.
The Star Gazing Glamping Dome is an experience you will never forget! Tranquility at its best, totally off grid so you won't be distracted by "normal life." Set on a wooden platform in the middle of a hayfield, perfect for stargazing out the clear top or outside on the platform. Your chance to sleep under the stars in any of the four seasons WV has to offer. Wood stove, propane grill, fire pit, telescope, queen sized bed, and lots of nature!
Learn to make jelly with produce from this farm! What can you make into Jelly? The difference between Jelly, Jam, and Preserves. Who doesn't want to make Jelly?!! Then you get to eat it on fresh bread!
Homemade bread is a staple food in West Virginia! Learn how to make bread and then teach someone else!! (Everyone will want to know how you do it!)
Horse Therapy is one of the many things you can find to do on the farm! Learn how to safely be around a horse, grooming, feeding and caring for them, but best of all you get to interact with them in a way that most people don't get too. We do not allow riding on our horses at this time. Also meet Misty, a miniature therapy horse!
Freeze Drying is one of the ways we preserve our harvest and supply our hikers and sportsman with high quality, healthy, light weight snacks and food for their adventures. We do demonstrations and can help you acquire and set up your own Harvest Right freeze dryer.
Experience the cozy charm and warm hospitality of our Laurel River Club BnB Bed and Breakfast. We offer comfortable accommodations, delicious breakfasts, and a relaxing atmosphere. A wonderful place to plan your next retreat! We offer many experiences through the WV School of Traditional Skills.
Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fiber, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, management, production, nutrition, breeding, and the raising of livestock.
Laurel Fork Farm Grows most of the food for the BnB. Learn the ins and outs of planting, how much to plant and when to plant. We are happy to share how we plant our garden and share our gardening secrets. This is a seasonal activity of course, but we garden throughout the year to provide a Farm-to-Table experience for our guests.
You've grown it, so when do you harvest it? How can you tell when it's ready to be picked? We'll teach you how to know when the time is right and how to harvest without hurting the plants future production.
Can, freeze, dehydrate, or freeze dry? Which is best for each food as well as for your needs. We not only love to preserve food, we love to teach others how to do it as well!
Kombucha is a fermented tea that has been consumed for thousands of years. Not only does it have the same health benefits as tea — it's also rich in beneficial probiotics. Kombucha also contains antioxidants, can kill harmful bacteria and may help fight several diseases. Learn how to make your own Kombucha.
Founded in 1972 by the West Virginia Scenic Trail Association.
The Allegheny Trail is a 311-mile north-south trail from the Mason-Dixon Line at the Pennsylvania-West Virginia border until it meets the Appalachian Trail on Peters Mountain at the Virginia-West Virginia border.
Laurel River Club Bed & Breakfast is located in section 2 of the trail, which is from Blackwater Falls State Park to Cass Scenic Railroad State Park and is 91.8 miles long. We offer support for hikers and we can help you plan your hike through section 2. We also offer 3 different section hikes that involve shuttle out and hike back or you have the option of getting on trail from the BnB. Call for more details..
Right out our back door, you will find the Dry Fork River which is a wonderful place to relax or cool off in the refreshing mountain water. But much more than just a splash in the river, we offer a look into all the life the river sustains.
The Dry Fork is a 39.1-mile-long tributary of the Black Fork of the Cheat River in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. Via the Black Fork, the Cheat, and the Monongahela and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.
Even if you've never held a fishing pole before we have a fishing experience for you! Expert guide, and all around outdoorsman, Kendall will make sure you experience WV fishing!
Learn what fiber is, where it comes from, and how you can use it to make things.
Professional photographer or not this walk will help you get pictures that most people never get the opportunity to experience. Our guide will put you in the "right" spot to get a great picture.
Learn some of the traditions of West Virginia and how to live well in the country.
Forest farming is the intentional cultivation of edible, medicinal or decorative specialty crops beneath native or planted woodlands that are managed for both wood and understory crop production. It does not include the gathering of naturally-occurring plants from native forests, also known as wildcrafting. Forest farming can provide profitable opportunities for forest and woodland owners, nut growers, sugar maple growers, and herb growers.
How we handle ourselves during an urgent, serious or unforeseen change in circumstances that necessitates immediate actions to avert imminent danger to the life or health of ourselves and/or our families can mean life or death. Even though you may not carry a firearm, how to be safe around one is an essential protection. Emergency First Aid is critical. How you take action during an emergency is as simple as having the knowledge you need to make the very best choices to shield the people you love.
Knowledge is Protection!
Not only can you learn how to hunt and fish with Laurel Fork Outfitters, but now you can learn how to cook what you hunt or catch during your stay! We will help you butcher your kill and then cook it up for you too. Learn the whole process or just the cooking part.
Founded in 1972 by the West Virginia Scenic Trail Association.
The Allegheny Trail is a 311-mile north-south trail from the Mason-Dixon Line at the Pennsylvania-West Virginia border until it meets the Appalachian Trail on Peters Mountain at the Virginia-West Virginia border.
Laurel River Club Bed & Breakfast is located in section 2 of the trail, which is from Blackwater Falls State Park to Cass Scenic Railroad State Park and is 91.8 miles long. We offer support for hikers and we can help you plan your hike through section 2. We also offer 3 different section hikes that involve shuttle out and hike back or you have the option of getting on trail from the BnB. Call for more details.
On the breeding grounds, this species requires expansively forested landscapes comprised of young forests and shrubland patches used for nesting that are interspersed among a diversity of other forest age-classes that are used to raise fledglings. Early successional habitat in the bird’s breeding range, the Upper Midwest and Appalachian Mountains, has declined over the past 50 years as aging forests have come to dominate huge expanses. Both game and non-game species that rely on younger forests are in decline, including the golden-winged warbler, which has suffered a 66 percent population decline since the 1960s. This major shift in the age classes of forests is the result of a lack of fires that occurred historically and unsustainable forestry practices that do not result in healthy, structurally diverse forests.Most of the golden-winged warbler’s nesting habitat falls on private lands, including Appalachia where 80 percent of forestland is privately owned. Landowners are helping the at-risk bird and many associated wildlife species by voluntarily improving the health and diversity of their forests. Forest landowners in Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia are helping the golden-winged warbler rebound by voluntarily conserving habitat on their land. We are proud to say we are working to help with this effort. For more information check out the link below. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/plantsanimals/fishwildlife/?cid=stelprdb1046990