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DWR Honors Schools for the 2025–2026 Virginia Naturally School Recognition Program
Richmond, VA—The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) honors schools that are working to include environmental literacy in their curricula through the Virginia Naturally School Recognition Program.
As the Commonwealth’s official environmental education school recognition program, DWR’s Virginia Naturally School Program honors exemplary efforts undertaken to increase environmental awareness and stewardship among K-12 students. Environmental education efforts also support the Virginia Department of Education’s Profile of a Virginia Graduate by developing students’ communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creative thinking, and civic responsibility.
Schools were evaluated based on two criteria:
- Authentic, hands-on, real-world learning that takes place in the classroom, emphasizes environmental/sustainable education, and includes civic engagement and/or STEM connections.
- Learning that expands beyond the classroom setting (often referred to as meaningful field experiences) to connect back to what students are learning in the classroom.
This year, 118 schools, representing 43 school systems, were recognized for their efforts during the 2025–26 school year. This is a record-breaking number of schools recognized since the program’s inception in 2000. Of the 118 schools, 30 were recognized for the first time. The remaining schools received repeated recognition for continued progression in their programs. Combined, these Virginia Naturally schools had over 77,000 students participate in activities which will increase environmental awareness and stewardship across the Commonwealth.
If your school has been working to include education about the environment in the curricula, DWR encourages applying for the Virginia Naturally School Recognition Program next spring. This is not a one-time award, but one upon which you may build and achieve additional recognition each year you participate.
For more information please visit: https://dwr.virginia.gov/education/school-recognition/
2025–2026 Virginia Naturally Recognized Schools
| School system: | Name of school: | Recognition Year |
|---|---|---|
| Albemarle County Public Schools | Red Hill Elementary School | 2 |
| Arlington Public Schools | Jamestown Elementary School | 4 |
| Bristol Virginia Public Schools | Virginia High School | 7 |
| Caroline County Public Schools | Lewis and Clark Elementary School | 1 |
| Caroline County Public Schools | Bowling Green Elementary School | 1 |
| Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School | Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School | 18 |
| Chesapeake Public Schools | Western Branch Primary School | 1 |
| Colonial Heights Public Schools | Tussing Elementary School | 1 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools | Westfield High School | 1 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools | Haycock Elementary School | 2 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools | Terra Centre Elementary School | 2 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools | Clearview Elementary School | 2 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools | Terraset Elementary School | 2 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools | Westlawn Elementary School | 4 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools | Providence Elementary School | 5 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools | Belvedere Elementary School | 11 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools | Katherine Johnson Middle School | 13 |
| Falls Church City Public Schools | Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School | 1 |
| Franklin County Public Schools | Ferrum Elementary School | 1 |
| Franklin County Public Schools | Boones Mill Elementary School | 1 |
| Franklin County Public Schools | Lee M. Waid Elementary School | 1 |
| Franklin County Public Schools | Dudley Elementary School | 1 |
| Franklin County Public Schools | Glade Hill Elementary School | 1 |
| Franklin County Public Schools | Rocky Mount Elementary School | 1 |
| Franklin County Public Schools | Sontag Elementary School | 2 |
| Franklin County Public Schools | Snow Creek Elementary School | 2 |
| Gloucester County Public Schools | Abingdon Elementary School | 8 |
| Gloucester County Public Schools | Peasley Middle School | 25 |
| Hanover County Public Schools | Patrick Henry High School | 3 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Longdale Elementary School | 1 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Varina Elementary School | 1 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Chamberlayne Elementary School | 2 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Pinchbeck Elementary School | 2 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Seven Pines Elementary School | 2 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Henrico Virtual Academy | 2 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Shady Grove Elementary School | 2 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Jackson Davis Elementary School | 2 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | RC Longan Elementary School | 2 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Tuckahoe Elementary School | 2 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Pemberton Elementary School | 3 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Glen Allen Elementary School | 3 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Elko Middle School | 3 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Montrose Elementary School | 3 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Fairfield Middle School | 4 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Maybeury Elementary School | 5 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Donahoe Elementary School | 5 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Greenwood Elementary School | 5 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Highland Springs High School | 5 |
| Henrico County Public Schools | Twin Hickory Elementary | 11 |
| Loudoun County Public School | Farmwell Station Middle School | 4 |
| Loudoun County Public Schools | Eagle Ridge Middle School | 1 |
| Loudoun County Public Schools | Woodgrove High School | 3 |
| Loudoun County Public Schools | Blue Ridge Middle School | 18 |
| Mathews County Public Schools | Thomas Hunter Middle School | 4 |
| Montgomery County Public Schools | Belview Elementary School | 1 |
| Newport News Public Schools | Booker T. Washington Middle School | 4 |
| Pittsylvania County School System | Gretna Middle School | 8 |
| Pittsylvania County School System | Piedmont Governor’s School for Mathematics, Science, & Technology | 1 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Covington Harper Elementary School | 1 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Lake Ridge Elementary School | 1 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Fred Lynn Middle School | 1 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | The Governor’s School at Innovation Park | 1 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Gravely Elementary School | 1 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Haymarket Elementary School | 1 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | George G Tyler Elementary School | 1 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Independence Nontraditional School | 1 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Minnieville Elementary School | 2 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Chris Yung Elementary School | 2 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | John D. Jenkins Elementary School | 2 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Herbert J. Saunders Middle School | 2 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Occoquan Elementary School | 2 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | CD Hylton High School | 2 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Kerrydale Elementary School | 2 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | The Nokesville School | 2 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Buckland Mills Elementary School | 2 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Yorkshire Elementary School | 2 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Unity Reed High School | 2 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Lock Lomond Elementary School | 2 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Ashland Elementary School | 2 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Rockledge Elementary School | 3 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Forest Park High School | 3 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Henderson Elementary School | 3 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Gar-Field Senior High School | 4 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Bel Air Elementary School | 4 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Mountain View Elementary School | 4 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Belmont Elementary School | 4 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Piney Branch Elementary School | 4 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Freedom High School | 5 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Patriot High School | 5 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Dale City Elementary School | 5 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | George P Mullen Elementary School | 5 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Neabsco Elementary School | 5 |
| Prince William County Public Schools | Coles Elementary School | 13 |
| Private/Independent School | Virginia Beach Friends School | 1 |
| Private/Independent School | Saint Leo the Great Catholic School | 1 |
| Private/Independent School | Heartwood Grove School | 1 |
| Private/Independent School | Village Montessori Academy | 1 |
| Private/Independent School | Millwood School | 2 |
| Private/Independent School | Fredericksburg Academy | 2 |
| Private/Independent School | Good Shepherd Episcopal School | 2 |
| Private/Independent School | Piedmont Child Care Center | 3 |
| Private/Independent School | Burgundy Farm Country Day School | 3 |
| Private/Independent School | New Life Preschool and Microschool | 3 |
| Private/Independent School | Central Montessori School | 3 |
| Private/Independent School | Highland School | 4 |
| Private/Independent School | Village School | 6 |
| Private/Independent School | Walsingham Academy | 8 |
| Private/Independent School | North Branch School | 25 |
| Richmond City Public Schools | Lois Harrison-Jones Elementary School | 2 |
| Roanoke County Public Schools | Glenvar High School | 18 |
| Rockingham County Public Schools | Linville-Edom Elementary School | 10 |
| Rockingham County Public Schools | John Wayland Elementary School | 25 |
| Scott County Public Schools | Gate City Middle School | 7 |
| Spotsylvania County Public Schools | Post Oak Middle School | 4 |
| Staunton City Schools | Bessie Weller Elementary School | 4 |
| Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind | Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind | 2 |
| West Point Public Schools | West Point Middle/High School | 2 |
| Williamsburg James City County | Jamestown High School | 1 |