Snow Creek Elementary Becomes Virginia Naturally Certified Thanks to DRBA

December 8, 2025

This fall, Snow Creek Elementary in Franklin County celebrated becoming a Virginia Naturally school, thanks to the Dan River Basin Association’s efforts as a community partner with the school and implementation of the Inspire Clean Water with Green Leaves grant from the Virginia Environmental Endowment. 

Snow Creek Elementary was awarded a Year One plaque through Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources’ Virginia Naturally (VAN) School Recognition Program.  The program aims to recognize the exemplary efforts undertaken by Virginia schools to increase the Environmental Literacy of their students.  

Schools are awarded through an application process and must clearly demonstrate how they are implementing environmental programs or projects on their school campus.  In this case, the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) worked with Snow Creek Elementary to implement multiple environmental education programs for their students.

"It’s an incredible honor for Snow Creek Elementary to be recognized as a Virginia Naturally School,” says fifth-grade teacher, Carrie McCrary. “This achievement reflects years of dedication, collaboration, and a shared vision for connecting students to the natural world around them. Partnering with the Dan River Basin Association has allowed our students to experience authentic, hands-on learning that inspires curiosity, stewardship, and a genuine love for the environment.  It is an experience in itself to see the growth and the role these students take on while learning about environmental education." 

Through the Inspire Clean Water with Green Leaves grant, DRBA assisted Snow Creek Elementary’s fifth-grade teacher, Carrie McCrary, over the last year with creating a wildlife-friendly habitat near the upper elementary outdoor classroom and a certified monarch waystation garden, which was also previously completed in partnership with DRBA. 

The wildlife-friendly habitat includes a Virginia Bluebird monitoring box, mealworm feeder, bird seed and suet feeders, a southeastern bird identification book and binoculars for students, along with other supplemental items for use in the classroom.  DRBA also delivered classroom presentations, including investigating watersheds using an Enviroscape model, identifying aquatic insects using a dichotomous key, and a presentation about Black Bears in Virginia and how to be bear wise.

“The Dan River Basin Association is thrilled for Snow Creek Elementary to receive recognition as a Virginia Naturally school,” says Krista Hodges, Director of Environmental Education.  “We have been working towards this for several years through a strong partnership and keeping the students engaged in DRBA’s hands-on environmental opportunities. We hope to have the other Franklin County elementary schools recognized within the next year as well.”

The overarching goal of the Inspire Clean Water with Green Leaves grant through the Virginia Environmental Endowment is to have all Franklin County elementary schools certified as a Virginia Naturally schools by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.   The Dan River Basin Association serves as a vital community partner, assisting the schools with in-depth environmental education, knowledge and curriculum to support the Virginia Standards of learning (SOL) guidelines.

To learn more about DRBA's environmental education programs that reach 10,000 students throughout the Dan River Basin annually and how to sign up for programs, visit danriver.org.

The mission of the Dan River Basin Association is to promote and protect the natural and cultural resources of the Dan River Basin through education, recreation, and stewardship. DRBA works to fulfill that mission by building river accesses and trails, educating people of all ages about protecting our natural resources, and protecting our water resources through water quality monitoring, cleanups and master planning. The Dan River Basin is 3,300 square miles including sixteen counties throughout Virginia and North Carolina.