More than 22 Service employees from around the country visited the refuge on October 30. These employees were participating in the Realty Academy at the National Conservation Training Center and came here as part of a field trip. The refuge provided an opportunity for these students to visit the field and see firsthand the results of a refuge established with a very interesting and complex acquisition history.

Students learned that Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge was established due to a joint effort with private and non-profit community involvement with the Service. Ken Sturm, refuge biologist, Refuge Manager Stan Skutek, and Jackie Burns, outdoor recreation planner, spent the day with the students showing them the various management issues at the Freeland tract and on A-Frame Road.

Students had the opportunity to view the valley during lunch from atop an overlook.