Town Crier Articles

 

The operators of The Nature Bus don’t mince words when it comes to their mission. They aim to be “a vehicle for transformative, shared nature experiences... To nurture peoples' affinity for the natural world.”

 

They do it in a couple of different ways. They offer private tours of a variety of nature options for groups of 10 to 16 people. Tours can last a half-day, full day, or two days.

 

They also offer Saturday tours that are open to anyone – singles welcome -- at what seems like a reasonable price. For example, a local artist will teach you how to paint nature ($30 per person), or you can go on an intimate tour of Virginia Beach, led by a historian (also $30 per person).

 

There’s yoga on the beach, a naturalist guided tour through a forest, bird watching, even a trip to Back Bay Wildlife Refuge where you can peer at the stars in the sky through a telescope, led by a local astronomer ($25 per person).

 

Most Saturdays, the tours leave from the REI Co-op shop, 350 independence Boulevard in Virginia Beach.  

 

“The purpose of the bus is to connect people of all ages with all of the possible nature settings and nature experiences one can imagine,” The Nature Bus owner, Suzanne Moss, told The Virginian-Pilot.

 

According to their website, when Moss’s daughter Mariah) was 5 years old they started a little “nature club” together. A few years ago, they expanded the club, partnering with the Master Naturalist program, to create what is now known as the Virginia Junior Master Naturalist Program.

 

With many years of experience, Suzanne wanted to offer nature experiences to the public at large, all ages, not just children. So, she purchased a bus, allowing her to organize nature experiences that include both local (Southside Hampton Roads) and distance destinations across all of Virginia.

 

As she writes, “there are countless reports and research studies online that disseminate all of the health benefits of connecting to nature.”

 

For a full report on what The Nature Bus is, and a complete guide to what it offers, visit the website https://thenaturebus.com/, and follow the appropriate links. You can also reach Moss by email or phone: info@thenaturebus.com and 757-288-9595 (text only).

 

     

Images courtesy of The Nature Bus and Dafna Sonnenthal