Whether learning about Fauquier County’s least favorite pest, the Spotted Lanternfly, or building a sustainable city in Minecraft, Fauquier High School’s (FHS) environmental science classes are perfect for students curious about the environment and wanting to get their hands dirty.

FHS environmental science teachers Jacob Preli (Environmental Science) and Jonathan Kraut (AP Environmental Science) take unique but equally engaging approaches to teaching the subject. Preli utilizes his chemistry background to further contextualize his lessons. The former chemistry teacher hopes, “to do more and more testing for different chemicals and elements in the soil,” where students will investigate the powerful connection between chemistry and the natural world. Exploring environmental science through technology, Kraut’s favorite project has been employing the virtual world-building game Minecraft. Kraut describes the project, “We build a sustainable city in the program [incorporating] new research and technologies into the presentation.”

While these classes take different approaches, both teachers encourage focus on local, real-world applications. Preli notes, “Fauquier county is still largely agrarian. This course can help students maintain and produce crops” through its focus on issues impacting Fauquier’s communities like lanternflies. Similarly, Kraut addresses the application, “We are surrounded by things that are constantly being addressed in my class. Everything from the ecology of the natural world, to climate change, to waste control and water usage, to sustainably living with the world around us.”

For students interested in environmental science or simply wanting to learn more Kraut encourages prospective students to, “Be ready for a lot of thinking outside the box” and get ready for lots of fun!