CTH opened in 2000 as a non-profit 501-c-3, nature-based, child-directed program that is housed at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV, where wild things, gardens, and creative minds grow.

Our mission is to provide our community with high-quality care that connects children with nature instills value for the environment and builds the foundation for their educational journey. We achieve this through highly trained and engaged staff who encourage natural exploration and play.

We envision CTH providing our youth a foundation for exploring, discovering, and appreciating the gift of learning as well as our natural world.  The children we engage with today could be those that vote for cleaner air and water or develop new ways to care for the earth in the future.