Hidden Villa has long been a sacred place of inspiration for me. I came here several summers as a child camper; took night hikes under the full moon with my mother; bicycled up with friends after school to study by the stream and sleep at the hostel; and have hiked, wandered, run and explored these beautiful trails since I was young. Hidden Villa is in me.

There is an intangible spirit that fills the Hidden Villa valley. Josephine Duveneck herself said that she felt this upon passing through the Hidden Villa gates. And now, those of us who visit this treasured valley can feel the warmth of spirit this family of visionaries has bequeathed to us. The Duvenecks' unwavering commitment to social and environmental justice created a powerful legacy of innovative programs and close community ties. It has been a joy and an honor to be able to share this with my students.

The skill of the Hidden Villa teaching staff continuously astounded me. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to collaborate with the Hidden Villa in such an intimate way in developing the Partnership Program, which benefited my students in so many ways. I would particularly like to express my gratitude to Chris Overington, previously the Director of Programs & Community Partnerships and currently Hidden Villa's Executive Director, who demonstrated an incredible willingness, enthusiasm, and dedication to experiment and invent new field trip programs together. The classroom curriculum presented in this website also reflects to a large degree the invaluable mentoring of my mother - retired 3rd grade teacher, farm and wilderness field trip guide and Hidden Villa board member.

I hope that you find something within this web page that sparks your imagination and supports you in tapping into the vast possibilities for growth the Hidden Villa field trips offer your students.

Kristina Underdal
Educator