In 1929, Glen Helen was created by Hugh Taylor Birch, who made the initial donation of land to Antioch College as a living memorial to his daughter, Helen Birch Bartlett. Over the course of the following decades, the staff of Glen Helen built programs that utilized the natural beauty and ecological diversity of Glen Helen to provide meaningful environmental education to children, students, families, seniors, community members, and visitors from throughout the region.

Since 1956, children have been taking part in the life-changing rite of a week at Outdoor School. Our programs began with the simple notion that kids learn better when they learn in nature, and for tens of thousands of students, Outdoor School has become what many regard as the most memorable week of their school years.

Our Naturalist Teacher Internship, which began operating at the same time as Outdoor School, has graduated over one thousand naturalist alums, many of whom have gone on to careers in environmental education. Glen Helen naturalist alumni can be found around the world at national parks and forests, nature centers, universities, and other residential environmental learning facilities.

Since 1972, Ecocamp has provided countless opportunities for campers to experience the beauty of Glen Helen Nature Preserve up close, while creating a safe space for them to build community, connect with friends - old and new - and gain new skills as they build self-confidence.