Ancestor Acres opens up new world of exploration for kids

As a longtime educator, Bob Hunter understands the value of teaching young people to gain insight into things that are meaningful.

As the owner of Ancestor Acres — a 150-acre farm near Nashville that boasts just about every possible form of nature one could ever want to experience — Hunter has made a habit of hosting events and bringing youth to the farm to experience nature at its finest.

Most recently, he agreed to host the second annual Holmes Soil & Water Conservation District Kids Conservation Day Camp on July 9.

“For many years we made sure that every class I had took either a fall or spring trip here,” Hunter said. “So we are well-versed in hosting field trips and camps like this one here, especially with this age group.”

Hunter said many years ago while completing his graduate work, he wrote an outdoor curriculum for the farm, and some of that material is still used today.

The 150-acre farm, known as Ancestor Acres, has been in the Hunter family since 1875, and Hunter’s children and grandchildren mark the sixth and seventh generations to live there.

The farm is a certified tree farm with an intensive woodland management plan including practices such as crop tree release projects on 80 acres of woodlands and planting about 50,000 trees over the years, beginning with a reforestation project in the 1930s.

As a teacher Hunter uses his farm as a site for conservation field trips for students in third grade through sixth grade.

The Hunters also have remodeled Hunter’s aunt’s house into a bed-and-breakfast and have constructed a log cabin from pines salvaged from the ice storm that ravaged Holmes County two decades ago.

All told, it has become an idyllic place to relax, learn and explore, and Hunter wouldn’t want it any other way.

“I’ve always said that there are nice places and there are special places,” Hunter said. “The difference is a special place is meant to be shared with people, and that is what we strive to do with Ancestor Acres. We want to share its beauty with others, especially the youth.”

Hunter said he sees great value in opening up the property to groups of youth, whether that is traversing the terrain while running cross country events, exploring the many aspects of wildlife around the acreage, or simply learning to relax and enjoy the creation and solitude that abounds.

“Kids need to get outside more today,” Hunter said, “even if it’s just for a short time to play in nature or study a pond or breathe fresh air. There’s an old saying that says, ‘As a child if you don’t have an appreciation for the outdoors, you won’t have it as an adult.’

“It’s important that we continue to establish the importance of the great outdoors and getting back to nature with our young people today.”

Trevor Berger, Holmes County SWCD program director, agreed, expressing his gratitude to the Hunter family for opening Ancestor Acres for a fantastic learning experience.