Radford University’s Selu Conservancy is located just minutes from campus on 380 acres along the Little River. Beautiful views, abundant trails, an impressive retreat center and a river-front boathouse provide an ideal environment for corporate meetings, family reunions, weddings, school outings or for other groups seeking an off-the-beaten-path retreat.
This facility offers community groups a place for a comfortable dinner or larger meeting or reception with full catering services. Funded by a $500,000 grant from the Kresge Foundation and other private donors, this heated and air-conditioned 5,100-square-foot facility offers year round accommodations for various programs and activities.
Selu Facilities and Resources
- The Farm at Selu: C.E. Richardson Appalachian Heritage Education Park
- 4,100-square-foot Retreat Center with meeting rooms
- Seven-sided meeting room
- Bunk-style sleeping accommodations for 20
- Observatory Barn with dining facilities
- Extensive menu of catered meals
- Resource Guide of available speakers who are experts on various topics
- Campground with group fire ring
Selu Activities
- 90-foot-long pier and boathouse along the Little River
- Canoes available for a nominal rental fee
- River trail and overlook, accessible to all Selu visitors
- Native Grassland Wildlife Trail, which traverses three types of habitat: prairie (also called meadow), edge and oak-hickory forest
- Challenge Course
- Interpretive tours of the Farm at Selu
Selu and the University
Selu is used as an outdoor classroom for Radford University students. The “Barn” houses a science lab for field work on the lower level, a multipurpose room on the main floor, and the attached silo is home of an observatory for astronomy classes and research.
Founded in 1989, when John Hargrove Bowles donated 185 acres of his ancestral land to RU, Selu Conservancy was named by poet Marilou Awiakta for the mythical Cherokee “grandmother corn-spirit.”
Several years later, a gift from Bowles’ cousins expanded the tract to its present 380 acres.
Become a Friend of Selu
We invite you to join Friends of Selu, a group of long-time supporters who have given generously of their time and other resources to help make Selu Conservancy and Retreat Center a reality.
Private donors have funded construction of all buildings and projects at Selu, making it an educational tool and civic resource. To give, visit www.giveto.radford.edu. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of University Advancement at (540) 831-5407 or email ruadvancement@radford.edu.
