This spring, fifth graders in Ms. Estes’ class at Mary Snow School wrapped up a yearlong investigation into watershed health with an inspiring environmental action project, thanks to support from the NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) grant program. Their learning journey brought them from the top of Copeland Hill in Holden to the meadows of Essex Woods in Bangor, connecting classroom concepts to real-world stewardship in their own backyard.
Their first stop: Hart Farm, where students explored regenerative agriculture with farmer Andrew Toothaker. As they stood among the pigs and compost piles, they learned how contour farming and permaculture practices help keep soil in place and nutrients cycling—ensuring that runoff doesn’t pollute nearby waterways. The students were fascinated by the idea that manure, when managed correctly, can help build healthier soil. (Though, let’s be honest—Millie the farm dog and the piglets may have stolen the show, winning 55% of the class’s “favorite part” votes!)
From there, the students followed the watershed downhill to Fields Pond Audubon Center, where they donned boots and nets to investigate the health of the stream below the farm. Their mission? To search for aquatic macroinvertebrates—tiny critters like mayflies and caddisflies that serve as bioindicators of water quality. Their findings were clear: the water was cold, full of life, and in excellent condition.
And the students made the connection. They understood that the health of the stream was no accident. It was a result of the land practices upstream—the very practices they had just seen in action at Hart Farm. As one student shared during a post-trip quiz: “The stream was healthy because of what they do at the farm to help keep it that way.”
The final leg of the trip took students back near their school to Essex Woods, where Bangor Parks and Recreation is actively restoring meadow habitat as part of a “no-mow” initiative to benefit pollinators and native insects. There, students planted native plants, contributing to a growing effort to support biodiversity and reduce runoff—an action that helps protect the Penobscot Watershed.
As a culminating activity, Ms. Estes gave students a pop quiz with four simple questions about what they learned at each site. The responses were remarkable—not just for their content, but for the excitement and insight they revealed. From remembering how compost heats up to kill harmful bacteria, to recognizing the role of plants in stabilizing riverbanks and providing pollinator habitat, students demonstrated a meaningful understanding of watershed health.
Thanks to the partnership between Hart Farm, Fields Pond Audubon Center, Bangor Parks and Recreation, and the support of the NOAA B-WET grant, this learning wasn’t confined to the classroom—it was lived, felt, and remembered.
And while salamanders, stream critters, and compost may have been part of the day, it’s safe to say that Millie the dog and the piglets will hold a special place in the students’ memories. Sometimes, the most unexpected educators have four legs and a curly tail.
Thank you to all who made this experience possible. It’s clear these students won’t soon forget the lessons learned from the land, water, and community around them.
