Located seven miles southeast of Bangor, in Holden and Orrington, the Fields Pond Audubon Center features a Nature Center, a 191-acre pond, and a 229-acre sanctuary with 3 miles of walking trails winding through field, wetland, and forest habitats.
The Fields Pond Audubon Center offers students a variety of hands-on environmental science experiences leading to ecological understanding and enhanced connections with the natural world. Our programs incorporate community science and field experiences that help students recognize their connections to the natural world, helping them to become more informed and engaged.
On a visit to Fields Pond, students will deepen their knowledge of Maine wildlife and habitat. Students will explore plant and animal life cycles, interrelationships, and biological events influenced by the changing of seasons. Some specific topic areas we offer include: Animal adaptations, phenology, interrelationships, stream/pond ecology, winter ecology, birding/bird migration, community science & stewardship. We are also happy to customize our programs to make the content relevant to your specific curriculum needs.
Please indicate on the inquiry form any topics and vocabulary that you would like for us to highlight and incorporate. All of our programs aim to be experiential and inquiry-based, incorporate Next Generation Science Standards, and be culturally responsive. We recognize that students have varying levels of comfort outdoors, and we want to inspire joy and respect for the environment and all wildlife.
Program Structure/Group Size
The majority of programming will be held outdoors, so students should come dressed and prepared to learn outside. Student groups are welcome to stay for lunch and will be given a designated picnic space. Bathrooms are available on site, but students are encouraged to use the bathroom before arriving at Fields Pond to maximize learning time.
Programs are typically 90-120 minutes long, depending on the program. We can serve approximately 40 students on a field trip, with one school staff/volunteer present for the duration of the program for every 12-15 students. Please contact us in advance if your group requires additional chaperones. Schools are welcome to come over multiple days.
Pricing
10-15 students: $120
16-25 students: $180
26-40 students: $240
For more information or to schedule a program, please fill our our inquiry form here.
On a visit to Fields Pond, students will deepen their knowledge of Maine wildlife and habitat. Students will explore plant and animal life cycles, interrelationships, and biological events influenced by the changing of seasons.
Some specific topic areas we offer include: Animal adaptations, phenology, interrelationships, stream/pond ecology, winter ecology, forest ecology, birding/bird migration, community science & stewardship. We are also happy to customize our programs to make the content relevant to your specific curriculum needs.
Please indicate on the inquiry form any topics and vocabulary that you would like for us to highlight and incorporate.
All of our programs aim to be experiential and inquiry-based, incorporate Next Generation Science Standards, and be culturally responsive. We recognize that students have varying levels of comfort outdoors, and we want to inspire joy and respect for the environment and all wildlife.
Program Structure/Group Size
The majority of programming will be held outdoors, so students should come dressed and prepared to learn outside. Student groups are welcome to stay for lunch and will be given a designated picnic space. Bathrooms are available on site, but students are encouraged to use the bathroom before arriving at Fields Pond to maximize learning time.
Programs are typically 90-120 minutes long, depending on the program. We can serve approximately 40 students on a field trip, with one school staff/volunteer present for the duration of the program for every 12-15 students. Please contact us in advance if your group requires additional chaperones. Schools are welcome to come over multiple days.
Pricing
10-15 students: $120
16-25 students: $180
26-40 students: $240
On a visit to Fields Pond, students will deepen their knowledge of Maine wildlife, habitat, and the interrelationships between humans and the environment. While at Fields Pond, students will engage in scientific inquiry; using tools, collecting data, making observations and predictions. Some programs can be done off-site, please call for more information.
Programs at the high school level can be customized to meet the needs of student’s curriculum, but we do offer several options for field experiences, which include:
Lake Stewards
Maine is renowned for its pristine lakes and ponds. With over 6,000 of these water bodies throughout our state, Mainers have a direct connection to them on a regular basis. Our clean lakes and ponds are critical for wildlife habitat, as our source of drinking water, for recreation, and for our overall health and well-being. This program exemplifies STEM-based experiential learning. In this highly engaging program, students work as members of a research team, exploring the pond from stabilized canoes as they collect a variety of water quality data to develop a profile of the Fields Pond ecosystem. Topics/skills covered include environmental chemistry, climate, limnology, hydrologic cycle, aquatic habitats, lake stewardship, invasive species, calibration and safe use of scientific field equipment, teamwork, interpretation and communication of scientific data.
Forest Ecology
In addition to being a home to more than 50,000 species of wildlife, Maine forests are baby bird factories. They provide a variety of habitats—places where animals find what they need to survive, including food, water, cover from predators, and a place to raise young. Maine’s forests purify our air and protect our water resources. This program engages students in forestry science to determine forest type and habitat suitability for a variety of species. Topics/skills covered include data collection, teamwork/communication, use of scientific field equipment, food webs, and climate.
Birding/Bird Migration
Interactive classroom and field activities will build knowledge about birds, migration, and conservation to support inquiry-based learning and a variety of curriculum goals. Topics/skills covered include bird identification, migration, Motus data collection, habitat conservation, human environmental impacts, population, binocular use, data interpretation, mapping.
Winter Ecology
Winter is Maine’s longest season and both humans and wildlife have adapted to surviving its challenges. This program explores both the physical and biological adaptations that are necessary for successful survival. Topics/skills covered include snow science, climate, animal adaptations, and snowshoeing (weather dependent).
Stream Explorers
In this community science project, students collect and identify aquatic macroinvertebrates as primary indicators of stream health. Data can be collected at multiple stream locations and will be used by Maine’s DEP to target potential environmental issues. Topics/skills covered include aquatic habitats, food chains, stream health/impacts, bioindicators, use of scientific field equipment, teamwork, interpretation and communication of scientific data. Once trained, classrooms can check-out monitoring equipment at no cost.
Please indicate on the inquiry form any topics you would like for us to highlight and incorporate.
Program Structure/Group Size
The majority of programming will be held outdoors, so students should come dressed and prepared to learn outside. Student groups are welcome to stay for lunch and will be given a designated picnic space. Bathrooms are available on site, but students are encouraged to use the bathroom before arriving at Fields Pond to maximize learning time.
Program length can be anywhere from 90 minutes to a full-day, depending on the program. We can serve approximately 24 students on a field trip, with one school staff/volunteer present for the duration of the program for every 12 students. Please contact us in advance if your group requires additional chaperones. Schools are welcome to come over multiple days.
Pricing
Pricing for high schools is dependent on the specific program and number of students participating. Please contact the Fields Pond Audubon Center staff directly for specific pricing questions.
Visit this link to see offerings for homeschool groups.
Maine Audubon offers a variety of programs that can travel to your school’s location. Please contact the center that is closest to your school site for more information.
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Please read and distribute the Chaperone Information Sheet to your grownups.