Situated along the Presumpscot River estuary just five minutes from Portland, Maine Audubon’s headquarters features an environmental education center and a 65-acre sanctuary with more than two miles of trails winding along a pond and through forest, meadow, orchard, and salt marsh.
On a school or group visit to Gilsland Farm, students will move around the property, taking guided nature walks and participating in various sensory, indoor and outdoor activities, depending on the season and the weather. 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 Gilsland Farm to maximize learning time.
On a visit to Gilsland Farm, students will deepen their knowledge of Maine wildlife and habitat. Students will explore plant and animal life cycles, and biological events influenced by the changing of seasons. Such events might be spring migration or breeding, pollination and dispersal of seeds, or winter hibernation.
Gilsland Farm has its own pre-designed program we deliver each season. Topics in these programs include animal adaptations, habitat, seasons, and animal relationships. However, we are happy to customize our program to make the content relevant to your students. Please indicate on the inquiry form what topics and vocabulary you would like for us to highlight and incorporate.
All 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
Programs are typically 60-90 minutes long and generally include a guided nature walk through the forest, a seasonally-inspired activity, and the study of artifacts from our taxidermy collection in the indoor or outdoor classroom.
Group Size
We can serve between 40-50 students on a field trip. Schools are welcome to come over multiple days. School groups should arrive pre-assigned to a field group of 10-15 students. Each field group must have at least one adult present for the duration of the program. Together, each field group will be guided through the program by a Maine Audubon educator.
*Field groups should have no more than 4 chaperones. There is no charge for staff and chaperones. Please contact us in advance if your group requires additional chaperones.
Pricing
$100/hour/field group
$75/hour/field group, if booking multiple programs
Sample Itinerary
-Welcome and introduction
-Nature walk through the forest, exploring wildlife artifacts, habitat, and other seasonal findings
-Examine artifacts from our taxidermy collection and discuss various adaptations
-Investigate pond life by exploring macroinvertebrates and other aquatic life, using hand-lenses and other scientific tools (spring and summer only)
For more information or to schedule a program, please fill our our inquiry form here.
On a visit to Gilsland Farm in Falmouth, students will deepen their knowledge of Maine wildlife and habitat. Students will explore plant and animal life cycles, and biological events influenced by the changing of seasons. Such events might be spring migration or breeding, pollination and dispersal of seeds, or winter hibernation.
Gilsland Farm has its own pre-designed program we deliver each season. Topics in these programs include animal adaptations, habitat, seasons, and animal relationships. However, we are happy to customize our program to make the content relevant to your students. Please indicate on the inquiry form what topics and vocabulary you would like for us to highlight and incorporate.
All 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
Programs are typically 90 minutes long and generally include a guided nature walk through the forest, a seasonally inspired activity, and the study of artifacts from our taxidermy collection in the indoor or outdoor classroom.
Group Size
We can serve between 40-50 students on a field trip. Schools are welcome to come over multiple days. School groups should arrive pre-assigned to a field group of 10-15 students. Each field group must have at least one adult present for the duration of the program.Together, each field group will be guided through the program by a Maine Audubon educator.
*Field groups should have no more than 4 chaperones. There is no charge for staff and chaperones. Please contact us in advance if your group requires additional chaperones.
Pricing
$100/hour/field group
$75/hour/field group, if booking multiple programs
For more information or to schedule a program, please fill our our inquiry form here.
CLICK HERE for a printable/shareable document with information on how staff can prepare their group for a field trip to Gilsland Farm.
Please read and distribute the Chaperone Information Sheet to your grownups.