Busy immersing themselves in the natural world, the Homeschool Naturalists at Fields Pond Audubon Center started the fall session in T-shirts, and ended in down jackets. The dropping temperature wasn’t the only seasonal change these students experienced. This fall’s Homeschool Naturalist program at Fields Pond was packed with curiosity, discovery, and hands-on science! This is […]
Environmental Education
Partnering on Wabanaki Studies with Portland Public Schools
Portland Public Schools (PPS) recently announced the content completion and implementation of a Wabanaki Studies curriculum, for which fieldwork is a key component. “In 2001, Maine passed a landmark law — An Act to Require Teaching of Maine Native American History and Culture in Maine Schools (Chapter 403, Title 20-A MRSA 4706). Commonly known as […]
Starting Early in Bangor
This month, Fields Pond Audubon environmental educators Melissa Gallagher and Sarah Raymond-Boyan partnered with Bangor Public School PreK classroom teachers for the launch of an exciting year-long Nature Connection Program specifically designed to bring the wonders of seasonal nature learning directly into early childhood education. The fall theme, “I am a scientist,” focuses on sensory […]
Students, Native Plants, Art, Community: Beauty emerges in Bangor
A few more exciting stages in the Maine Audubon Mural adventure took place in October! On Thursday, October 16, Bangor Beautiful and Maine Audubon hosted seven classrooms (about 140 students!) from Fairmount School in Bangor for a chilly, all-day planting spree (photo above) along the mural’s upper shelf facing York Street. These aren’t just any […]
Portland Third Graders Enjoy “Take Me to the River” Program
At the end of the September, staff from Maine Audubon got to meet with every 3rd grade student in Portland–that’s about 500 students! Over the course of four days, students from nine of the Portland Public Schools (PPS) elementary schools (including Peaks Island!), visited Gambo Dam in Windham to kick start their Wabanaki Studies unit, […]
Bird Mural Takes Flight in Bangor
What was just a worn cement retaining wall on Broadway in Bangor last month is now becoming a vibrant celebration of birds, native plants, and community spirit. The Maine Audubon Mural, the newest commission by Bangor Beautiful, can be seen on the highly visible stretch of wall near the Family Dollar on State Street. Passed […]
New “EcoExplorers” Afterschool Program Inspires Young Naturalists at Fields Pond
We’re thrilled to share the launch of our new afterschool program, EcoExplorers, designed especially for curious young naturalists in 2nd through 5th grade! Turning our 229-acre sanctuary into an environmental laboratory, this hands-on program combines outdoor adventure with scientific discovery to help students connect more deeply with the natural world around them. Each week, students […]
See you later, summer campers!
Back-to-school sales seem to have started in July this year, so we’ll have to look for a few other signs that summer is winding down: goldenrod blooming everywhere, cooler mornings, and woodchucks munching on a few early windfall apples. At Maine Audubon, that of course means the end of our summer camp season. But before […]
Sprout Lewiston Takes Root
This summer marked our fourth year working with Lewiston-based nonprofit Maine Community Integration (MCI). With each passing year, the relationship between Maine Audubon and MCI deepens, and creates greater trust and understanding for the work and experiences that are possible. The mission of MCI is “creating opportunities for New Mainer girls and their families to […]