Just in time for summer vacation, we’ve added a new resource to our Birding in Maine page: The Maine Birds Checklist for Young Birders (pdf). This photographic checklist features forty common species and includes extra information about each bird’s behavior and diet, making it a useful tool both as a checklist and for introducing ecological […]
Environmental Education
Elementary Connections: Food Webs
How does energy move through an ecosystem? What is a food chain or web? What different roles do plants and animals play in these interconnected webs? Let’s look at all these webs! Energy Starts with the Sun Plants and algae have the amazing ability to do photosynthesis, the process of using energy from the sun […]
Family Fun Connections: Take another look
Happy summer! Were you told that �only boring people get bored� as a kid, too? As much as I’ve tried to take this to heart with my own parenting, these are unusual circumstances and some of our everyday routines are starting to feel a little stale. Time for some fresh perspective!� Then, head OUTSIDE: Paying […]
Family Fun Connections: Day and Night
Have you noticed how late the sunset is getting? My three-year-old started calling dinner �the dark meal� over the winter and spring, so we have definitely been noticing and talking about the lengthening days lately. With the summer solstice coming up this weekend, let’s spend some time exploring day and night!� OUTSIDE: Use this upcoming […]
Elementary Connections: Ferns
What makes ferns different from other types of plants? Where do they grow? What can you notice about ferns to help you tell them apart? What Are Ferns? Ferns are unique among plant life because they don’t have flowers or seeds in the same way as most plants or trees.� They are still plants, with […]
A Fields Pond Mystery Solved:� �Libellule!�
A Fields Pond Mystery Solved:� �Libellule!� Since this past March, the Fields Pond Audubon Center has been engaging the public in a �mystery.�� Each week hikers find a new set of clues along one of the Sanctuary’s trails.� These clues are part of a �mystery animal trail� designed to engage and teach visitors a bit […]
Connections: Virtual field trip to Scarborough Marsh
This spring, schools were not able to take field trips to Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center. So the center’s director, Maine Audubon educator Linda Woodard, created a virtual field trip with the help of three third-grade students�from Wentworth School in Scarborough. Watch as they explore the marsh and�discover the wonders of this unique habitat and creatures […]
Family Fun Connections: Move like an animal
I don’t know if it’s the changing weather, a bit of cabin fever, or both, but lately my household has been feeling a serious need to move! If that’s true for your family, try taking a few minutes to slither, hop, and run along to this �Move Like an Animal� song in the video below: […]
Elementary Connections: All About Habitat
What is a habitat? What do habitats provide? What different habitats are located near your home? What different types of plants or animals could live there? What is a Habitat? A habitat is somewhere an organism (plant, animal, etc.) lives and finds what it needs to survive: food, water, shelter, space. Habitats are usually characterized […]