It was a year of firsts and foremosts for Fields Pond Audubon Center in Holden. The center continues to grow its programming and we welcome both old faces and new folks every week. These are just a few of the highlights from 2019.
New staff:
We welcomed environmental educator Sophie DeMaio to Fields Pond! Sophie, who is from northern Maine, earned her B.S. in Environmental Studies from Bates College and her M.S. in Forest Ecosystem Science from the University of Maine. She has worked in land stewardship for land trusts in Maine and Rhode Island and a retreat center in Colorado.
School Programming:
We kickstarted new science programming for schools, including water quality and forestry programs. Students used professional tools and protocols to monitor the quality of our forests and water at Fields Pond. Students from Bangor High School participated this fall in the Maine Lakes Stewardship Program. This ongoing program engages middle and high school students in water quality monitoring in habitat for Common Loons, diadromous fish, and other wildlife. The project is funded by the Onion Foundation and Bangor Savings Bank Community Foundation. We look forward to growing these programs in upcoming year. Interested teachers should contact fieldspond@maineaudubon.org for 2020 program dates.
Stewardship Work Day:
We had an enthusiastic and hard-working team of more than two dozen volunteers come together to do meaningful work for the center this fall. It felt like a culmination of the community building we’ve been doing since the Fields Pond Audubon Center reopened. Maine Audubon Property Manager Peter Baecher led a team of UMaine students in building a French drain around the building. We also had Maine Audubon board member Sean Trahan, who grew up at Fields Pond, working with another group of volunteers to secure our bog bridging along a section of trail. A third group, including students from Unity College, worked on our trail signage and helped take down our summer picnic shelter. Many thanks to all the volunteers who help make Fields Pond Audubon Center thrive. We hope to see you again in 2020!
