With spring in full swing, the final chapter of the Penobscot Classrooms journey is coming to life in vibrant, hands-on projects blooming across Bangor. This two-year collaboration between Maine Audubon and Bangor Schools, funded by NOAA’s B-WET (Bay Watershed Education and Training) program, culminates in several community environmental learning projects spearheaded by students. Since 2023, Maine Audubon educators from Fields Pond have worked with all 13 of Bangor’s 5th grade classrooms—more than 500 students—bringing place-based environmental learning to life both inside and outside the classroom.
This May, the results of this immersive program will be on proud display around Bangor. Look for Penobscot Classrooms students, teachers, and Maine Audubon staff at:
Essex Woods, where we will be working alongside Bangor Parks and Recreation to create vibrant new pollinator gardens using Maine native plants!
The Cross Insurance Center in Bangor and the Collins Center for the Arts at the University of Maine in Orono, where students will be installing BirdSafe window decals of their own spring-themed artwork to help protect migrating birds from striking the exterior windows of the buildings
The Maine Discovery Museum, where students will complete and unveil a community mural (shown in progress in the photo above) they helped paint alongside Christiana Becker—a descendant of the Penobscot Nation and Curator of Education at the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor—that celebrates their learning and our shared connection to the Penobscot River watershed.
These projects reflect the heart of Penobscot Classrooms: empowering the next generation to engage with and care for the environment in meaningful, lasting ways. Stay tuned to see the impact these young stewards are making!
Kakskosi (white cedar)
Napisonawi (sage)
Waku-mskihko (sweetgrass)
Watamiaweyask (tobacco)
