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, Take Me to the River. This was our fourth year running this district-wide program, and each year keeps getting better. The program is run by Maine Audubon and PPS Environmental Literacy educators and staff, as well as members from the Passamaquoddy tribe, who share about indigenous culture and history, and remind students that Wabanaki people are still here and have deep wisdom to share.
Above photo: Passamaquoddy member Harley Bassett shows students fish he caught from the Presumpscot and talks about the importance of water quality.
Learn more about the program by checking out this article written by Portland Public Schools. Also, we were on TV! Watch NewsCenter Maine’s coverage of the Gambo Dam fieldwork in action here.
Top Photo: Passamaquoddy member Harley Bassett welcomes students into fieldwork with drumming.
