“I’ve never held a plant before!”
“I don’t like it . . . I love it!”
“I’m going to tell my mom we don’t have to go to the grocery store anymore.”
This spring, all Portland PreK classrooms of more than 250 children and 60 staff were able to get their hands dirty with some Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) plants. This project supplements the Things That Grow Unit and allows students to get up close and personal with native plants. We started by looking at all the plant parts, allowing students to observe the leaves, stem, flowers, and roots. After planting their strawberries in soil, they decorated their pots with their names and even some strawberry drawings. Students were so excited that this plant will grow fruit that is a food source for many animals—including humans!
This project was the culmination of a year-long partnership between Maine Audubon and the Portland Public PreK classrooms. For the second year in a row, we were able to provide regular visits to all 18 classrooms and provide hands-on and scientific programming that supplements the state curriculum. Working in the classrooms first-hand with students and teachers has a big impact. Teachers consistently share that Maine Audubon comes up in parent-teacher conferences and is often a topic of conversation at home.
This spring, due to the support of the Edward H Daveis Benevolent Fund, we were also able to supply classrooms with activity kits to further deepen our reach beyond the classroom visits. Teachers received materials for art projects, sensory tables, and classroom phenology posters. In this way, for these young learners, we start to lay the groundwork for a lifetime of appreciation for Maine wildlife and conservation.
Many thanks to the Bringing Nature Home team for consulting and assisting us with the Wild Strawberry Plants! For more information about our Early Childhood programs, check out our webpage.
