It’s the end of school for many students here in Maine, and in the greater Portland area we are celebrating having worked with 5,000 students this school year (and that doesn’t even include vacation camps, festivals, or our public programming!).
Through outdoor exploration, observation, experimentation, songs and games, art and storytelling, and engagement with the natural world, students developed a deeper knowledge and connection to wildlife and habitat in this beautiful place we call Maine.
Learn more about some of our programs and the number of students served below!
School Programs at Gilsland Farm: 533 Students
Field trips to Gilsland Farm in Falmouth were bustling. Popular activities include winter tracking, and scooping macro-invertebrates and tadpoles at the pond in the spring (see above photo). Along with every first-grade student in Portland and Falmouth, we had visits from multiple preschools and other school districts such as Gorham and Raymond.
School Programs at Scarborough Marsh: 703 Students
In May and June, student groups of all grade levels visited Scarborough Marsh to learn about this important ecosystem as its own unique habitat and stormwater regulator. Walking the trails, students spotted Egrets and Red-winged Blackbirds, while stopping to find Mummichogs swimming in water.
LearningWorks AfterSchool (LWAS): 65 Students
We continued to send educators to multiple LWAS program sites in Portland. LearningWorks provides free, high-quality after-school and summer programs for students in grades 2-5 who are academically performing below or partially below grade level and may not have the resources to access a paid after-school enrichment or tutoring program. Though we visited multiple school sites, we had a consistent presence at Reiche and Talbot elementary schools, affording us the opportunity to explore all that each season has to offer.
School Visits: 1,400 Students
Educators from Maine Audubon traveled around the Portland area to visit students in their own classrooms and schoolyards, traveling as far as Sabattus. Early Childhood Educator Emma Ottenheimer bopped around each week to multiple preschools, visiting some monthly, introducing students to different wildlife and wonders of the seasons. In Portland, she visited each public preschool program (that’s all 18 classrooms!) to help plant wild strawberries. Read about that program here >
Wabanaki Studies Fieldwork with Portland Public Schools: 2,348 Students
Throughout the year, our educators met at various locations across the greater Portland area to support Wabanaki Studies and outdoor learning in Portland Public Schools. Sites included Gambo Dam (in Windham) and Mackworth Island (in Falmouth) in the fall, the sugar shack at Portland Arts and Technology High School in March, and Mayor Baxter Woods this spring. Through this programming, Maine Audubon met with every student in Portland in grades K-4!
Teen Programs: 35 Students
We continued to connect with our friends at Maine Community Integration in Lewiston through the school year. In the winter we joined them for a cross country ski adventure with the Western Foothills Land Trust, and in the spring we explored Grafton Notch State Park together. We’ll be working with teens at MCI again this summer for the fourth summer in a row!
In early spring, we supported a week-long intensive with Casco Bay High School, learning about the different phenological signs of spring. Through nature journaling, data collection, and visits to local outdoor spaces, we observed different early spring happenings.
A BIG thanks to our incredible educators who showed up throughout the school year to share their love for nature, science, and learning outdoors. We are especially grateful to our two seasonal educators, Parker LaFreniere and Emily Perilla. With them on our team we were able to visit more schools and serve more students.
