Education & Program Updates

by Chris Ferris-Hubbard, Education Director; Cara Davenport, Education Manager; Elena Santos, Education Coordinator; Rob Terry, Executive Director

2022 Summer Camp parent: “He absolutely loves this camp! He tells everyone about it and so do I.”

Summer wrapped up with the oversight of our summer camp sessions - young campers had joined us for 8 week-long sessions filled with hiking, exploring, and discovery in our woods, at our pond, on our farm and in our fields. Camps were designed for rising 1st graders to 8th graders.

Things became startlingly quiet for a bit after a full summer of active campers, but it didn’t take long before college groups and field trips were being scheduled and programming and service project visits commenced as the school year started up again.

The Education and Program team has continued to develop interpretive signage for the property, from kiosk panels to tree ID signs, and more. The team has been getting ready for our Next Generation Science Standards program for 5th graders and planning for 2023, including a fall season with NGSS school programs, activities and workshops, working with the Mettawee Community School, and signature event planning.

“This summer I have watched visitors walk through the property in all kinds of weather- scorching heat, hazy humidity, thunder and lightning storms, gusty blustery days, bluebird skies, and the seemingly rare perfectly temperate ones. Now that we can feel autumn slowly but surely making its way via crisp, cool air and the ever present buzz of late summer insects, I’ll be continuing my current post as a roving interpreter - continuing my visitor interactions around the Visitor Center, the farm, and on the trails. These interactions include collecting surveys on a tablet, tracking the data I collect, and counting the number of visitors that come through on the weekends. This work will carry me through foliage and into the end of October. At the end of October, I will transition back into my school-group oriented work, both at MFFC and at Mettawee Community School.”

- Elena Santos, Education Coordinator