Birding

East End Community School

The grant was used to purchase enough ponchos for two full classes, as well as compasses, binoculars and field guides for the QR coded interactive school trailat East End Community School. There was also added to the Littles Garden, bird feeders and seed to attract various birds to the area.

The focus of the project was to help students who are new to the school gain a “sense of place” and belonging.

Teacher Nicole Grace shared, “I have to say though my favorite lesson that tied both of those objectives together was a unit around the interconnectivity of all of life, that not only illustrated their genetic similarity between themselves and the classmate next to them, but also to the flora and fauna around the school yard, in the garden, and down along the wrack-line of the Casco Bay.

This is a lesson I’ll do again and again. It was both meaningful and memorable, and the kids all know, and expound on, how we are all cousins- worms, birds, and bananas included!”

Harrington Elementary

With these funds, Harrington Elementary First Grade collaborated with Maine Outdoor School for a three-part series to learn and improve the school’s nature trail to attract more birds.Students learned about what birds eat, where they live, and how to observe them.

Teacher Ashley Cirone shares, “Maine Outdoor School has been collaborating with Harrington Elementary School for years. Outdoor Experiences with Hazel have become an annual tradition for all classrooms and it is always something the students look forward to.” Hazel Stark, Maine Outdoor School Founder and teacher reports “something that always stands out when working with Harrington students who I see for only 1-2 short sessions per year is that they remember every detail from every visit for many years past. The current 6th graders still share outdoor learning memories from 4-5 years ago!”

The lessons from this three part series all built upon each other and took place during three different seasons.

Hazel added, “for your particular students, the ability to spread out our experiences throughout the school year and build upon previous lessons means that the joy and learning they experienced during outdoor school this year will have even more sticking power--from how to prepare for tough weather outside to increase empathy and understanding for our bird neighbors.”