For Educators
Part of our mission is to connect youth with the natural world through inclusive education and recreation programs. By helping to cultivate care for the natural world, we hope to foster resilient, connected communities now and for generations to come! We do this through a variety of partnerships and programs with local schools, and by providing resources to others to help educate and empower others to help get more kids outside. Explore below to see the various programs and resources!
CREA Field Trips
Our educators have provided innovative, outdoor, place-based learning experiences for elementary students since 2007, originating as a program of the Cathance River Education Alliance (CREA).
Four-hour field trips are anchored at our off-grid Ecology Center, located at the Cathance River Nature Preserve in Topsham. Each field trip brings the natural world to life using a combination of hands-on, experiential activities, and takes advantage of the natural ecosystems on site. A small pond with observation dock, wooded trails through a variety of forest types, and the spectacular Cathance River all provide hands-on learning that couldn’t be achieved in a classroom setting.
Each field trip is designed to support teachers’ existing classroom curriculum units (e.g. Habitats, Pond Life, Energy, Geology, etc.) and is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). We focus not on content alone, but also on science practices-- helping students and teachers alike gain confidence in learning to make observations, collect and make sense of your data, make an argument based in evidence, and ask questions to better understand the world around us.
Field Trip Programs include:
Animals & Habitat Diversity (grade 2)
Life Cycles (grade 3)
Geology, Weathering, & Erosion (grade 4)
Renewable Energy (grade 4)
Earth’s Systems (grade 5)
Field Trips cost $150 per class and are subsidized by generous support from grants and private donors. We work directly with our service area schools to schedule field trips. Questions? Email Carey here.
High School Science Research
Each year, Mt. Ararat High School’s Advanced Biology students partner with community mentors for authentic, hands-on research at the Cathance River Nature Preserve. From tracking plant diversity to monitoring water quality, students collect and analyze real data using tools such as GPS units, game cameras, snowshoes, and field guides.
Want to learn more about the research these students have conducted? Watch past presentations here.
Interested in incorporating a similar program into your classroom? Email Carey here.
Curriculum Support
We collaborate with local educators to strengthen science education by:
Developing elementary science curricula with an emphasis on outdoor learning
Translating NGSS standards into practical, grade-appropriate lesson plans
Creating place-based teaching units that connect directly to Maine’s environment
Supporting integration of school gardens into curricula
Serving as a resource for in-classroom learning through classroom visits and loaning of natural history items
We would be happy to assist you with your curriculum needs. Email Sarah here if you want support in any of these areas or want to brainstorm other ways to bring nature into your classroom!
Want to connect with our community in other ways?
Want to connect with our community in other ways? Explore our Events calendar or visit our For Adults and For Youth & Families pages.