The Wrack

Teachers on the Estuary program continues its impact with fifteen educators in attendance this year.

We are putting teachers on the estuary again this summer by offering a free workshop that will give educators data-driven climate change activities to bring back to their classes. The workshop will train up to ten educators in reserve-style environmental monitoring, "coastal blue carbon" concepts, and ways to understand and address climate change.

"We have the opportunity to re-invent the world." That was a final thought from one participant at the end of last week's Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) workshop here at the Reserve. After four busy days of guest speakers, hands-on activities, and visits to field research sites, the eight middle and high school educators hailing from states along the east coast from Maine to Florida shared their ideas for i…

Nearly four months after their Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) II summer workshop at the Wells Reserve, eight middle and high school teachers from New England reunited for an exciting day of professional development and comradery. In the morning, the group reconvened at Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Falmouth, MA, where they reported on their student-driven stewardship project progress. This team of TOTE II teachers is a truly inspirational bunch. They are fostering a sense of stewardship in their students while getting outside and teaching with a systems-based approach. Their students are becoming agents of change within their watersheds and local communities.

On Thursday, the Reserve's education staff hosted eight teachers from Kennebunk's Cocoons Day School for a full day workshop. The group enjoyed a beautiful October day while exploring the Discovery Program's booklets and backpacks on the trails, experiencing the "Time Travels" treasure hunt on campus, and investigating the intertidal zone at Laudholm Beach.

Teachers also learned about the Reserve's grades K-2 Wild Friend in Wild Places field trip offering, as well as the education kit rentals that provide hands-on classroom learning about trees, estuaries, birds, and mammals. At the end of the day, Paige led the group on a history tour through the barn and farmhouse, sharing the Changing Landscapes exhibits along the way.

Much fun was had by all, and the Reserve is looking forward to seeing Cocoons Day School teachers back on site with their students very soon!