MECT GET OUTDOORS UPCOMING EVENTS FOR YOUTH SUPPORT MECT CONTACTS

FOR YOUTH

MECT underwrites the cost of innovative environmental programs for local school and youth groups that use conservation lands as outdoor laboratories. Our most recent offerings have been "Ponds in the Classroom" and "Forest Connections" — programs presented by Kestrel Education Adventures, a nonprofit environmental educational organization based in Gloucester.

"Ponds in the Classroom" explores the lives of forest critters that depend on seasonal wetlands in their lifecycle.  Classroom activities are designed to be engaging to youngsters at different age levels, while assuring that they solidly teach scientific concepts from the state curriculum frameworks.  They explore the lives of the creatures that use the ponds and learn of the interactions between them.

Field trips allow students to develop study skills through personal examination of amphibians and invertebrates found in a local pond, note-taking, and drawing.  Students also examine upland woods nearby as part of the habitat for pond creatures.

Teachers report that they find the field experiences especially valuable in engaging the students and solidifying the material learned in the classroom.

"Forest Connections" seeks to build understanding of woodlands as habitats for a many different animals.  These habitats are analogous to our human neighborhoods that provide the living space and access to essentials that serve people.

Contact us for full information on how your class or youth group can secure funding from MECT for environmental education.