Education
The Ducktrap Wildlife Preserve partners with local organizations and learning centers to help pursue the continued creation of wildlife stewards.
For more information on partnering with the Ducktrap Wildlife Preserve on educational opportunities, please Contact Us.
Creating a Generation of Wildlife Stewards is an example of programming offered by the Ducktrap Wildlife Preserve. This program was a previous partnership between the Ducktrap Wildlife Preserve, Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center and nearby Maine schools.
During the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years the Ducktrap Wildlife Preserve partnered with Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension to fund a comprehensive wildlife ecology education for 5th grade and younger students from area schools. “Ecology From The Ground Up” incorporates the learning standards of Maine’s 5th grade science curriculum into an outdoor, overnight, wildlife ecology immersion in the forests of the Ducktrap River Watershed. The program also includes hands-on wildlife ecology trainings delivered by Tanglewood staff directly to school classrooms. The program reached more than 160 students each year of the program. Students participating in the program attend the following schools:
- Ames Elementary School, Searsmont
- Captain Albert Stevens School, Belfast
- Cornerspring Montessori School, Belfast
- East Belfast School, Belfast
- Edna Drinkwater School, Northport
- Kermit Nickerson School, Swanville
- Stockton Springs Elementary School, Stockton Springs
- Cornerspring Montessori School, Belfast
- Lincolnville Elementary School, Lincolnville
Program activities include a hike along the Ducktrap River, canoeing from Pitcher and Knight’s Ponds and studying and exploring the wildlife habitat of the Ducktrap River Watershed. Learning about the wild Atlantic Salmon’s traditional run up the Ducktrap, one of the last native Atlantic Salmon runs in North America is another focus of study. Students create and learn to keep a nature journal as a life long tool to foster nature and wildlife observation.
Teachers provided some feedback on the success of the program.
“This is an incredible program, extremely appropriate for this grade level.”
“What a memorable experience for our kids! Please tell those who help to sponsor it THANK YOU!”
“It was wonderful for these kids to have access to nature with a trained professional, instead of just watching videos about the subject.”
“Fantastic program – great learning experience.”
“The students really benefitted from the learning offered, the experiences gained, the friendships sealed and the first-hand exposure to new things.”
Tanglewood 4-H Camp manages the State of Maine-owned property directly across the Ducktrap River from Preserve land.