The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) has awarded grants to eight Maine middle schools to fund projects that engage students in protecting Maine’s environment. These grants will help students establish nature trails, set up school-wide recycling initiatives, propagate and plant native plants on which endangered birds depend, and much more. Some of these grants provide funding for middle school classrooms and clubs to purchase materials and expand hands-on education opportunities.
“I am looking forward to working with the teachers and students, and seeing how each project plays out,” says Britta Clark, NRCM Communications/Grant intern. “I am excited to see how these grants help students explore different aspects of Maine’s diverse and dynamic ecosystems.”
Several of these projects will serve the students, community and the environment for years to come. Freeport Middle School will collaborate with Freeport Solid Waste & Recycling and Freeport Rotary to organize and initiate school-wide recycling. Palermo School will work with Unity College and the Sheepscot Wellspring Land Alliance to build a community nature trail. King Middle School in Portland will partner with Maine Audubon to cultivate native seeds that sustain endangered bird populations. King middle school’s program will also inform Portland residents how their own gardens can benefit these species.
Alongside learning important hands-on science skills, some grant recipients will collect data needed to help conservation efforts. Students at Windham Middle School will observe bird species and gather statistics on their activities, while a Gorham Middle School classroom will use modern forestry techniques to measure tree species diversity. Bath Middle School will test hypotheses to answer research questions about the local green crab population. Green crabs are an invasive species that threaten Maine’s clam population. Camden-Rockport Middle School students will hatch, rear, and release Atlantic salmon, and monitor local river conditions. St. George School students will also study alewife population and stream flow, and report their findings to the local Conservation Commission.
Students and teachers will be documenting their projects —look for blog posts and more information coming soon to the NRCM website, www.nrcm.org.