inside - Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve

Take-home journal on display
Michelle teaches in the forest
Paige leads students afield
6
watermark
Wells Elementary students safely enjoy their close-up view inside a specially constructed bat case while
Karen McElmurray from the Center for Wildlife dispels rumors about bats and shares some cool facts.
are covered for select classes at Wells and York elementary schools thanks to generous funding
from New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, Maine Community
Foundation, and Davis Conservation Foundation.
For the initial hour of Wild Friends in Wild Places programs, Center for Wildlife educators use
non-releasable rehabilitated animals to teach about native wildlife and foster the connection
between children and animals. In Mather Auditorium, students watch live mammal, reptile, and
bird wildlife ambassadors while learning about their unique behaviors, features, and needs. The
children are engaged as they see a live owl flap its wings, a turtle extend out of its shell, or an
opossum munch on a fruit snack. Presenters integrate conservation and stewardship messages,
heightening the students’ understanding of their role in wildlife protection.
Next, the children head outdoors with Wells Reserve educators, using nature journals to
explore habitats while searching for animal homes and signs. Student journals feature the animal
ambassadors and include follow-up activities for the classroom. While hiking along the trails, the
children search for suitable homes for each of the animals and create simple sketches of their
discoveries along the way. Several of the classes that visited in the winter season experienced the
trail portion of the program on snowshoes (thanks in part to a generous donation from LL Bean).
Following the visit to the Wells Reserve, teachers coordinate a stewardship project with
their students. These projects enable the classes to apply their newfound knowledge about
wildlife and habitats to their local community, while extending the educational impact of the
field trip to other community members.
Program feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. One teacher reported that her
students enjoyed their visit so much that they now want to return to the Wells Reserve with
their families. Another remarked that the children “loved seeing the animals and talking about
habitats. It really matches our lessons in the classroom.” A third teacher singled out Wild Friends
in Wild Places as “one of the best experiences” she has taken kids on throughout her career.