Preserving, Maintaining, Educating

These are the fundamentals of CCF’s mission, and this year we’ve been busy in all three areas. Two more CR’s have been granted to CCF; we have resolved a property boundary issue; we’ve cleared a new trail; sponsored the Bear talk in Corey Auditorium; led after school hikes for Carlisle teachers on town conservation lands; sponsored an environmental curriculum for the third and fourth grades and professional days for their teachers; and hosted an exciting family nature program at our annual meeting. All the while we’ve continued to act as resource to private land owners who are considering options for permanently protecting their land.

Building Conservation Communities

In the summer of 2006 CCF launched a new initiative to support science and environmental education in the Carlisle Public Schools. CCF board member Marjie Findlay brought together Mass Audubon naturalists from Drumlin Farm and the third grade teaching team from CPS for a hands-on science professional development workshop. This led to an exciting collaboration between Carlisle third and fourth grade teachers and staff from Drumlin Farm to design a habitat exploration series for Carlisle students.

Called Building Conservation Communities, the 2007-2008 program is utilizing the experienced education staff from Drumlin Farm to provide professional development for the entire third and fourth grade teaching teams. During this school year, the naturalists are co-teaching three sessions for each grade with Carlisle teachers in the classroom and schoolyard. The third grade program focuses on plants, animals, and animal adaptation. The fourth grade series is linked to the ecology of seeds and plants. Using the schoolyard as a classroom, students are given the hands-on experience of connecting with the natural world in their local environment.

According to fourth grade teacher Liz Gray, “This program causes kids to pause and observe the littlest things. Clearly it has inspired curiosity in our students about their natural surroundings. We are extremely grateful to CCF.”