Fifth graders take to the trails to observe local plants, animals
Birder Nancy Bither, seated, plays bird calls on her iPad for students, as Will Perkins sights seabird nests through her telescope. Other students wait their turn while Jack Buthy uses binoculars to observe other birds migrating via Damariscove Island. Courtesy of Rita Arnold
Fifth graders take a break to appreciate the rocky shore of Damariscove on their way to the East Tower. Courtesy of Rita Arnold
Lauren Stockwell explains leaf identification techniques at the wetlands at Lobster Cove Meadows. Courtesy of Rita Arnold
Nick Ullo, left, enlists students help in planting a serviceberry tree. Students are, from left, Maddy Faulkingham, Josey Smith, Jackie Steinmetz, Kelsey Poore, Ella Yentsch and Maisy OʼBrien. Courtesy of Rita Arnold
Birder Nancy Bither, seated, plays bird calls on her iPad for students, as Will Perkins sights seabird nests through her telescope. Other students wait their turn while Jack Buthy uses binoculars to observe other birds migrating via Damariscove Island. Courtesy of Rita Arnold
Fifth graders take a break to appreciate the rocky shore of Damariscove on their way to the East Tower. Courtesy of Rita Arnold
Lauren Stockwell explains leaf identification techniques at the wetlands at Lobster Cove Meadows. Courtesy of Rita Arnold
Nick Ullo, left, enlists students help in planting a serviceberry tree. Students are, from left, Maddy Faulkingham, Josey Smith, Jackie Steinmetz, Kelsey Poore, Ella Yentsch and Maisy OʼBrien. Courtesy of Rita Arnold
When the Balmy Days II left Boothbay Harbor with its fifth grade passengers headed for Damariscove Island, the fog was thick.
But, the Boothbay Region Elementary School (BRES) students were in for a surprise: by the time they reached the island the skies had cleared and several varieties of warblers were spending the day at the island, too.
Nancy Bither, local bird expert, described it as a “magical” day for birdwatching. She and the kids spotted yellow warblers, American redstarts, common yellowthroats, black-throated blue warblers, and more in the thickets along the Pond Loop Trail on their way to wood end to observe one of Maineʼs premier seabird nesting sites.
Once there they saw seabirds, too, black-backed gulls and eider ducks nesting and cormorants soaring overhead. They even spotted a scarlet tanager on the rocks below them near the waterʼs edge. The class stood mesmerized, watching the spot of brilliant red hop around on the black rocks.
Near the island museum, students gathered to learn about the variety of plants on the island, from saltwater-tolerant species near the harbor to stands of poison ivy and sassafras.
Landscape architect Ginna Bitsko talked with students about what plants need to survive and how plants might have made their way to the island, about a 45-minute boat ride from the mainland. Students observed signs of muskrats: burrowed paths and scat aplenty on the trails as they traveled from north to south and back again.
The trip was part of the fifth gradeʼs annual spring collaboration with the Boothbay Region Land Trust (BRLT). Begun in 1994, the partnership between BRLT and BRES, gives students a chance to visit BRLT properties while learning about local history, plants and animals.
Fifth graders were at Lobster Cove Meadows on June 3, where botanist Lauren Stockwell took them on a plant walk. They found, smelled and tasted wild mint. They noticed the pickerel weed thriving in the watery shoreline areas and found sweet vernal grass and ostrich ferns.
With Stockwellʼs help they identified bunchberries and star flowers. A student had mentioned at the outset that he had never seen a lady slipper. The group found several; Stockwell was able to show them how the pink bloom looked as though it could separate to accommodate a tiny foot, like a bedroom slipper.
Students also spent part of their trip on a tree scavenger hunt set up by teachers. They tried to match drawings of leaves and written descriptions to numbered trees. They found a huge white pine and learned the difference between a “friendly” fir and a scratchy spruce.
The property offered a few surprises, too. Kids found a snapping turtle, a garter snake and several examples of beaver chews.
Earlier in mid-May, students spent the day at BRLTʼs Ovens Mouth. There they toured the saltmarsh with marine expert Karin Paquin and learned about the creatures and plants that call that kind of ecosystem home.
Carlton Plummer, local artist, spent time with the students, giving them tips about how to sketch nature and time to try their hand at capturing the beauty of the rivers and trees around them. Students also paired up to follow several compass courses set by teachers and took a history hike to learn about Ovens Mouthʼs past.
A pair of girls saw a porcupine climbing a tree as they were heading toward their next trail marker on one of the compass courses.
BRLTʼs Nick Ullo and Tracey Hall accompanied the fifth graders to Penny Lake in late April where they found out about the parts of a tree and planted a tree in honor of Arbor Day. The BRLT collaboration kicked off April 11 with presentations by Ullo and Chip Griffin.
Ullo explained what a land trust is while Griffin talked about Damariscove, the island where Europeans came to fish in the 1600s and helped feed the pilgrims when they were having a tough winter.
Teachers Hildy Johnson and Rita Arnold appreciate the BRLTʼs annual support and the many volunteer experts who freely share their time and expertise with students. These volunteers give students a chance to spend time outside, enjoying and learning about the regionʼs wildlife and habitats.
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