School Programs

Wild Friends in Wild Places

• Who: Kindergarten through second grade groups up to 30 students.
• What: Rehabilitated animals from the Center for Wildlife are used to teach about native wildlife and their behaviors, characteristics, and life needs. Students also venture outdoors with nature journals to explore the habitats of the Wells Reserve while searching for animal homes and signs.
• When: Wednesdays by appointment; program lasts 2 to 3 hours.
• How much: $180 per program. Financial aid is available thanks to generous funding from the Horizon Foundation. Download financial aid application.

Exploring Estuaries

• Who: Third through fifth grade groups up to 60 students.
• What: Explore the interdependence of estuarine creatures and their habitats in the great outdoors. Activities include testing the salinity of estuary water, discovering skulls and skins of local wildlife, using a watershed model to explore human impacts on estuaries, and more.
• When: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:15 am to 12:30 pm in October, November, May, and June.
• How much: $5 per student. Financial aid is available through the Laudholm Trust Mattina Proctor Seacoast Explorers Fund, Download financial aid application.

Microscopic Marvels

• Who: Sixth grade through high school groups up to 30 students.
• What: Introduce your students to the diverse world of plankton. During this program, they will collect, observe, and identify live plankton, come to understand the importance of plankton to healthy ecosystems, and learn plankton life histories. Students collect plankton from the estuary then view them using both dissecting and compound microscopes. They also learn water quality testing methods. Aligned with Maine Learning Results.
• When: Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm in October, November, May, and June.
• How much: $5 per student includes all field sampling and lab equipment. Financial aid is available through the Laudholm Trust Mattina Proctor Seacoast Explorers Fund, Download financial aid application.

Guided Walks

• Who: Age 5 through adults; up to 30 people with up to 15 participants per docent
• What: Seasonal programs adapted to the age and interest of participants. Topics include History of a Saltwater Farm, Life Between the Tides, Secrets of a Salt Marsh, Wonderful Wildlife, Tremendous Trees, and Wildflower or Nature Walk.
• When: By appointment; limited availability
• How much: $5 per person; minimum charge $50

Group Visits & Reservations

Reservations are required for all group visits and space is limited. Please book early to avoid disappointment, especially during October, November, May, and June. By limiting the number of people using the site, we protect fragile ecosystems and avoid overcrowding on trails and in facilities.

Safari in a Box

Explore New England wildlife with your students by getting a close-up look at animal artifacts. Some of the items included are animal pelts; skull, track, and scat replicas; activity guides; and informational brochures, posters, and VHS tapes.

Fee

• Thanks to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, this kit is available to rent free of charge.

Tree Trunk

Tree Trunks explore the world of trees and help supplement your curriculum by providing lesson plans and interactive tools to use both in and outside the classroom. These kits, developed by Wells Reserve educators and generously funded by the Laird Norton Foundation and the Maine TREE Foundation, are available for two different age groups – elementary school and middle/high school. Both kits are aligned with the Maine Learning Results (2007).

Tree Trunks contain:

• tree identification guides
• "tree cookie" samples
• leaf games
• books, posters, and videos
• Project Learning Tree curriculum guide

The middle/high school kit also comes with a bin full of forestry tools (soil thermometers, calipers, tangent height gauges, soil acidity and moisture meters, etc.) to use for scientific investigations in the outdoors. The Resource Binder included in each kit provides background information and additional activity write-ups to go along with the materials provided, and helps guide students through tree identification, biology, and forest ecology.

Fees (for 3-week rental)

• Elementary School Tree Trunk: $50
• Middle/High School Tree Trunk: $75

Estuaries Kit

The Estuaries Kit introduces students to the dynamic and unique estuarine ecosystem through fun games, activities, books and hands-on science. This kit was developed by Wells Reserve educators and is tailored to the elementary school level with attention to the Maine Learning Results (2007).

The Estuaries Kit contains:

• tools for water quality testing
• 3-D watershed model
• sand samples from estuaries around the country
• informational books and posters
• Resource Binder with activity write-ups, background articles, and ideas for getting students involved in service learning projects

Taken as separate activities or as a whole unit on estuarine habitats, this kit is a fantastic resource to help bring estuaries into the classroom and encourage students to get out and explore their own watersheds.

Fee (for 3-week rental)

• $75

Bird Kit

Being developed now for anticipated launch in late spring 2012. Call Kate Reichert for more information.