Stewardship Through Leadership: Backyard Adventures! after-school environmental education programs for youth of the city of Lowell.  'Where Earth Day is everyday!'

Goal of the program (STL): To expose urban youth to the outdoor classroom where they will build upon their in-school science & technology and math curricula, become engaged in constructive environmental stewardship in their community, and build self-esteem through team and leadership opportunities.

Where we explore and make a difference: The City of Lowell is our outdoor classroom where our field studies are carried out.  Lowell is home to a multitude of natural resources, ecosytems and geological features, which are the sites and subjects of our studies and action-based environmental stewardship projects.

Summer 2011 programming sites include Freshman Academy-Compass Program, Daley Middle School, Spindle City Corps, Girls Incorporated, and CTI at the Lincoln School.

2012 STL PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS

Stewardship through Leadership continues to make an impact! This winter, we geared up for after-school programming at the Robinson Middle School, the Daley Middle School and Lowell High’s Freshman Academy.  We learned about many topics, from the importance of our pollinators to what is a watershed- there’s much to cover, but here are some of the highlights from each school.

Freshman Academy

The students at Lowell High’s Freshman Academy continue to observe and monitor the growth of Tooter and Tuche, the snapping turtles as part of a head start program.  They have become a highlight in the classroom and an exciting weekly project to weigh them and graph their growth.  We are looking forward to releasing these healthy, growing turtles to their native habitat in the spring.

Freshman Academy students also took part in a service learning project that incorporated a field trip to LP&CT’s conservation restriction property at Hawk Valley Farm. Students learned about the pollination crisis and built ‘bee hotels’ out of recycled materials and invasive species and then hung them up at Hawk Valley Farm. The ‘hotels’ function as important nesting sites for solitary bees and increase suitable habitat. In turn, the bees pollinate native plants and crops.

Students recently met with the headmaster, Mr. Rozmiarek, to get approval for a pollinator garden that will be built in the school alley. Currently, the alley serves as a parking lot and the students want to make this a more natural spot with places for students to observe and enjoy the beauty of the garden. Plans, measurements, and decisions were all student based. We have approval and we are looking forward to starting work soon!

The collection of redeemable bottles for a donation to Heifer International is also continuing strong. We are up to $25 that we will donate to this organization that helps families live more sustainably. Students created posters and spoke at staff meeting to highlight the importance of this project.

On top of all of these on –going projects, we are still getting out to explore the native habitats around Lowell. We took some field trips to the Concord and Merrimack Rivers to examine water quality, observed signs of spring, and continue to build on our partnership with the Lowell National Historic Park.

Check out our website for more updates!

http://thecompassprogram.wikispaces.com/Environmental+Adventures

Robinson Middle School

Robinson students explored the school yard habitats and investigated how native animals survive winter.  They learned about hibernation, migration, and adaptation to the harsh conditions.  We had native animal visitors, from broad wing hawks to wood turtles, which showcased some of these animal’s amazing survival strategies.  Students participated in interactive games to learn about food webs and the components of habitat.

Daley Middle School

We started up again at the Daley Middle School with the CSI River Adventures Program.  With just a few weeks under our belts, students have been learning about watersheds, water quality, out measuring burst, examining the forest soils, becoming land stewards and exploring the variety of habitats around the school yard that includes ponds, marshes and forest. Students will also be able to connect to fellow students along the watershed with their results.  We are looking forward to collecting more data, delving deeper into the habitats, taking a field trip to River Meadow Brook and connecting to other students.

At all of these programs, we have made strong connections to the important habitats in right here in Lowell. Although this is just a snapshot of what we have done, we continue to reach our goal of building on their in school curricula while connecting to the world around them through meaningful observations, projects, and field trips.

Outdoor Classrooms

Through STL programming we utilize various outdoor classrooms, otherwise known as local open green spaces, such as LP&CT's conservation lands and local rivers. For more information about our outdoor classrooms and the Concord River Greenway Classroom Web Site - Click Here.



STL: Environmental Education Program Wins Award

Certificate of Excellence: April 2009, LP&CT's Stewardship Through Leadership: Backyard Adventures! environmental education program, led in partnership with Mass Audubon, was awarded honors at the State House from Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Ian Bowles at the "Secretary's Awards for Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education".



The "Certificate of Excellence" award was received in recognition of our dedication, commitment, and contribution to energy and environmental education, while working with Lowell youth.

Outdoor Classrooms Include-

• LP&CT-owned properties, such as West Meadow Conservation Land
• Concord River Greenway Park
• Merrimack River Watershed (includes the Concord River and local brooks)
• Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsboro State Forest
• Urban habitats of local community centers and school yards
• Urban forests and parks

STL Program Handbook

Please take a look at the program handbook (PDF) to find out more about our studies of Lowell's natural side and environmental history.