Field Station Educational Programs
The Nantucket Field Station offers educational opportunities for children of all ages. The spectacular 110-acre property features a variety of beautiful and unique eco-systems to be explored and discovered: pristine salt marshes, tidal creeks, freshwater ponds, beaches, upland hiking trails and 2,000 feet of harbor waterfront.
Led by experienced resident naturalist and education coordinator Len Germinara, the Nantucket Field Station's educational outreach appeals to a wide variety of groups with an assortment of educational programs aimed at visitors of all ages, abilities and interests. Among the most frequent visitors are children's camp groups - most notably The Boys and Girls Club, The Murray Camp, Strong Wings, the Nantucket Family Adventure, the Lighthouse School, Montessori School, New School, and the Nantucket Public Schools. Each camp visitor is given an age specific "Field Journal" to chronicle their visit as Len guides them through the fresh water ponds, marshes and beaches of the property. An ideal outdoor classroom, the Field Station gives students and campers the ability to see a wide variety of plants, animals and birds in an area that is easily accessible.
The "Junior Ranger" program completed its second year in 2009. "Junior Rangers" enlists middle school students to serve and assist with summer programs and to further supplement their individual academic needs. The summer 2009 Junior Ranger, Caillean Daily, helped out with the Wednesday Nature Walks series (a weekly scheduled event) as well as pursuing her own specific interest in plants and their medicinal qualities.
With the continued growth and success of the Wednesday Nature Walks series, other weekly events will be offered in 2010 with the hope that these new programs will stimulate and encourage families to come out and experience the wealth of opportunities the Field Station provides. Among the new programs will be weekly scavenger hunts that will highlight the flora and fauna found at the Field Station during various times of the year. Geo-caching (a type of scavenger hunt) will once again be one of our most popular curriculum activities and as well as Drawing Nature classes and kite making.
From May through October it is not uncommon to have several hundred visitors per week visit the Field Station. With the addition of the new kiosk at the front of the property stocked with information, every visitor to the Field Station is given the opportunity to learn of the conservation efforts that the Foundation and University of Massachusetts Boston are undertaking to help preserve this precious resource.