Grants-in-Action

Materials to build and plant a community garden   Director Lindsay Pinchbeck: “This spring, students built a community garden and connected with Hope’s Edge Farm. Middle school children worked closely with local gardeners, created a business plan and launched a small farm stand to sell greens in the center of Hope. Elementary students drove a...

Materials for predator-exclusion cages Students at the Riley School will investigate the effects of predator exclusion units and changing abiotic factors on soft-shell clam (mya arenaria) populations in the nearby Clam Cove. Historically, this area was home to a healthy population of wild soft-shell clams, but in recent years the population has declined significantly. The...

Binoculars for eBird program   The binoculars are primarily used by students who are participating in the eBird community science program. Students will spend time outside around the school to identify birds and the lists of birds they see will be uploaded to the eBird database. The eBird database can be accessed by anyone and...

Bird houses, and native plants   The addition of a wildlife garden and birdhouses on the nature trail started in 2021 with support from S.E.A. will promote more biodiversity and provide students the chance to observe an abundance of plant, animal, and insect life. This increase in environmental activity will allow for a richer data...

DJI Mavic Mini GPS Camera Drone kit   Using  GPS camera drone kit, Middle school students participating in the multi-year watershed survey and mapping project and nature trail service-learning project will add layers of detail and precision to the data already gathered about the local watershed.  As David Munson, 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade science...

Hope’s Sweet Tree Arts and Sweetland School was awarded funding for child and adult safety vests and headlamps to be used by the school’s volunteer scientists during Maine’s Big Night Amphibian Migration Monitoring activities. The project was created as a direct result of observing the mortality impacts roads are having on amphibian populations, and seeks...

Hope Elementary School science teacher Colin Amundsen was awarded a grant to create a nature trail and outdoor classroom on a one-acre piece of gifted property adjacent to the school campus. Having an outdoor space, Amundsen says, will allow students to better explore their local environment and have a richer learning experience. “Experiences in the...

Rockport’s Riley School was awarded S.E.A. funding for water monitoring equipment to be used in the school’s hands-on science program, which emphases collecting and interpreting scientific data. “At Riley School we’ve always encouraged children to have a voice in their education, and what better way to give them a voice than to have them be...