BOOK A PROGRAM
Our programs integrate the Next Generation Science Standards and STEAM approach to learning. All our programs are experiential and place-based, allowing your students to be fully engaged in their own learning while gaining a sense of the natural world in which they live.
Unless otherwise stated, all of our programs can be tailored to fit grade pre-k through 8.
For our younger participants, grades pre-k through fourth, we recommend a half day program and for our older participants, grades five through eight, we recommend a full day.
Hirundo Wildlife Refuge has a wonderful area next to our shelter, pond and restroom facilities for picnic lunches.
PRICING:
Full-Day Program:
$20 per student; $250 minimum
includes 3 hours of programming
Half-Day Program:
$10 per student; $200 minimum
includes 1.5 hours of programming
We don't believe access to learning opportunities should be restricted by funding. Can't afford busing to Hirundo or student fees? Contact us so we can figure out how to make something work for everyone.
Peruse some of our most frequently offered below. Looking for something specific to meet your classroom needs or an older age group? We're happy to work with you to develop a custom-program.
ALEWIVES *Late Spring Only
Follow the Alewives as they migrate up the Pushaw Stream. Activities focus on understanding the importance of these fish in Maine ecosystems.
Suggested Age: 5th- 8th
Half or Whole Day
ECOSYSTEMS
Explore the ecological connections between forest plants, wildlife, and humans. Our activities focus on the interdependence of abiotic and biotic factors, food webs, adaptations and human impact on our ecosystems.
Half or Whole Day
Any Age
INVASIVE SPECIES
Invasive species are non-native plants and animals that threaten the habitats they were intentionally or unintentionally brought into. We’ll explore some of Hirundo’s invasive species, characteristics that help them thrive in their new habitats, and the negative impact they can have.
Half or Whole Day
Any Age
SEASONS
Discover cycles through the changing seasons. Activities range from tracking the amount of light, the angle of the sun and consequent shadow length, temperature changes, and the ways in which plants and adapted to seasonal cycles.
Half or Whole Day
Any Age
SOIL
What lies beneath our feet is more than you can imagine! Explore the organisms that inhabit the soil, discover the forces that create different types of soil and how those soil types dictate what grows there.
Half or Whole Day
Any age
ARCHAEOLOGY
Learn about the long history of Wabanaki people in this area. Visit our archaeological site a 5,000 year old fishing camp, and explore the tools, plants, and animals that Hirundo's earliest inhabitants made and used.
Suggested Age: 5th-8th, can be modified
Half or Whole Day
HABITATS: POND, STREAM, FOREST
Compare and contrast the plants and animals that live in multiple habitats, or delve deep into one specific habitat. Activities explore how organisms that call these areas home have evolved to meet their basic needs and survive in their individual niches.
Half or Whole Day
Any Age
NATURALIST IN THE CLASSROOM
Our naturalist can visit your classroom with our Educational Trunks that cover topics including Archeology, Insects, and Maine Wildlife. Students will interact with specimens and learn about their place in our human and natural world.
Class length flexible
Any Age
ORNITHOLOGY + MIGRATION
_edited_edited.png)
Ever wonder how birds migrate, communicate, or occupy so many different environments? Discover the world of brids and join activities that explore how birds interact with their environment, each other, and undergo amazing migrations.
Half or Whole Day
Any Age
VERNAL POOLS * Spring Only
Vernal pools provide a unique habitat for a variety of plants and animals. While exploring our pools, activities will focus on topics such as water quality, indicator species and the pool's importance in the life cycles of a variety of local animals.
Half or Whole Day
Any Age
What Teachers are saying:
"Our first grade field trip to Hirundo was a tremendous success! Our grade level was split into five groups each led by amazing individuals who were engaging, patient, and SO knowledgeable!! Each station was unique and offered experiences that were age appropriate and rich in learning and exploration.Our field trip was a great success and we look forward to planning another visit next year!"
"We learned so much about the birds around us and enjoyed being out in nature. Students loved the touch tank and looking through the magnifying glasses at the different aquatic creatures. The HUGE bullfrog was incredible to see too. Our students loved walking on the nature trails and finding some salamanders. For a lot of our students they have never experienced nature this way before. Your staff was incredibly patient and understanding with the various needs of our students. It was a wonderful experience for staff and students."
