Below are examples of programs I have created or customized and presented in the past. These can be modified to fit your audience and goals or we can work together to tailor-make a program.

Birding During Spring Migration

Audience: Ages 10+ Group size: 10-20 Season and Setting: April-May; Outdoor Duration: 1.5 - 2 hrs Goals:

• Discuss techniques for identifying birds.

• Explore links between spring migration, birds and habitats.

• Observe birds who make their homes in the area or may be passing through.

Theme: Birding can connect you to place and to the world.

Natural Wonders of the Night

Audience: Families, mixed ages Group size: 5-12 Season and Setting: Year round; Indoor/Outdoor Duration: 1 - 2 hrs Goals:

• Experience the sounds, scents of forest at night.

• Become more comfortable being outside at night.

• Discuss differences between diurnal, crepuscular & nocturnal animal communities.

Theme: The landscape is at least as active at night as it is during the day.

Discovery Walk at Shieling Forest

Audience: Families with younger children Group size: 5-15 Season and Setting: Year round; Outdoor Duration: 0.75 - 1.5 hrs Goals:

• Promote use of local state forest.

• Introduce map use

• Encourage exploration, curiosity, asking questions and looking for answers.

Theme: Everything in Shieling Forest has its own story to tell, whether animal, vegetable or mineral. We know some of the stories, others are waiting for you to discover them.

History of the Land of Milo McIver State Park

Audience: Senior citizens group from local community center Group size: 40 Season and Setting: Year round; Indoor Duration: 1 hr Goals:

• Discuss the changing use of the land where McIver State Park is located.

• Introduce/review programs, resources, trails, etc. available at McIver State Park today.

• Encourage sharing of memories of area.

Theme: The appearance of the land within Milo McIver SP reflects its history and how land use has changed over time.

Working the Water

Audience: Families, mixed ages Group size: 24 Season and Setting: Year round; Indoor/Outdoor Duration: 1.5 hrs Goals:

• Think about the perspectives of the different groups involved in building Lowell.

• Recognize our changing relationship with the natural world during industrialization.

Theme: Transforming the free-flowing Merrimack River into a tightly controlled power source pulled together people from all walks of life and led to the vibrant city you see today.

Here Today, Gone Yesterday

Audience: Families, mixed ages Group size: 30 Season and Setting: Spring through fall; Outdoor Duration: 1 hr Goals:

• Describe what drew fishermen, colonists to Pemaquid.

• Connect the life of Pemaquid settlers to present day life of visitors.

• Encourage exploration and future visits to Colonial Pemaquid.

Theme: The rich natural resources of northeastern North America brought Pemaquid into being, but the struggle to control those resources eventually caused settlers to permanently abandon the village.

Insects and Farming

Audience: Ages 8-12; Junior Master Gardeners Group size: 15 (can be larger with co-leader) Season and Setting: Spring through fall; Outdoor Duration: 2 hrs Goals:

• Understand scientific definition of an insect.

• Recognize the role of beneficial insects.

• Connect concept of ecological balance with Integrated Pest Management.

Theme: Insects are a very important part of a healthy ecosystem.

Plant Identification

Audience: 10 yr and up Group size: 5-15 Season and Setting: Year round; Indoor/Outdoor Duration: 1.5 hrs Goals:

• Learn what plant parts can help identify trees.

• Become comfortable using dichotomous keys.

• Introduce tools and vocabulary.

• Discuss connection to place.

Theme: Learning patterns and recognizing species of plants around you leads to greater understanding of the landscape and its ecosystems.

Summer Star Party

Audience: Families, mixed ages Group size: 10-20 Season and Setting: Summer or anytime during major meteor shower; Outdoor with night sky view Duration: 1.5 hrs Goals:

• Recognize how humanity has been inspired by the night sky

• Discuss discovering and solving meteor mysteries with science

• Broaden awareness of celestial patterns and objects, both seen and unseen.

Theme: Meteor showers bring outer space to Earth on a fairly reliable schedule and have increased our understanding of the universe.

Library Story Hour: The Garbage Monster

Audience: Ages K-2nd grade & parents Group size: 50 (helps to have co-leader) Season and Setting: Year round; Indoor/Outdoor Duration: 1.5 hrs Goals:

• Introduce or review Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

• Discuss the amount of trash we produce

• Audience members participate in activity focused on reducing and reusing.

Theme: You can reduce the amount of garbage going to our landfills.

Winter Scavenger Hunt

Audience: All ages Self-guided Season and Setting: Winter; Indoor/Outdoor Duration: No limit Goals:

• Spark your curiosity, awaken your wonder, and call your attention to nature in winter.

• Inspire exploration.

• Build connection with others by sharing your discoveries and questions.

Theme: You’re a nature detective.

Activity: Each bingo square asks three questions about an aspect of nature in winter and each question challenges you to delve a little deeper. In addition to outdoor exploration, you may need to look up some words, use some library resources or visit a website to answer all the questions.

Basic Map and Compass Workshop

Audience: 10 yr and up Group size: 10 (can be larger with co-leader) Season and Setting: Year round; Indoor/Outdoor Duration: 3 hrs Goals:

• Discuss the information available on maps.

• Learn parts of a compass and how to use it.

• Foster the ability to use map and compass together

• Increase awareness of surroundings.

• Inspire confidence to go on adventures beyond well-known paths.

Theme: You can explore the world when you know how to use a map and compass to find your way.